Customer Reviews

The Kim Novak Collection (Picnic / Jeanne Eagels / Bell, Book and Candle / Middle of the Night / Pal Joey)

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Good News for fans of Kim Novak, and in particular fans of the great 1955 hit "Picnic".

According to Columbia Classics official website, all five of these great Kim Novak films will be digitally remastered in their original aspect ratios. It is about time that these great classics get the restored film treatment that they deserve.

[...].

Jump to 2010. The various color-fade processes used to boost color back into dozens of films in the earlier
part of the 2000's have disappeared, replaced by the digital intermediate workflows that have been adapted and adopted over the last few years for film restoration.
So, instead of the trial and error approach of the previous work, we can now scan the faded original negative at a 4K resolution and work to digitally rebuild the colors that are missing from the film. Such is the case with two films we are currently working on in preparation for a new box set of films starring Kim Novak, Picnic and Bell Book and Candle. Both films suffer from severe fading in the original camera negative. Attempts over the last decade to restore these films using traditional means were only moderately successful. The digital restoration of these films, both shot by the great cinematographer James Wong Howe, ASC, will allow them to be shown as close to their original color as possible, in their proper formats (2.55:1 widescreen original CinemaScope in the case of Picnic.)

Along with Picnic and Bell Book and Candle, the new set will include the George Sidney production of Jeanne Eagels (a personal favorite of Ms. Novak), Pal Joey and the Paddy Chayefsky-written Middle of the Night, also starring Frederic March. Some are new to DVD, but all five have been newly-restored and remastered for this new set

It's been a great year for Kim Kovak. Five of her films in this collection and two("Pushover" & "5 Against the House") from Sony's Columbia FILM NOIR CLASSICS I & II have all been re-mastered with beautiful new prints. If you factor in the recent re-mastering of "Vertigo"(Universal) and "The Man With the Golden Arm"(Warner) you just can't go wrong if you're a fan of this undefinable actress. I say that because I've always thought she was one of the most mysterious persons ever to appear on the screen. She was hired by Harry Cohn to be Columbia's answer to Fox's Marilyn Monroe. But that was unfair of both Cohn and Columbia. You always knew what you were getting with Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie van Doren, and the rest of the "Blond Bombshells" of the Fifties. And you certainly knew what you were getting with some of Ms Kovak's co-workers at Columbia: Lizabeth Scott, Cleo Moore and the great Gloria Grahame. But you never did with Kim Kovak because there was always something beneath the surface that she wasn't going to let you see. That is best represented in her performance in "Vertigo". She seems to be telling the audience that she is more than just a pretty face up there on the screen. You can see a playful side of her by going on YOUTUBE and checking out her mystery guest appearence on "What's My Line" on Feb. 05, 1956. She uses a cockney accent to confuse the panelists as to her identity(and she almost succeeds). The real gem of this new collection is the rarely seen "Middle of the Night"(1959). Directed by Delbert Mann("Marty"); I agree with the commentary by Stephen Rebello that it is one of her greatest performances. In the commentary, Ms Kovak mentions that the cast had a five to eight week rehearsal before filming started and it really shows. Her co-star, Fredric March, also gives one of his best performances. She also had the good fortune to work with great directors - Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Delbert Mann, George Sidney, Billy Wilder and Richard Quine to mention just a few. They all brought out the best in her performances. Sony should be commended for their continued excellence in not only this collection, but previous collections on Cary Grant, Frank Capra, Stanley Kramer, Samuel Fuller, etc. Let's hope we see future collections on such Columbia stars such as Jean Arthur, William Holden, Rita Hayworth, and Glenn Ford.

