6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A local politician in Scotland tries to break the reporter who wrote a negative story about him, and who is also in love with his daughter.
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison, Cecil Parker, Sara Allgood, Ursula JeansRomance | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM Mono
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is currently available only in The Vivien Leigh Anniversary Collection.
Vivien Leigh will never escape the looming Technicolor shadow of her portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. For many,
both those who have read Margaret Mitchell’s source novel and those who haven’t, Leigh simply is and will
always be Scarlett. That kind of association with one iconic role can be as much of an obstacle as it is a boon to an
actor’s career, but the fact is of course Leigh essayed many memorable parts over the course of several decades. Even
diehard Gone With the Wind fans are aware of Leigh’s stunning turn as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire
, which might almost be thought of as Scarlett O’Hara: The Next Generation. Other, more devoted, fans of
the actress can point to any number of other notable performances, including everything from Caesar and
Cleopatra and Ship of Fools. But rather remarkably for an actress who is so lionized and so well
remembered today (even if it is largely for one legendary role), Leigh actually only made a relatively paltry 19 films over
the course of her career. Part of this was due to Leigh’s love of the theater (real fans will know she brought
home a perhaps undeserved Tony for her brief run in the musical Tovarich!), but part of it was due to her
emotional problems, which became more and more debilitating from the late forties onward (and which according to
some accounts led to her early departure from Tovarich!). Leigh’s pre-Gone With the Wind British work
seems to have most seriously fallen by the wayside in the actress’ oeuvre, and several of those films have in fact
fallen into the public domain, with a resultant release of various pretty shoddy looking home video versions through the
years. Now Cohen Film Collection (working in tandem with the British Film Institute at least some of the time) is
releasing four early Leigh ventures that may help to reclaim this underappreciated era in the actress’ burgeoning career.
Storm in a Teacup is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Film Collection with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. This is overall probably the most generally consistent looking transfer of the four films in this set, with good contrast and well modulated gray scale, and a clear, if sometimes soft looking, image. There has apparently been some moderate noise reduction applied here, but there is still a visible layer of fine grain present throughout the film. The elements here are in generally very good shape, without the fluctuations in contrast and grain structure that hobble some of the other films in this set.
Storm in a Teacup's uncompressed LPCM Mono track is about what you would expect from a film of this vintage, with an often boxy and tinny sounding track that delivers dialogue decently enough but which reveals its limitations during the musical elements. There are a couple of noticeable dropouts here, typically as the film comes out of fades.
There are no actual supplements tied to Storm in a Teacup. This film is on the second disc of this two disc set, and the disc itself has a supplement which is detailed in The Vivien Leigh Anniversary Collection Blu-ray review.
Storm in a Teacup is a fair to middling comedy that frankly hasn't aged all that well, but which has a certain ebullience stemming from its great performances. Leigh and Harrison are quite winning here, but the real calling cards remain the fantastic supporting turns of Parker and Allgood. This Blu-ray has the most consistent image of the four films in this set. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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