6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
A corrupt union boss tries to add vim and vigor to his title role as tough hood who goes on violent rampage when federal agents investigate his business activities.
Starring: Mickey Rooney, Steve Cochran (I), Mamie Van Doren, Ray Danton, Jim BackusCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
When Mickey Rooney died on April 6 of this year at the splendid age of 93, many trade paper obituaries understandably concentrated on the actor’s reign as box office champion back in the 1930s and 1940s, when the diminutive performer was frequently paired with the likes of Judy Garland or meandered through a perhaps too long series of Andy Hardy films. Variety published a very nice retrospective on Rooney’s post-World War II foray into noir, an era in Rooney’s career that never really paid the box office dividends that his earlier, lighter weight material did, but which serves as a potent reminder of just how forceful an actor Rooney could be when called upon to step out of his song and dance or comedy comfort zones. Even the Variety article overlooked The Big Operator, one of the last films from this underappreciated aspect of Rooney’s remarkably long career, though one that admittedly can't be seen as a noir as much as a traditional crime thriller. As with at least a few other 1950s outings starring Rooney, the actor gets to play the heavy in 1959’s The Big Operator, in this case a scheming, duplicitous and actually murderous labor union boss named Little Joe Braun. This Little Joe is about as diametrically opposed to another Little Joe who was causing skipped beats in female hearts in 1959, Michael Landon’s character in Bonanza. Little Joe Braun has absolutely no redeeming characteristics whatsoever, and it’s fascinating to see Rooney tear into a character this inherently despicable. While the film relies on a number of thriller genre conventions that will probably strike modern day viewers as fairly hackneyed, performances are surprisingly facile throughout the film, and The Big Operator manages to be an unexpectedly compelling viewing experience.
The Big Operator is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Elements utilized for this transfer are in quite good condition, with fairly typical though pretty minimal age related wear and tear. The image is nicely clear and stable, with good contrast and nicely gradated gray scale. Blacks are occasionally a bit lackluster and the film lacks any substantial shadow detail in the nighttime sequences, but this is a nicely organic looking presentation with no signs of probematic digital tweaking.
The Big Operator's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track nicely supports dialogue, sound effects, and the swingin' score by Van Alexander. There's just the slightest hint of distortion in some of Alexander's brass drenched riffs, but otherwise this is a problem free track boasting very good fidelity.
No supplements are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
The Big Operator is often a pretty goofy affair, and its politics are a bizarre grab bag at best, but there's one thing this film has going for it: Mickey Rooney. Just watch the way Rooney in character cuts the much larger and more imposing Danton down to size (repeatedly), or the way Rooney the actor just walks away with scenes inhabited by at times several other performers. Also keep an eye on the stogie Rooney utilizes as a prop throughout the film, especially when the curvaceous Ms. Van Doren is around. Sometimes a cigar is—well, you know the rest. Recommended.
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