Kim Novak was an interesting good girl/bad girl blend; she was often chosen for roles with a high degree of moral uncertainty. This collection is a bargain at the price, especially with the hard-to-find Jeanne Eagels. The Amazon title says 3 pieces, but the details list one disc, which is highly unlikely. Putting two films on one disc is an uncertain proposition, given the sacrifice in bit rate that that often entails. Columbia has a mixed reputation for the quality of its releases of catalog items, which makes me wary. I would like to know the specifics of the transfers. I have a few recently-released DVDs that said "widescreen" that were not anamorphic and recorded at a low bit rate as well - absolutely unwatchable in a home theater (and no better than what you could just burn off a standard-def satellite channel for free). I was going to say that I'd wait until I could read the fine print on the back of the box but, actually, a lot of these collections are packaged so that you can't see the details of the films until you've bought it. Duplicitous marketing or rank indifference to the consumer?
NOTE AFTER PURCHASE: Pal Joey is on one disk, and the others are paired up on the remaining two disks. All are listed as 1.85:1 except Picnic at 2.55:1. However, I looked at Jeanne, Middle, and Bell, and they were all in 16:9 ratio, which is not 1.85:1. Bell looked identical to the previously released version, although the sound may have been improved (it seemed a bit less muffled to me). I watched about 20 minutes back to back and could see no difference. I really bought the set for Jeanne Eagels, one of her best performances, and the print is gorgeous. The scene where she disrobes at night on the beach, with the moon hidden behind her head, is a testament to how beautiful black and white photography can be. Oh yeah, the times and aspect ratios are inside the box. I'm going with indifference.

Actress Novak gets the star treatment she deserves in the wonderful collection of her films. While Pal Joey, Picnic have been previously released all five of the films here were restored. (Since the original trailers - in unrestored condition - are included as bonus features, you can really see the difference. I hadn't seen Picnic in probably 40 years and it was great to see it again. Both Jeanne Eagles and Middle of the Night were new to me and both were great to watch.

The real gem for me - and this is, of course, subjective - was Middle of the Night (1959). Written by Paddy Chayefsky, and Directed by Delbert Mann this film (adapted from a stage play), brings back memories of "the Golden Age of Television Drama". Chayefsky and Mann are both TV veterans and Mann's direction uses camera angles that were developed in the live TV dramas of the 1950s. The stark black and white images are crisp and add to the period of this story of the New York Garment District. Frederic March gets most of the screen time and dialogue though he and Novak share the top billing.

The bonus features include a 15-minute audio interview of Novak with writer Stephen Rebello, with scenes from the film and publicity stills shown. We learn from this interview that, unlike most films, there were full run rehearsals (like a Broadway show) for two weeks before filming. And it shows.

Jeanne Eagles (1957) - also in black and white - was the other highlight for me. It follows a track similar to A Star Is Born, with Novak in the Judy Garland role and Jeff Chandler doing the James Mason part as a producer who discovers - and then marries - a new young actress and how their relationship changes when she becomes a bigger success than he. It may surprise you to find that there is lots of alcohol and drug use as well as "questionable" medical practices mixed in this theatrical story.

The extras hers are three scene commentaries by Rebello and Novak. But they are not really "scene specific", and rather form a 22-minute audio interview, while various scenes play on the screen.

Picnic (1955) is the earliest of the films and was the breakthrough role for Novak. She holds her own against co-star William Holden and the sexual tension is obvious. The "bonus" here - besides the original trailer - is a 17 minute interview with Novak and Rebello over stills from the film with a long-view video shot of Novak from 2010. Her comments about studio head Harry Cohn are fascinating.

Pal Joey (1957) - gets its own disc and a few extra "bonuses". There are selected scene commentaries (total 11 minutes), and A 10 minute "Backstage and Home" featurette where we see Novak's house as she describes her life. This is the only place where we actually see the Novak in 2010 though much of her face is covered by a hat. She often refers to "we" when discussing buying her house but never discusses her personal life; just her film career.

The last of the five films is Bell Book and Candle, which is a comedy I just never got into. Unlike, Novak's comments on the brief featurette, I just don't find James Stewart as interesting in this film as his others. Seeing Ernie Kovacs in one of his few feature film roles was enjoyable though.

Its great that Fox put this nice package together - and a similar Collection of Rita Hayworth films is due by year-end. It will bring joy to Novak fans everywhere and may introduce her to a new generation.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

Kim Novak is one of the most fascinating figures (no pun intended) in the world of classic movies. One of the last products of the "studio system", Columbia initially tried to mold her into their own Marilyn Monroe, but although Novak's platinum blonde looks did emulate the Fox siren, her overall screen career allowed for much more variety and scope. Right or wrong, Novak never played the Hollywood game, was attracted to roles that weren't exactly popular but carried prestige, and when the appropriate time came, walked away from the spotlight with incredible poise and dignity.

