The Glass Bottom Boat Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Glass Bottom Boat Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 28, 2019

It’s as lightweight as ensemble comedies get, but that doesn’t mean Frank Tashlin’s The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) is without a little substance. Still, it clearly favors eye-catching locales, sight gags, and slapstick over more traditional drama (not surprising, given the director’s background in animation), and plays better as a loose, free-wheeling experience than a compelling story. Front and center is none other than singer-turned-actor Doris Day as Jennifer Nelson, who helps out her dad’s glass bottom boat tourist attraction by donning a skimpy mermaid outfit. It’s just a part-time gig, though: widowed Jennifer just started work at NASA in their public relations department. Unfortunately, new boss Bruce Templeton (Rod Taylor) recognizes Jennifer from a run-in at her other job when his fishing hook snagged the bottom of her costume. He immediately takes a liking to her and requests that Jennifer help write his life story, but Bruce really just wants somewhere to…uh, land his rocket. Get it? Because...never mind.

Aside from its rather dated and sexist main plot, the bulk of The Glass Bottom Boat concerns the possibility that Jennifer just might be a Russian spy: when she’s overheard making a few suspicious phone calls, security chief Homer Cripps (Paul Lynde) goes all-in to prove her guilt and eventually puts her under surveillance. We figure out long before he does -- almost immediately, in fact -- that Jennifer’s no spy, which means that The Glass Bottom Boat must remain committed to the joke as long as possible. A second layer to this story keeps things from getting stale quickly, although it’s certainly arguable that there’s an awful lot of fluff during this film’s 110-minute lifespan. If first-time viewers aren’t laughing by the hour mark, the second half probably won’t change their mind.

Still, even the most lightweight comedies often bring something else to the table, and The Glass Bottom Boat’s main strength -- aside from the picturesque Catalina landscapes and colorful 1960s interior decorating, of course -- is its ensemble cast. Day, Taylor, and Lynde are easy standouts, with fun supporting roles by the likes of John McGiver, Dick Martin, Arthur Godfrey, Edward Andrews, Dom DeLuise, and more. The large group plays well off one another in their shared scenes and, if nothing else, seems to be having a lot of fun at work. This is no It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, either in scope or success…but as a vintage “battle of the sexes” farce, The Glass Bottom Boat is still decent as a weekend matinee. Even so, those unfamiliar with this one should remember that mileage may vary: this is a pretty tough sell for new viewers under the age of 30, although they’ll at least admire some of the background furniture.

Warner Archive’s new Blu-ray is rightfully aimed at established fans, and they’ll be thrilled with how great The Glass Bottom Boat looks and sounds here. Armed with a sparkling 1080p transfer sourced from a new master, lossless audio, and a few slightly upgraded extras, it’s a well-rounded disc that easily outshines Warner Bros.’ 2005 DVD.

The Glass Bottom Boat Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Glass Bottom Boat looks exceptional on Warner Archive's new Blu-ray. This 1080p transfer is advertised as being sourced from a brand-new 2019 HD master and overall it's just a great, filmic effort that easily outshines Warner Bros.' 2005 DVD in all departments. True to the decade in which it was shot, The Glass Bottom Boat is an extremely vivid film with no shortage of striking color combinations; from clothes to interior decorating, almost no hue or shade goes unrepresented here. This wide color palette proves to be a perfect match for the format's capabilities; even so, one could only imaging what a 4K presentation with HDR might look like. Primaries fare extremely well, with reds and yellows being the most obvious standouts in a number of scenes.

Black levels are also quite deep, and the picture retains a strong amount of shadow detail with no obvious crush or fluctuations. Image detail is also impressive with bold textures and a steady amount of natural grain that looks extremely good in-motion. Dirt and debris are basically absent. The only dips in quality are source-related, including a handful of shots with noticeably higher grain/noise levels and some rather questionable rear projection effects (especially during Jennifer and Bruce's elevator ride). Overall, this is another reliably great transfer from Warner Archives; those who haven't seen The Glass Bottom Boat in years -- or even decades -- will be surprised at just how brilliant it looks on Blu-ray. More than most discs, this is one where the screenshots clearly speak for themselves.

