|
By
NICK ZEGARAC
In hindsight "Silk Stockings" proved to be one of MGM's last great musical achievements and Fred Astaire's final appearance in a musical worthy of his inimitable talents. Astaire plays, Steven Canfield, a "rotten capitalist" movie producer who butts heads with communist, special envoy, Nina Yoshenko. Nina has been sent from Moscow to Paris to apprehend a wayward Russian composer. The cast also includes Janis Paige as Peggy Dayton -- a hilariously campy lampoon of Esther Williams who is attempting to play Napoleon's Josephine in a musical remake of "War and Peace." Peter Lorre and Jules Munshin are at their comedy best as two communist sympathizers wooed to capitalism by the pleasures of Paris.
At last a transfer worthy of the elegant Mr. Cole Porter. Warner Home Video gives us a rich looking, robust sounding DVD that really celebrates the performances in this memorable musical. Colors are deep, rich, gorgeous and consistent throughout. Contrast and shadow levels are outstanding. Fine details are amazingly sharp. Edge enhancement, shimmering and aliasing are practically non-existent. There is no pixelization, film or digital grain to speak of, for a thoroughly smooth but sharp visual presentation that will surely please. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 and is marvelous, rich sounding and fully realized within the confines of its dated characteristic.
Extras consist of another Cole Porter making-of featurette that is really a throwaway (save the few glimpses of Cyd Charisse and Janis Paige), and the theatrical trailer and cast bios and a couple of short subjects -- not anamorphically enhanced, even though the film (thank heaven) is!
This disc is a must have and the only DVD of the Cole Porter bunch worthy of your hard earned money. Buy it today! |
