Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

That Kind of Girl Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 27, 2010

Gery O'Hara's first feature film "That Kind of Girl" (1963) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI). The disc contains the following short films and supplemental features: "The People at No. 19" (J. B. Holmes, 1948); "No Place to Hide" (1959), a snapshot of the 'Ban the Bomb' march to Aldermaston; "A Sunday in September" (1961), a documentary about the nuclear protests in London, with Vanessa Redgrave, Doris Lessing and John Osbourne; and an interview with producer Robert Hartford-Davis (1968). The Blu-ray disc also arrives with a 30-page illustrated booklet. Region-Free.

Eva and Max

Eva (Margaret Rose Keil, Suppose...I Break Your Neck) knows that seeing different men at the same time isn't a good idea, but she likes the attention, and a lot of them take her places that she would never visit alone. Back home in Austria Eva would have probably been a lot more careful, but here, in London, a city that has so much to offer, she wants to have fun.

Max (Franck Jarvis) likes Eva but has to work long hours in the library. He needs to save as much as he can, which could be a problem - everyone knows that good looking girls like Eva like to be entertained. That is why Max takes Eva to a chic dance club where the music is great and the drinks strong.

At the club, Eva meets Elliot (Peter Burton, Richard's Things), an older man who knows how to talk to younger girls. He asks Eva if she would like to dance with him, and before Max realizes, Elliot gets her phone number. He would like to take her out for a dinner and then show her the city. Not tonight, of course, but in a couple of days. Eva would not mind, but she has to ask Mr. and Mrs. Millar first - she is their au pair; they rely on her.

A couple of days later Elliot takes Eva to a fancy night club. This one is different - it has a beautiful dancer who does little dancing and likes to take her clothes off. This really is a place Eva would have never visited alone. Elliot senses that Eva feels uncomfortable; perhaps they could have coffee at his place. They leave the club but Eva goes home - she isn't ready to do the things she thinks Elliot has in mind.

Having realized that chic night clubs could be tricky - apparently, a lot of men with a lot of money frequent them - Max invites Eva to accompany him in the "Ban the Bomb" march. He tells her that it would be great - she would meet a lot of exciting people, see new places. At first Eva is unsure if this is a good idea, but later on she accepts Max's invitation. Marching could be fun.

But it isn't, and a lot of the people Eva meets during the event are anything but exciting. In fact, they are quite strange. And after Max makes a pass on her, she immediately decides to go back home. Eva misses the bus, but meets Keith (David Weston, Becket), a young man from an affluent family trying to finish his degree and marry his girlfriend (Linda Marlowe), who gives her a ride. Before they part ways, Keith asks Eva if she would like to have a drink with him sometime. She does, and, in fact, she knows just the right place - a chic dance club where the music is great and the drinks strong.

A few days later Keith meets Eva at the club. Elliot is also there but Eva ignores him. A few drinks and a couple of dances later, Keith offers to take Eva to a private party. At the party, they drink more, swim and make love. Then Keith drives Eva back to Mr. and Mrs. Millar's house. They kiss again and he leaves. Suddenly, Elliot appears and attacks Eva. A cop chases him off and then asks Eva to accompany him to the Police Station. A routine medical check-up reveals that she has contracted syphilis.

Gerry O’Hara's That Kind of Girl is a genuine B-film, one that has more spirit than substance. But this is exactly what makes it so enjoyable, it is a time capsule of sorts, allowing us to enter places that no longer exist and meet people who have or might have been forgotten (I certainly had forgotten about Linda Marlowe and Penelope Pulls It Off).

The acting is raw but unpretentious. Most of the actors seem relaxed, and once you realize where things are heading, their lines become quite entertaining. More importantly, the fact that That Kind of Girl never switches into a preachy mode really gives the film quite a lift.

That Kind of Girl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gerry O'Hara's That Kind of Girl arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute (BFI).

The booklet provided with this Blu-ray release contains the following text: "That King of Girl was transferred to High Definition from the original 35mm combined finegrain held at the BFI National Archive. The picture was restored using HD-DVNR, MTI and Phoenix restoration systems, removing dirt, scratches, warps, damaged or missing frames and improving stability issues. There are occasional instances of tramline scratches in the film, but these have been improved as much as possible. Some minor issues of loose synch remain, as per the original production."

As noted in the text above, there are certain limitations with the transfer for That Kind of Girl that simply could not have been addressed completely - or at least not with the budget BFI had to work with. That said, contrast, clarity and detail are remarkably strong, and many of the close-ups in the film look absolutely gorgeous. The film grain is intact. Generally speaking, the transfer is also free of heavy edge-enhancement and macroblocking. I also did not detect any serious stability issues to report in this review. All in all, this a lovely presentation of a film I dare say has never looked this good. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

That Kind of Girl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, BFI have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The LPCM (48k/24-bit) is very good. The dialog is crisp, clear and exceptionally easy to follow. Additionally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hiss to report in this review. Dynamically, there is nothing here that would even partially test the muscles of audio system, but this is still a solid audio track. The optional English subtitles are of equally high quality.

That Kind of Girl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The People at No. 19 - a short film by J. B. Holmes about a young family facing a difficult dilemma (1948). With optional English subtitles. (19 min, 1080p).

No Place to Hide - a short documentary film about the famous anti-war protests from the mid 50s. With optional English subtitles. (10 min, 1080p).

A Sunday in September - a documentary film about a nuclear disarmament demonstration in London, starring Vanessa Redgrave, Doris Lessing and John Osbourne. With optional English subtitles. (28 min, 1080p).

Interview - an interview with Robert Hartford-Davis, the producer of That Kind of Girl, who discusses the film's production history as well as his career. With optional English subtitles. (14 min, 1080p).

Booklet - a 30-page illustrated booklet containing Catrhi Unsworth's essay "It's a man's, man's, man's world"; "Gerry O'Hara recalls making That Kind of Girl"; biographies for Gerry O'Hara and Linda Marlowe; and James Piers Taylor's "Bernard Braden's 'Now and Then' interview with Robert Hartford-Davis."

That Kind of Girl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

That Kind of Girl is yet another fantastic addition to BFI's Flipside series. It is raw and quite naive - but this is exactly why it is so enjoyable. The presentation is very good and the supplemental features included on the disc excellent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.