The Glass Bottom Boat Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (split mono) mix represents an accurate and solid effort that thankfully maintains The Glass Bottom Boat's one-channel roots. This is very much a dialogue and music-driven production; both elements maintain a steady, pleasing balance without fighting for attention, even in smaller group settings and within the overlapping disorder of crowded party scenes. Depth is also achieved at times, and it's even noticeable when briefly switching over to center-channel playback. The film's soundtrack is a mixed bag of classical re-arrangements and other public domain pieces, while the title track -- a re-working of Doris Day's own "Soft as the Starlight", itself a variant of "Hush, Little Baby" -- appears at regular intervals and likewise sounds better than ever. Although I wasn't able to do a full comparison between this lossless track and Warner Bros.' Dolby Digital mix on the DVD, I'm confident that the Blu-ray's excellent audio presentation offers every bit as much of an improvement as its visuals.

Optional English subtitles have been included during the main feature; while they're at least white instead of yellow, they still display in ALL CAPS (see one of my screenshots for a sample) and just aren't very attractive at all.

The Glass Bottom Boat Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Per usual, Warner Archive has ported over the bonus features from their parent company's DVD, including three brief but enjoyable featurettes shot during the film's original production. What's more is that the included Chuck Jones animated short "The Dot and the Line" has been newly remastered in 1080p, which is a nice little touch.

• Catalina Island (5:19, SD) - This vintage narrated travelogue takes a quick tour around Catalina, which includes the arrival of Doris Day and other members of the cast and crew. It also includes a few behind-the-scenes clips and scenes from the finished film (in worn-looking 1.33:1, at least).

• Every Girl's Dream (8:44, SD) - A longer vintage black-and-white piece featuring Nancy Bernard as she tours the MGM backlot circa 1966. Nancy's stylish wardrobe gets as much attention as the sets she's visiting, if not more. How does his tie into The Glass Bottom Boat? Glad you asked. One of the dresses she models during her whirlwind tour was worn by Doris Day, and Nancy also gets a private wardrobe test (courtesy of Day and Rod Taylor) that was shot during production. Ah, the jet-setting life of a Cotton Maid.

• NASA (5:24, SD) is another vintage behind-the-scenes featurette, this time hosted by Doris Day, which looks at a few shooting locations and a few bloopers captured during production. She also talks about the upcoming Saturn V and Apollo missions, and the importance of getting everything right "on the first take" (one out of two ain't bad, right?). It's a nice enough featurette, though half of it is just finished film clips.

• The Dot and the Line (10:04, 1080p / DTS-HD 2.0) is the aforementioned and award-winning 1967 Chuck Jones animated short, newly restored and looking better than ever. This is a great little minimalist tale of love and longing that, pound for pound, is one of the best one-shot productions from animation's Golden Age. It's still odd that this was included instead of, say, The Bear That Wasn't (1967), another animated Chuck Jones short that's actually based on a children's book written and illustrated by director Frank Tashlin.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:47, SD) - Although not newly-restored like the main feature, this wild trailer features lots of colorful titles and text, as well as lots of quick cutting and added sound effects. Basically, it's almost three full minutes of sensory overload...but fun to see from a historical perspective, at least.

The Glass Bottom Boat Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Frank Tashlin's The Glass Bottom Boat is a product of its time and, in most regards, hasn't aged very well. Most of its slapstick comedy feels a little forced, while the paper-thin premise is stretched to its limits long before the credits roll. But the film still manages to stay afloat with fun performances from its ensemble cast, eye-catching widescreen visuals, and a free-wheeling spirit that extends all the way to its music and dialogue. The Glass Bottom Boat will undoubtedly play better to those who have seen and enjoyed it in decades past, but that doesn't mean newr audiences won't find a few things to appreciate here. Much of this credit is due to Warner Archive's outstanding Blu-ray package, which includes a stunning new 1080p transfer (sourced from a recent master) and a handful of solid extras ported over from Warner Bros.' 2005 DVD. Bottom line: this is great treatment of a lightweight but entertaining romp and comes highly recommended to established fans. Newcomers, on the other hand, should dip their toes in the water first.