Quote:
As if it weren’t obvious already, Raoul Walsh’s Strawberry Blonde confirms what most men have known for decades: Betty’s always a better choice than Veronica. This charming comedy starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, and Rita Hayworth may be over 80 years old — and it mostly takes place in the 1890s — but it’s still as accessible as ever, providing you don’t mind overused music cues and/or extended flashbacks. It’s the kind of crowd-pleasing fare that’s solid enough for “movie night” yet equally easy to enjoy as a light and breezy afternoon matinee.

Much of the film’s appeal is due to its three leads: first and foremost is Cagney as T. L. ‘Biff’ Grimes, an ex-convict-turned-dentist who’s not exactly enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon in the early 1900s. Dreading another walk in the park with his wife Amy (Olivia de Havilland) — first world problems, amirite? — he reminisces about the good old 1890s after a nearby band plays a sentimental favorite, “The Band Played On”, that reminds him of an old flame, the titular strawberry-blonde Virginia Brush (Rita Hayworth). Flashing back to the past, we see the path Biff took to the present: that first glimpse of Virginia gliding down the street, a fierce rivalry with arch rival Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson) to win her affections, a chance pairing with lovely Amy, the fateful event that lands Biff in jail, and other pop hits.
Though it contains a few surprisingly dark narrative twists — at least one unexpected death, and even a potential pre-flashback murder attempt when Hugo stops by Biff’s office with a toothache — Strawberry Blonde’s otherwise light tone and winning performances keep things breezy and enjoyable during this tale of a short, cocky, and kinda funny-looking man learning to live with Olivia de Havilland. It’s further buoyed and only slightly dragged down by its constant use of period-specific musical standards — most notably “The Band Played On”, which seems to playing in part or in whole at least once every 15 minutes. Those watching it for the first time may also be slightly put off by its extended flashback format, a narrative tool that’s not exactly handled with utmost care and, as a result, requires new viewers to “settle in” rather than enjoy it as a purely linear story. Yet for its already-noted strengths and several others, Strawberry Blonde is inarguably worth watching for fans of lightweight romantic comedies laced with a hint of melodrama.

A welcome change of pace for both prolific director Raoul Walsh and certified star James Cagney (who had long been typecast in serious tough-guy roles, aside from occasional diversions like the outstanding Footlight Parade), Strawberry Blonde is, for the most part, what could best be called “a breath of fresh air” and a medium-sized career highlight for all involved. True to form, Warner Archive resurrects this enjoyable show for new life on Blu-ray, pairing a predictably great new A/V restoration with a small but appreciated assortment of period-specific bonus features.

Raoul Walsh’s Strawberry Blonde is an infectiously charming and almost unavoidably sentimental romantic comedy whose trio of lead performances still make it fun to watch more than 80 years later, as its celebration of a long-gone era — the “gay 1890s”, or at least the middle and upper-class end of it — make the experience basically timeless by contemporary standards. Although its use of period-specific musical standards borders on maddeningly repetitive and the “extended flashback” format seems a little hokey, it’s almost impossible to watch this without cracking a near-continuous smile. Warner Archive’s Blu-ray keeps the party going with another outstanding A/V restoration and a handful of appropriately vintage extras. Firmly Recommended for die-hard fans and newcomers too.

	
The Strawberry Blonde.1941.576p.BDRip-AVC.ZONE.mkv

General
Container:  	Matroska
Runtime: 	1 h 39 min
Size: 	1.89 GiB
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https://nitro.download/view/1591310C80B92CE/The_Strawberry_Blonde.1941.576p.BDRip-AVC.ZONE.mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:English

The post Raoul Walsh – The Strawberry Blonde (1941) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

The story follows General George Armstrong Custer’s adventures from his West Point days to his death. He defies orders during the Civil War, trains the 7th Cavalry, appeases Chief Crazy Horse and later engages in bloody battle with the Sioux nation.

They Died with Their Boots On (1941).mkv

General
Container:  	Matroska
Runtime: 	2 h 19 min
Size: 	2.37 GiB
Video
Codec: 	x264
Resolution: 	768x576 
Aspect ratio:  	4:3
Frame rate: 	23.976 fps
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https://nitro.download/view/DEA63F7774E08BC/They_Died_with_Their_Boots_On_(1941).mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:English

The post Raoul Walsh – They Died with Their Boots On (1941) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

Jason Robards and Olivia DeHavilland star in this 1966 TV adaptation of a short novel by American author Katherine Anne Porter, written and directed by Sam Peckinpah.

Noon Wine is very important entry in Peckinpah’s filmography, after being effectively blacklisted for having a reputation as a difficult director to work with, it’s success, both in the TV ratings and in the critical acclaim it received, would allow him to begin work on his next project; The Wild Bunch. This also marks his first collaboration with Jerry Fielding, who will score most of his later movies.

1.30GB | 51m 18s | 702×480 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/C401CBDA4B6FDEE/Noon_Wine_1966_480p_x264_aac.mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:None

The post Sam Peckinpah – Noon Wine [Colourised ] (1966) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

Synopsis:
Dodge City. A wide-open cattle town run by Jeff Surrett. Even going on a children’s Sunday outing is not a safe thing to do. What the place needs is a fearless honest Marshal. A guy like Wade Hatton, who helped bring the railroad in. It may not help that he fancies Abbie Irving, who won’t have anything to do with him since he had to shoot her brother. But that’s the West.

1.90GB | 1h 44m | 790×576 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/4FDD41AED9F1C9E/Dodge.City.1939.576p.BluRay.AAC.x264-HANDJOB.mkv

Language:English
Subtitles:English,French,Spanish (muxed)

The post Michael Curtiz – Dodge City (1939) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

Synopsis
A man and a woman fight over the last bottle of champagne left in San Francisco–she wants it for a wedding, and he wants to use it to christen a ship.

347MB | 1h 15mn | 486×360 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/A3C8F6059A7135F/The_Well_Groomed_Bride_(Sidney_Lanfield,_1946).mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:None

The post Sidney Lanfield – The Well Groomed Bride (1946) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

An actor of the stage finds himself pursued by a lovestruck fan while trying to patch up a tempestuous relationship with his actress lover.

2.05GB | 1h 30m | 720×540 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/78B11FFED894EA5/It’s_Love_I’m_After_NTSC_DVD_DD2.0_x264-RR.mkv

Language(s):English
Subtitles:None

The post Archie Mayo – It’s Love I’m After (1937) first appeared on Cinema of the World.

Shocking and highly controversial at the time of release, The Snake Pit broke new ground in Hollywood cinema for its depiction of mental illness and its treatment.

Olivia de Havilland (Gone with the Wind; The Heiress), delivers an astounding performance as a young bride who suffers a breakdown and finds herself committed to an asylum.

Director Anatole Litvak (Sorry, Wrong Number; Anastasia) had to fight to persuade producer Darryl Zanuck to back the film, but the result remains one of the most potent and powerful films to tackle the subject and was an influence on later works such as Sam Fuller’s Shock Corridor (1963), Robert Rossen’s Lilith (1964) and Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).

2.58GB | 1h 47m | 790×576 | mkv

https://nitro.download/view/8BDC0A14AD732D1/The.Snake.Pit.1948.BDRip.576p.x264.AC3.mkv

Language:English
Subtitles:English

The post Anatole Litvak – The Snake Pit [+Commentary] (1948) first appeared on Cinema of the World.