The Golden Year Collection - 1939 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Golden Year Collection - 1939 Blu-ray Movie Review

It Was a Very Good Year

Reviewed by Michael Reuben June 13, 2015

By general consensus, 1939 is regarded as Hollywood's single greatest year on record, when the studio system reached its height and all the major players (and several of the minors) released one masterpiece after another. That single year saw the release of The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Stagecoach, Gunga Din, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights, Goodbye, Mr. Chips—and more.

Warner Home Video has issued four films new to Blu-ray from this legendary year both separately and in a special set, along with the previously released Gone with the Wind, entitled The Golden Year Collection—1939. The four films newly transferred and mastered for Blu-ray are Ninotchka, Dark Victory, Dodge City and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Each has been reviewed separately under its individual listing.

Purchasers of the Collection also receive a sixth disc, a DVD that includes a 2009 documentary about the film industry's annus mirabilis, as well as additional extras, many of which repeat extras found on the individual titles. They are listed below under "Special Features and Extras".

For discussion of Ninotchka, please see the Ninotchka Blu-ray review.

For discussion of Dodge City, please see the Dodge City Blu-ray review.

For discussion of Dark Victory, please see the Dark Victory Blu-ray review.

For discussion of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, please see The Hunchback of Notre Dame Blu-ray review.

For discussion of Gone with the Wind, please see the Gone with the Wind Blu-ray review by Jeffrey Kauffman.

The Golden Year Collection - 1939 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ninotchka (follow the link for screenshots):

Garbo's preferred cinematographer, William H. Daniels (Grand Hotel, among many others), shot Ninotchka in lustrous black-and-white, which has been transferred to Blu-ray by Warner, which now owns the pre-May 1986 MGM library. As with so many of those films, the original negative was lost in a 1978 fire at the George Eastman House, but MGM had made a fine grain positive as a preservation element in the Sixties, which is now the best available source.

The 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is a respectable catalog effort, with solid blacks, finely delineated shades of gray and a naturally rendered grain pattern that ably reproduces the detail of the backlot and soundstage re-creation of Paris in the late Thirties. Elaborate sets such as the sumptuous hotel suite, the Duchess' apartment and Leon's bachelor quarters can be appreciated for their decor, and the faces of the working class crowd in the restaurant to which Leon trails Nintochka are distinct and individual. The densities are excellent throughout, and the source material is pristine.

Warner has mastered Ninotchka with an average bitrate of 21.95 Mbps, which is on the low side but is less of a concern here where so many scenes involve conversation with little movement. Careful allocation of bits by the compressionist allows more elaborate sequences like the party that Leon stages for Iranoff, Buljanoff and Kopalski, or the nightclub scene, to spike upward, and artifacts were not an issue.


Dodge City (follow the link for screenshots):

As a mark of how seriously Warner took Dodge City, the film was shot in three-strip Technicolor, which was far more expensive than filming in black-and-white. The cinematographer was Sal Polito (who had shot The Adventures of Robin Hood the previous year for director Curtiz), with additional photography by Ray Rennahan (Duel in the Sun).

For this 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray release, Warner has created a new master from an interpositive, using digital technology to realign and "re- register" the three layers of the original photography of this 1939 classic. The result stands in stark contrast to its treatment of two other recently released Technicolor productions from a few years later, Anchors Aweigh (1945) and On the Town (1949). Dodge City's Blu-ray image is much sharper and better defined, while still retaining a film-like texture and a natural grain pattern. The presentation may not be quite as impressive as an Ultra Resolution restoration such as that given The Band Wagon, but it is still good enough to render complex scenes like the huge barroom brawl, the cattle stampede or the train ambush with depth and detail. The vivid and varied hues, from the prairie earth tones to the glitz of the saloon hall stage where Ann Sheridan sings and dances, are a reminder of why the early Technicolor process made such a dazzling impression on audiences of the time.

Warner has mastered Dodge City on a BD-25 with an average bitrate of 23.21 Mbps, which doesn't seem to be enough space or bandwidth for a film with this much action and complexity. Still, after looking closely at several of the most demanding scenes, it appears to me that an effort was made to fine-tune the bit-budget, so that bandwidth was conserved where it could be and reallocated where it was needed. Minor artifacting appears from time to time, typically in solid backgrounds where the eye is likely to overlook it (or, on smaller screens, to mistake it for grain).


Dark Victory (follow the link for screenshots):

Dark Victory's cinematographer Ernest Haller had been shooting in black-and-white since the Twenties, but after lensing this film in 1939, he went on photograph his first production in color, which was the film that won him an Oscar (Gone with the Wind). Still, Haller was a master of blacks and grays, and he knew how to light Bette Davis to best effect, having shot her Oscar-winning performance in the previous year's Jezebel. Warner's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray has been sourced from the original camera negative, and it is a good catalog effort, featuring solid blacks, well-delineated grays and good contrast. The grain pattern appears to be natural undisturbed by electronic manipulation. Sharpness and detail are good enough that it is easy to distinguish between Davis and her stunt double during the riding scenes and, on a positive note, the elaborate wardrobe that Judith can afford looks fabulous, even without the benefit of color.

Warner has mastered Dark Victory on a BD-25 with an average bitrate of 20.94 Mbps, but the film looks better than that low number suggests. This appears to be a case where a compressionist made the effort to "massage" the bit allocation to conserve where possible (notably during talking head scenes) and allow more bandwidth for scenes like those of Judith riding or driving.


