Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video | | 3.5 |
| Audio | | 3.5 |
| Extras |  | 3.0 |
| Overall | | 3.0 |
The Perfect Furlough Blu-ray Movie Review
A worthwhile comedy featuring strong performances by Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
Reviewed by Neil Lumbard May 23, 2021
The Perfect Furlough is an entertaining comedy that will appeal to enthusiasts of classic cinema. The film stars Tony Curtis and
Janet Leigh. Produced by Robert Arthur (The Big Heat, Buccaneer's Girl), The Perfect
Furlough is a “perfect furlough” (pun intended) to a rainy-day. Worth checking out.
Army soldiers stationed at an Arctic base are going a little bit crazy (with nothing and nobody to do). Lieutenant Vicki Loren (Janet
Leigh) proposes a solution: offer a prize to the soldiers entailing a perfect “furlough” with a getaway vacation and a date with a
famous Hollywood movie star. A opportunity for some fun.
As contestants enter the contest, Corporal Paul Hodges (Tony Curtis) rigs the game, and gets the grand prize. However, the perfect
getaway vacation becomes side-lined when Lieutenant Vicki Loren starts falling for Corporal Paul Hodges. Is romance in the air?
At the heart of The Perfect Furlough are the performances by Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Curtis and Leigh
are impressive in their respective roles. The performances are entertaining and provide the film with plenty of heart and pathos. The romantic
chemistry between the two is similarly vital and helps The Perfect Furlough become an even more entertaining excursion.
The efforts of the two actors certainly are appreciable.
The production of The Perfect Furlough has some other impressive components on display as well –
and these elements help the filmmaking to shine through. The art direction by Alexander Golitzen (Cape Fear,
Foreign Correspondent) and Al Roelofs (The Black Hole, Tron) was quite
impressive. Production elements are compelling and fit the story well – including the costumes by Bill Thomas (Touch of
Evil, Logan's Run).The costumes are inventive and fit the characters well. The film also has some fun with the getaway vacation theme
(and the visuals are effective with regards to exploring these
components throughout the storyline).
The magic of the cinema.
The editing by Milton Carruth (All Quiet on the Western Front, Shadow of a Doubt) is
also quite compelling. The Perfect Furlough is well-paced and entertaining. The film is well cut and has a wonderful
rhythm. There is never a sense of the film needlessly dragging-on. Light, airy, and fun: the efforts here are commendable as well.
The Perfect Furlough also benefits from impressive cinematography by Philip H. Lathrop (The Pink Panther
, The Driver). The filmmaking has a nice visual palette with many layers of sophistication. Lathrop did a solid job
of presenting the film with its visual language.
The music score composed by Frank Skinner (Arabian Nights, The House of the Seven
Gables) is another impressive element. The music score adds a sense of charm to the production. The score manages to imbue the
storytelling with ample heart and creativity. A worthwhile effort by Skinner.
The screenplay by Stanley Shapiro (Pillow Talk, That Touch of Mink) is one of the best elements of The Perfect
Furlough. The film has a fun and charming script that never outstays its welcome. The story is creative and energetic. The concept is
great fun – and is something that manages to work well for the production. Shapiro provides witty dialogue and a fun story (and there is
plenty to appreciate here).
Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther, Victor Victoria) brings The Perfect Furlough to life in the director's chair.
Edwards is a brilliant comedic-director – and while The Perfect Furlough is not one of the film director's greatest
hits, the effort is nonetheless a compelling one. There are plenty of inventive style elements on display and Edwards brings forth solid performances
by Curtis and Leigh. Don't miss it.
The Perfect Furlough Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Perfect Furlough is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original
theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The presentation quality is exceptional throughout. The picture-quality has impressive detail and range.
The print has occasional scratches that distract from a pristine presentation but there is nothing too detrimental to report. The colors are not as robust
as on a perfect 4K scan but look pretty solid overall. The scan is reasonably sharp and dynamic in high definition and fans of the film will be pleased
with the end results.
The Perfect Furlough Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. The lossless audio on the release is quite impressive throughout the entire
experience. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. Despite the audio fidelity being somewhat limited compared to modern-day productions,
the track never struggles with regards to hiss, crackle, warps, pops, clicks, and other-such audio detriments. Audiences will find this to be a satisfying
audio experience that delivers on all fronts. An excellent effort by Kino Lorber.
Optional English subtitles are provided.
The Perfect Furlough Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Author/Screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner
The Perfect Furlough Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:37)
The Perfect Furlough Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
The Perfect Furlough is an entertaining comedy-classic. The filmmaking is imbued with creativity throughout. Featuring solid performances
by Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, The Perfect Furlough impresses in spades. Stanley Shapiro (Pillow Talk) wrote a solid screenplay while
Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther) capably directed the film. The Blu-ray release features a solid video-audio presentation. Recommended.