This five-movie set showcases Novak in some of her best work at Columbia. Three of the five movies have been released on stand-alone DVDs in the past ("Picnic", "Bell, Book and Candle"; and "Pal Joey"), but the prints in this set are newly remastered, and markedly superior to the earlier disc transfers ("Bell, Book and Candle" especially pops with bold colours that seemed quite muted by comparison with the older DVD).

PICNIC - William Inge's searing portrait of small-town America, with William Holden as penniless drifter Hal Carter, who rolls back into his hometown just long enough to charm the fiancé of his best friend. On the eve of being crowned the queen of a local festival, Madge Owens (Novak, already playing against her "platinum" Columbia image by sporting a red wig) sees in Hal the possibilities of a big, wide world outside that she's never tasted. Rosalind Russell also impresses as the local schoolteacher desperate to escape her own small town "prison" by finagling a long-time boyfriend down the aisle.

BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE - A bewitching good time is had by all in this delightful romantic comedy, based on the hit Broadway play by John Van Druten. Bored Greenwich Village witch Gillian Holroyd (Novak) casts a love spell on her dishy downstairs neighbour Shep Henderson (Jimmy Stewart) on Christmas Eve. In one of his first major film roles, Jack Lemmon is Gil's bongo-playing warlock brother, with Elsa Lanchester, Hermione Gingold, Janice Rule and Ernie Kovacs all in top comic form. Novak and Stewart filmed this delight right after "Vertigo", and what a contrast! James Wong Howes' cinematography is lush.

JEANNE EAGELS - The Fifties was undoubtedly THE decade for film biographies of some of the great ladies of the early American stage. Doris Day had one of her great personal successes as Ruth Etting in "Love Me or Leave Me", Susan Hayward was superb as Lillian Roth in "I'll Cry Tomorrow", Ann Blyth dazzled in "The Helen Morgan Story"; and Kim Novak essayed the tragic JEANNE EAGELS. Making it's long-overdue home video debut in this set, Novak fans will adore her performance as the troubled Eagels who, despite acclaimed turns on stage and in the silent cinema, struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism. Jeff Chandler, Agnes Moorehead and Virginia Grey co-star.

MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT - One film that Novak fought long and hard to be a part of was this rough-edged romantic drama from Paddy Chayevsky ("Marty"), in which she co-stars with Fredric March.

PAL JOEY - Novak competes with Rita Hayworth for the affections of the caddish character of the title in this film version of the groundbreaking Rodgers & Hart Broadway musical. With raincoat and fedora in hand, Frank Sinatra is Joey, the womanising cabaret singer who sees the chance to break out with his own nightclub when he romances millionairess Vera Simpson (Hayworth in her final role at Columbia) but conflicted by his interest in sweet, simple showgirl Linda English (Novak). Novak's singing was beautifully dubbed by Trudy Erwin, one of the most satisfying, seamless meldings of star and ghost singer.

Extra features are relatively slim but fascinating. Novak is interviewed by author/film historian Stephen Rebello on her memories from each film in the set; and there are selective-scene audio commentaries for both JEANNE EAGELS and PAL JOEY. Finally, "Backstage and At Home with Kim Novak" takes us on a visit to the notoriously-private Novak's Utah estate, where she talks about her love for painting and animals, and the reasons why she decided to retire from the screen at the apex of her fame.

Columbia had its reputation for being the "weaker sister" in Hollywood for good reason - a great many of the films bearing that torch lady were indeed terrible for many years during the Golden Age of Hollywood. By the mid-1950s, the studio had gotten its act together by producing many of the finest films of the era. Movies that were just great, rather than being just interesting at best. The films on THE KIM NOVAK COLLECTION are somewhere in between - all of the movies contain many moments of brilliance, but more often than not they fall short of being truly extraordinary.

Kim Novak's most famous role, VERTIGO, is unintentionally autobiographical: she was morphed from day one into something she really wasn't aiming to be (Columbia's Marilyn Monroe). Bearing that in mind, it's easy to understand why her acting has an uneven vibe, even in her later non-Columbia pictures. Unlike Monroe, she certainly was no comedienne (her scenes in PHFFFT! being the sole exception), and was at her best when she wasn't directed as one. Fortunately we see a lot of that Kim Novak in this collection and are spared those oh-so-regrettable misfires like BOYS' NIGHT OUT and KISS ME STUPID.