The Hunchback of Notre Dame (follow the link for screenshots):

Venerable cinematographer Joseph H. August shot The Hunchback of Notre Dame in the same year that he also shot Gunga Din for RKO. Warner's MPI facility has created a new transfer for this release, using the original nitrate camera negative. I have been advised that several portions of the negative had deteriorated past the point where restoration was possible, and for those sections of the film, a second-generation source (probably an IP) was used. However, specific scenes were not identified, and it certainly was not obvious in viewing that any particular scene or shot suffered a falloff in quality.

The 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray is the jewel in the crown of the new titles issued by Warner for The Golden Year Collection— 1939. The detail of the lavish Paris re-creation is superb, as is that of the numerous crowd scenes, whether the mass of extras are seen in long shots from the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral tower or at closer range on the street or in the huge set that serves as the beggars' headquarters. The chaos of the scene in which the beggars storm the cathedral has never been more clearly reproduced, even with the effects, some of them created optically, required to show Quasimodo's repelling of the crowd. The elaborate Festival of Fools where Esmeralda dances and Quasimodo is "crowned" are stunning in their clarity, and the night scenes where Quasimodo chases Esmeralda through the streets of Paris feature deep blacks and precise shadows. Contrast and delineations of gray are excellent throughout. The grain pattern is fine, natural and film-like.

Of the new 1939 titles, this is the only one that Warner has mastered on a BD-50, and the average bitrate of 32.90 Mbps reflects the availability of greater space, as well as the willingness to use it. This is the approach usually taken by the Warner Archive Collection, and one can only hope that it is a sign of things to come, because the results are excellent.


Follow the link for Jeffrey Kauffman's Video review (and screenshots) of Gone with the Wind Blu-ray review.

The Golden Year Collection - 1939 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ninotchka:

Ninotchka's mono soundtrack has been encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA 1.0, and it's charming. The dialogue is clear, and the score by Werner R. Heymann (who would go on to compose the music for Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner and To Be or Not to Be) plays with as good fidelity and as much dynamic range as can be expected from a recording of that era.


Dodge City:

Dodge City's original mono mix has been encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA 1.0, and it's lively and involving. Gunshots, hoofbeats, wagon wheels, train engines, poker chips on saloon tables, honky-tonk pianos and all of the usual sounds associated with a Western are part of the mix, and they have as much presence and dynamic range as the recording technology of the era will allow. The dialogue is clear and properly mixed, and the score by the legendary Max Steiner (Casablanca) supplies both grandeur and intimacy.


Dark Victory:

The film's original mono soundtrack has been encoded as DTS-HD MA 1.0, and it's merely OK. The track has been encoded at a low volume, requiring a boost from one's amplifier or TV set. With that boost comes audible background hiss, which is something you don't usually hear on Warner's mono tracks. It's not a deal breaker, but it is worth noting. With elevated volume, the dialogue is clear and so are the sound effects. The emotional score is by Max Steiner, whom Davis complained about during production, because she didn't want his music to compete with her acting, particularly near the end of the film.


The Hunchback of Notre Dame :

The Hunchback of Notre Dame's original mono soundtrack is encoded as lossless DTS-HD MA 1.0, and it's very good. The sounds of Paris street life, the printer's shop, the halls of justice, the beggars' convention, Quasimodo's hideous public whipping and, most important, the clang of his sonorous "friends", the bells in the tower, are effectively reproduced, even if the dynamic range doesn't have the breadth of a contemporary recording. Alfred Newman's classical score lends a kind of melodramatic dignity to the proceedings.


Follow the link for Jeffrey Kauffman's Audio review of Gone with the Wind Blu-ray review.

The Golden Year Collection - 1939 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Extras for each disc are listed in the separate reviews. The contents of the additional DVD included in the Golden Year Collection are listed below.

• 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (1.33:1; 1:08:16): Made in 2009 by documentary filmmaker Constantine Nasr and narrated by Kenneth Branagh, this celebration of the "Golden Year" was previously included with the "Ultimate Collector's Edition" of Gone with the Wind. Featuring numerous clips and comments from an array of critics and film historians, including Leonard Maltin, Molly Haskell, Rudy Behlmer and F.X. Feeney, the account examines many, though not all, of the year's major releases, culminating in Gone with the Wind, which set new benchmarks for the possibilities of popular cinema to combine epic scale and intimate drama.



• Shorts: A "play all" option is included.


• Breakdowns of 1939 (1.37:1; 14:36): This is the 1939 equivalent of a gag reel, drawn from multiple productions, including Dark Victory.
• Sons of Liberty (1.37:1; 20:37): Included with Dodge City.
• Drunk Driving (1.37:1; 21:27): Included with The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
• Prophet Without Honor (1.37:1; 10:49): Included with Ninotchka.
• Sword Fishing (1.37:1; 9:49):



• Cartoons: A "play all" option is included.


• Detouring America (1.37:1; 7:58): A Merrie Melody from Tex Avery. The opening title card proclaims: "All states depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual states, either Democratic or Republican, is purely co-incidental." Then the narrator specifically identifies New York, Florida, Texas, Alaska, California, Wyoming and South Dakota.
• Peace on Earth (1.37:1; 8:49): This holiday-themed anti-war cartoon from MGM was previously included on Warner's Blu-ray release of the 1938 A Christmas Carol.



• Trailers: A "play all" option is included.
• Gone with the Wind
• Dark Victory
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips
• Ninotchka
• The Wizard of Oz
• Wuthering Heights

The Golden Year Collection - 1939 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even if you already own a copy of Gone with the Wind, the four newly released films in the Golden Year Collection are a bargain, especially with the added sweetener of the bonus disc. Of course, if you don't already own GWTW, which is one of the essentials of American cinema, the set is a steal. All of the new discs feature fresh transfers from excellent sources, and every film is a classic. Highly recommended.