Customer Reviews

Silver Screen Series V.5

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Just to give you some content details. I thought this was a documentary on Barbara Stanwyck but it's actually four films, only the first of which features Stanwyck: Lady of Burlesque, which has multiple versions available on single DVDs anyway. The other films are Of Human Bondage (with Bette Davis) which again is widely availble, The Southerner (starring Zachary Scott) and Behind Office Doors (starring Mary Astor). Cover picture features Stanwyck and Davis.

I found a Silver Screen Series DVD that appears to be a combination of 5 and 6. It was on sale for $2.99 at Movie Stop. I was not expecting much, but I was hoping that the quality of "Life With Father" would be better than the 50 Classics Mill Creek Version. It was a less than sharp technicolor version on that DVD. Here it is in black and white and only marginally sharper than the Mill Creek version. However, the fine quality of the other films made up for this disappointment. "The Southerner" and "Behind Office Doors" are certainly worth the price. "The Southerner" is a beautiful film by the great French filmmaker Jean Renoir in the "Grapes of Wrath"/The River genre. It is quite moving, lyrical and beautiful. "Behind Office Doors" is about a smart secretary who tries to remain pure when faced with lots of 1931 big city temptation. It is a very sophisticated comedy with lots of surprises and a great performance by Mary Astor. If you've only seen her in "The Maltese Falcon," this movie will really show you what a great actress she was. These are two lost classics with quite good transfers. "Lady of Burlesque" and "Of Human Bondage" also have good transfers from good prints. It is a much more enjoyable experience watching them here than watching them on the 50 Classics DVDs.