Revolt of Mamie Stover, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Sep 14, 2018
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Raoul WalshRelease Date(s)
1956 (July 17, 2018)Studio(s)
20th Century Fox (Twilight Time)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: B
- Extras Grade: D
Review
Raoul Walsh, one of the great American directors whose career in film lasted nearly 50 years, had been directing movies since the silent area, with classics like The Big Trail, High Sierra, and The Roaring Twenties. He also directed some of the most high profile names in Hollywood over the course of his career, including Jane Russell, the star attraction of the classic 1956 drama The Revolt of Mamie Stover.
During the 1940s, a San Francisco prostitute named Mamie Stover (Jane Russell) is forced to leave the city. She takes a freighter to Honolulu where she plans to start her life over, but also on the ship is a man named Jim Blair (Richard Egan), and the two of them proceed to have a minor romance together. However, the rendezvous is ultimately short-lived once they’re in Hawaii and Jim admits that he’s already attached to his sweetheart Annalee Johnson (Joan Leslie, in her final role). Subsequently, Mamie takes a job as a hostess, a singer, and a dancer at a local night club called Bertha’s while slowly working on a real estate venture on the side. Meanwhile Jim, who is now conflicted, wants to continue the romance with Mamie, but things get more complicated once the night club owner (Agnes Moorehead) has other plans for Mamie upon the arrival of World War II.
The Revolt of Mamie Stover, which was based on the novel by William Bradford Huie, makes for an entertaining movie. Jane Russell is fantastic as Mamie; her facial expressions as she’s torn between money, love, and her morals are just priceless. Richard Egan is also excellent as Jim. His dialogue is always wonderful to listen to, being that he had such a strong, deep voice. Aside from the headliners, the rest of the cast and the crew also do good work. Jim Tover is the man behind the beautiful cinematography, and the brilliant musical scores are by Hugo Friedhofer. Needless to say, director Raoul Walsh and company did a fantastic job.
Boasting a new 4K scan from 20th Century Fox, The Revolt of Mamie Stover looks phenomenal. The film was beautifully shot in Cinemascope and looks superior in high definition. Daytime scenes, including those on the ocean under blue skies, or especially the outdoor scenery in Honolulu, are just spectacular. Colors are also robust with rich textures and skin tones that appear balanced with excellent detail, particularly during close-ups. Greens, browns, and blues look the most vivid. English 5.1 DTS-HD and English 2.0 DTS-HD are the two audio options provided for this release. While both sound crisp and clear, the 2.0 track sounds much stronger. Dialogue and sound effects, such as exploding bombs, are much more aggressive. For a more passive listening experience, the 5.1 audio track is the better option. Optional English SDH subtitles with larger fonts are also included. Supplementary material includes an isolated music track, the original theatrical trailer, a scroll-through of the current Twilight Time catalogue, and an excellent 8-page insert booklet written by Julie Kirgo.
Finally getting a release on home video in the United States, The Revolt of Mamie Stover packs a great punch. Filled with drama and romance, as well as incredibly effective bomb attack scenes, you won’t be able to take your eyes off of the screen (especially when Jane Russell is front and center). This release will be of the highest enjoyment for newcomers and old pros alike, and is strongly recommended.
- David Steigman