My personal favorite Kim Novak film is JEANNE EAGELS, a very underrated, energetic movie that can only be summed up as "crazy". Novak's portrayal of the 1920s star's mental decomposition is a powerful performance, made even more incredible in how she had very little to go on in preparing for the role in 1957 (the commentaries give great insight into that aspect of her role). Of the five showcased here though, BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE is the most satisfying; one of the smartest romantic comedies, where the laughs (more coming from Jimmy Stewart, Jack Lemmon, and Ernic Kovacs than Ms. Novak) come down as hard as the tugs on the heartstrings. BB&C also has some of the most gorgeous NYC based cinematography seen in any film, a prime example of Technicolor at its best.

PICNIC retains some of that earlier Columbia unevenness, but some scenes, Novak's dance with William Holden being the most obvious example, are so sublime that it's hard to imagine an equivalent existing in any other era of Hollywood; the sexual tension just bursting at the seams, but still tightly fastened in. PAL JOEY is better than any Frank Sinatra musical has a right to be. Unlike some of the other commenters here, I thought MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT was an absolute bore, but perhaps I wasn't in the right mindset while watching it.

Thankfully (very thankfully), we have reams of anecdotes from Ms. Novak herself throughout this set. I seldom listen to commentaries on vintage films, because more often than not they contain no insight from the actual people who worked on the films. This is a very happy exception, and only makes me yearn more for Novak to complete her autobiography some day before it's too late.

The other real star of this collection, of course, is George Duning, who composed (all or part of) the soundtracks for every film in this set, save NIGHT. Given the wide-range of subject matter present in this collection, it gives you an idea of his versatility. Duning's score for BB&C in particular is a sweet, marvelous thing. I urge cinephiles to reconsider him as one of the great film composers.

The one caveat I have is not really the cramming of two movies per disc (PAL JOEY gets its own), but the cramming of two discs into one case. It's just plain cheap.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone with even the slightest interest in this undervalued, mysterious actress. With it only at $30, you don't really have an excuse not to buy it, do you?

Middle of the Night" was an unexpected treat. I was not expecting such fantastic acting from Kim Novak. She was flawless in her Betty Priesser character. Betty is a beautiful, insecure young woman, who needs and finds security and true love in her elderly boss, Jerry Kingsley, played by Frederic March. He is much older than her, in his fifties, a lonely widower that finds joy in the love they find. She gives him the female companionship he craves and needs, he gives her true love.

Jerry is a widower, and a mature, well-off self-made businessman. Betty, works for his company and they soon fall in love, and the romance is complicated. The movie brings out nuances, and the many facets of a controversial romance. Frederic March and Kim Novak play their roles with edgy flawless emotions. The story feels real, raw and fascinating. It should be noted that Martin Balsam was also above par in his character of Jack, the son-in-law. He was not in that many scenes but was a standout performance.

"Middle of the Night" was released in 1959, filmed in black and white, and has a rich shading of believable situations. The love story drama is raw, and visceral and Kim Novak just awesome as an edgy nervous needy young woman. Frederic March is perfect as the aging widower who still longs for love and can't believe it when he has the chance. The universal theme of finding love through life's hard knocks hold your attention.

I know very little about Jeanne Eagales so I was not able to judge Kim`s performance in light of the real Jeanne Eagles. Perhaps, that`s best since critics of the time didn`t care much for the film. Time however, I feel will prove that this was Kim`s most outstanding performance. She dominates the film and proves that she is not just a beautiful movie star, but a great actress as well.

Kim Novak was definitely more than a pretty face. She was in fact quite a talented actress. The 5 films chosen for this collection display that talent to the fullest. Barring Jeanne Eagels, which was a bit hokey for my taste, Novak exhibits a wide range of emotions and fullness of heart. Always the love interest, she more than holds up her end in contrast to her male counterparts. Middle of the Night, which I reviewed separately, is especially a noteworthy performance. In my mind. it is by far her greatest on screen accomplishment. This assemblage of Novak films is one to enjoy and revisit when the nostalgia of Hollywood's filmmaking was markedly superior than it is today.

A must have for Kim Novak fans! These films highlight both her acting ability and her beauty. The collection includes some of her most important work with one film, Vertigo, sadly conspicuous by its absence. Even so, this collection is well worth the price of admission and most highly recommended.