Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

The Prisoner of Second Avenue Blu-ray Movie Review

No work and no play makes Mel a borderline psychopath.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 6, 2019

Based on a hit Broadway play by Neil Simon, who wrote the screenplay, Melvin Frank’s The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) is a tightly-wound drama that focuses almost completely on two New Yorkers slogging through one of the worst weeks of married life. Mel Edison (Jack Lemmon), having recently lost his job after more than a decade of loyalty, grows increasingly despondent and angry with himself during the next few days. Unable to work up enough courage to tell his dutiful wife Edna (Anne Bancroft), Mel internalizes everything and begins to lash out at everything and everyone in his path. Noisy neighbors? He bangs on his Upper East Side apartment wall hard enough to crack the cheap plaster. A visit to his married brother’s posh home in the country? Non-stop complaining. Hell, his wife just has to be in the same ZIP code to incur Mel’s wrath, which becomes increasingly unwarranted as his attitude grows more poisonous. The heat wave doesn’t help matters, nor does a burglary that leaves their apartment completely trashed.

Unfortunately, The Prisoner of Second Avenue explores very little of their relationship beyond this lopsided, stressful week. We never get a good sense of Mel’s work ethic (for instance, does he even have one?) during the brief glimpses of his life at the office, nor do we see him interact with Edna -- or anyone else, for that matter -- in a reasonable way. Small hints of happier times together are hinted at, but it’s not enough: we mostly get the worst of Mel who, after finally admitting the truth to Edna, turns into a passive-aggressive slob after she has the audacity to find work. His snarky comments grow into a full-on nervous breakdown and, before we know it, Mel’s exhibiting behavior that should get him arrested. Instead, Edna puts up with his rotten behavior while brother Harry (Gene Saks), together with their sisters Pauline (Elizabeth Wilson) and Pearl (Florence Stanley), try to help out financially. When Edna finally stands up to Mel’s bullying, things get worse before they get better. It all builds towards a farcical ending that feels more tacked-on than earned, which includes a visual reference to American Gothic for no discernible reason.

You wouldn’t know it by the synopsis or original trailer, but The Prisoner of Second Avenue was primarily marketed as a comedy -- a black comedy, to be sure, but it teeters dangerously close to irredeemable territory by making its central character an almost completely unlikable jerk. There’s almost no beating heart inside The Prisoner of Second Avenue and, though it has a few funny moments and interesting revelations, the monotonous tone ultimately kills what could have been an interesting, grounded character study of two unwitting souls put through the wringer. Other than a few stray moments that almost flirt with brilliance, the film's only other saving graces include Lemmon and Bancroft’s measured performances and a terrific original score by Marvin Hamlisch (and, of course, a small early role for Sylvester Stallone just one year before Rocky). More often than not, The Prisoner of Second Avenue ends up being an exercise in patience: Mel technically gives the film its name, but his wife seems to be the real prisoner here.

Not surprisingly, The Prisoner of Second Avenue was not well-received by critics and audiences alike back in 1975, and it hasn't aged very well either. While newcomers should obviously proceed with caution, die-hard fans will nonetheless appreciate Warner Archive Collection’s brand-new Blu-ray presentation of the film. Sourced from a recent remaster, the A/V presentation is a purist’s dream and is paired with a few lightweight but enjoyable extras from the DVD era.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio (rounded up to 2.40:1 on the packaging), The Prisoner of Second Avenue looks as terrific as expected on Warner Archive's new Blu-ray. Like most other WAC catalog releases, this 1080p transfer is sourced from a new scan of a fine-grain master positive that's been cleaned up nicely with no heavy-handed processing or color alterations. Purists will be incredibly pleased with this presentation: the well-lit interiors and time-capsule shots of 1970s Manhattan boast a strong amount of fine detail, textures, and excellent color reproduction. Skin tones appear accurate, primary colors fare especially well, and the image even achieves a solid amount of depth despite the rather plain environments. Grain levels are pleasing and steady, aside from one or two stray shots where the levels are much higher; this is clearly a source material issue and no fault of the restoration or disc authoring. No obvious digital imperfections -- edge enhancement, excessive noise reduction, aliasing, banding, etc. -- could be spotted along the way, and this 99-minute film gets a lot of room to breathe while enjoying a very healthy bit rate. Overall, it's a top-notch presentation that easily beats their parent company's respectable 2004 DVD.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 (original mono) mix does an outstanding job with the source material. As expected, this dialogue-heavy production feels appropriately cramped and even claustrophobic during interior scenes but remains clearly intelligible even at higher volume levels; The Prisoner of Second Avenue's mood changes drastically from quiet to loud at a moment's notice but distortion or tinniness are nowhere to be found. Depth is similarly achieved in a few cases, but mostly during scenes in which three or more people are talking -- quite rare, believe it or not -- or when the film ventures outdoors. Marvin Hamlisch's excellent original score also gets a nice boost and sounds quite full and dynamic at times. No major defects, drop-outs, or sync issues were detected along the way.

English subtitles are included during the main feature but, like most WAC releases, are formatted in ALL CAPS.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As with all WAC Blu-rays, The Prisoner of Second Avenue includes extras from their parent company's DVD edition.

• Anne Bancroft on Dinah! (7:41) - This third-season segment of the popular variety show Dinah!, originally broadcast on March 2, 1977, features Bancroft as she gabs with host Dinah Shore. After a rough introduction, Bancroft serves up an enjoyable chat that lightly touches on the production of The Prisoner of Second Avenue, her husband Mel Brooks, tennis practice, and jewelry before closing with a short gag reel.

• The Making of The Prisoner of Second Avenue (5:53) - Much like the Dinah! segment, this very brief promotional featurette (directed by Elliot Geisinger, more famous for Child's Play and The Amityville Horror) includes separate interview clips with Anne Bancroft and Jack Lemmon, a look behind-the-scenes during filming, alternate takes, and a few additional bloopers from the set. Like the theatrical trailer, it deceptively leaves out nearly all of the darker moments -- no surprise why it wasn't warmly received by critics back in 1975.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:04) - This trailer is presented in cropped 1.78:1 format and still looks to be in pretty rough condition. It's also available on Movieclips' Youtube channel if you haven't seen it.

The Prisoner of Second Avenue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Melvin Frank's The Prisoner Of Second Avenue is a well-acted production that, despite its solid premise and clearly defined lead characters, remains a rather tough and frustrating watch. Jack Lemmon's Mel Edison is almost impossible to root for as the film lurches forward: we rarely see him genuinely happy and his work ethic is almost non-existent, which makes his further downward spiral all the more distancing. More often that not, my sympathies leaned towards his neighbors and wife. Speaking of Anne Bancroft's Edna, she's the real "prisoner of Second Avenue", trapped in the same awful apartment and city but without the benefit of a loving, supportive spouse. These complaints would be null and void if everything culminated in some kind of redemption or permanent emotional growth for Mel, but instead it devolves into a rather sloppy farce that insults anyone with a real mental illness. The film still has its moments and the performances are great, but its premise deserved a much better and more grounded story to fill in the blanks.

Despite my reservations about the main feature, Warner Archive's Blu-ray offers an outstanding A/V presentation and a few short but enjoyable bonus features. For obvious reasons, it's recommended to established fans only.