The Boy with Green Hair Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Boy with Green Hair Blu-ray Movie Review

It ain't easy.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 8, 2023

A preachy yet mostly potent parabolic drama that only sounds like sci-fi, Joseph Losey's The Boy with Green Hair hides bold anti-war sentiments inside an otherwise innocuous children's movie. Headlined by another great lead performance from well-established young actor Dean Stockwell, it follows young Peter Fry thought a turbulent childhood that's led to his current stay with vaguely magical Gramp Fry (Pat O'Brien), who's exactly as Irish as his name implies. The mystery of his parents' fate have made him meek and nearly invisible but, when the truth finally comes out, Peter awakens the next day to find that the stress has turned his hair... yep, you guessed it. A few schoolmates and even older neighbors are frightened by the change, but his battle is a mostly internal one that thankfully ends in acceptance.

That's not a spoiler, either, as The Boy with Green Hair is bookended by a closing scene where newly-shorn Peter is interviewed by child psychologist Dr. Evans (Robert Ryan, above), who encourages the young boy to try and recount the previous few days in fine detail. It's all spelled out in an otherwise-linear fashion: Peter arrives to Gramp's house and reluctantly goes to another new class taught by kindly Miss Brand (Barbara Hale), where most of his schoolmates are welcoming yet he still keeps them at a distance. Trouble brews after his class starts a project to help war orphans in Europe and Asia. Peter quickly has a bad feeling in his gut that's confirmed by Gramp, who explains that his parents were killed during WWII while trying to protect the lives of children. This angers Peter and a few unsympathetic classmates don't help either, which is exactly why everything comes up green the next morning.

The emotional ins and outs of The Boy with Green Hair are actually more complex than first-time viewers might be expecting, with director Joseph Losey's debut film exploring themes of acceptance, fear, childhood fantasy, and more during its whirlwind running time of 82 minutes -- more than half of which are when Pete's either bald or still a brunet. It barrels through a couple of odd tonal departures, some of which work well (a spiritual meeting with war orphans in the forest) and others, not so much (an early scene where Gramps recounts his meeting with a foreign king). Truth be told, The Boy with Green Hair would be more effective if it exercised subtlety, as its preachier moments -- a handful of which even involve characters speaking directly into the camera -- ultimately undercut the effectiveness of what's essentially a feature-length anti-war sermon during a long decade of cinema ripe with jingoism.

Working strongly in its favor are lead performances by the late, great Dean Stockwell -- already a little force of nature at this early point in his long and prolific career -- and Pat O'Brien who, after that tonally disastrous opening sequence, mostly reins in the character's "magical" overtones and anchors the more turbulent drama with his warm, comforting presence. Barbara Hale also impresses in her somewhat thankless role, and even minor characters seem to make the most of their limited screen time. (Robert Ryan does fine in only two mid-length scenes, but his character's involvement isn't even all that critical to the film's overall narrative.) Losey's steady direction, when not sabotaged by the script's heavier-handed moments, moves things along nicely, and the workmanlike cinematography by George Barnes makes everything easy to follow. This is in all honesty a perfectly decent little drama whose narrative hook and forgotten status make it one to seek out, even if it doesn't feel quite as strong as it ought to in the moment.

Never one to skip over catalog deep cuts, WB's boutique label Warner Archive serves up yet another crowd-pleasing Blu-ray that's led by a dazzling 4K-sourced restoration and showcases The Boy with Green Hair's appreciated use of Technicolor for added emotional effectiveness. It's light on bonus features, of course, but makes a nice package for established fans of this minor dramatic gem and a lightly recommended blind buy for the curious.

The Boy with Green Hair Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive's virtually perfect track record with Technicolor negatives is in full effect here, as The Boy with Green Hair makes for yet another great-looking Blu-ray that far outpaces previous home video releases (the last one being WAC's own 2009 DVD). Green isn't the only vivid color on display, but it's hard not to be taken aback with the the color when it appears: this applies to Peter's hair, of course, but symbolically similar fare like Gramp's houseplant and lush patches of grass in the woods where he meets (?) a group of war orphans. Primaries are likewise especially strong, with a full palette frequently on display in locations like Peter's classroom, Gramp's fantastical meeting with a foreign king, and even the cozy little apartment where they live together. While much of the film retains an era and format-specific range of hues that stays mostly earth-toned, these bursts of more potent color make a refreshing impact when they appear. As expected, fine detail and textures are top-notch, as are shadows, contrast levels, and overall density, which as always is aided by Warner Archive's light cleaning touch that removes virtually all dirt and debris while preserving film grain. Overall, it's clearly another five-star effort from the best boutique label in the business.

The Boy with Green Hair Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sourced from the original nitrate optical soundtrack, Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix is a capable effort that serves this dialogue-driven drama well, with crystal-clear details and a presence and dynamic range that are well above average for material recorded during this era. The original score, credited to both Leigh Harline and Constantin Bakaleinikoff, features several variations of the then-new jazz song "Nature Boy" first performed by Nat King Cole and always makes an impact when it appears. Overall, it's a nicely tied-together mix that perfectly suits the film and sounds better than ever on Blu-ray, with no obvious signs of hissing, crackling, or other age-related wear and tear.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offering during the main feature... not the extras, unfortunately.

The Boy with Green Hair Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and no inserts. Extras are predictably minimal and no trailer is included, as surviving RKO promotional material from this era is exceedingly rare.

• A Really Important Person (10:51) - A black-and-white 1947 installment of John Nesbitt's Passing Parade (which began life as a radio show before this MGM series of short subjects), this extremely dated but charming piece follows young Bill Reilly (Dean Stockwell), who hopes to enter a city-wide essay contest to win a brand-new baseball glove but can't find a truly Important Person to write about... until he finds the perfect candidate right under his nose. Worth the run-through for Stockwell's performance, if you don't mind extra cheese.

The Boy with Green Hair Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Much like its titular character, Joseph Losey's The Boy with Green Hair stuck out during its 1948 theatrical run, when anti-war films were outnumbered by jingoistic fare and escapist entertainment. Yet while its message is admirable, the film's preachiness and other tonal detours occasionally overshadow its stronger fundamentals including Losey's steady direction, the solid cinematography, and of course young Dean Stockwell's excellent lead performance. Ultimately the good wins out in both cases, and Warner Archive's Blu-ray certainly helps tip the scales with another outstanding 4K-sourced restoration that should delight long-time fans. Recommended to the right audience.