CineSavant Column
Hello!
The great actor Clive Revill has died, which for us fans is a moment to reflect — so many film favorites passing on, and where are the vibrant personalities to replace them? We know Revill mostly from two Billy Wilder films in which he proved himself a master of comic delivery and foreign accents, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and Avanti! But he had a long career — of pictures we’ve seen in the U.S., he’s also a major asset to Bunny Lake is Missing, The Assassination Bureau and The Legend of Hell House.
Revill has the best line delivery in all of Wilder’s Sherlock Holmes movie — his bit about the “Beeg dog from Baskerveel!” is priceless. To know Avanti! is to love the guy — his Italian hotelier ‘Carlucci’ all but carries the show. He’s still the best light-comic Italian gentleman ever, and he was born in New Zealand. He’s pictured above with an unidentified American supporting player, John or Jack somebody.
CineSavant doesn’t hold with ceremony … if a company releases something that grabs our interest, we’ll happily plug it. It seems that every month the Severin Films people have some revelation for us; when it involves a desirable older title, we’re their biggest fans. That reminds me … David Gregory once told me he was considering a 4K of Zulu Dawn … but that was ages ago.
Severin has pre-orders up for two hot items …. one of them is a Science Fiction movie, a genre that’s not a normal Severin fixation. Unknown World is a small budget picture with ambitious special effects, one of few films that imagine scientists preparing for environmental collapse or an atom war. The answer here is to do an Arne Saknussemm and hide out at the Center of the Earth. Victor Killian proposes to go there in a streamlined super-vehicle, a combo drill-tank-submarine he calls a Cyclotram. Unknown World has existed only as a so-so 16mm print for over 70 years. If the full feature looks as good as Severin’s film clips, it’s going to be a keeper.
And second up is a second go at the 1959 Jack the Ripper. Severin gave it a release several years ago, acknowledging that the source materials weren’t choice. The news now is that they’ve located excellent original printing elements and are giving the show a second chance in 4K Ultra HD. This is the movie that once had a jolting color insert in the last scene. At eight years old I was too young to even think of seeing the movie, but the poster alone scared me half to death.
Some Links to pre-order pages:
And finally, here’s what I hope will turn out to be a hot tip for folks capable of pulling in Turner Classic Movies …
One of the Warner Archive Collection’s first disc releases back in 2009 was the Hammer / Robert Day / Ursula Andress ‘lost kingdom’ fantasy She, from 1965.
We like the disc but the transfer leaves much to be desired. It so happens that TCM is showing She tonight, Saturday March 29. That wouldn’t be hot news, except that TCM promos include a clip from the movie in which the transfer looks much better than the old DVD. Is that an illusion? Did TCM’s editor pump up the video for that clip, or has the title been remastered? I may be disappointed, but I’m catching this one. When a TCM presentation suddenly jumps in quality, it often means that a new & improved disc is on the way.
Come Tuesday I’ll report in on the verdict. Here’s hoping Ayesha and her lost city of Kuma will be looking good.
Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson