I’ve talked before about the resurgence in classic movies
making their way to blu-ray format. It’s a treat for movie fans and students of
film to finally see these films in the most pristine condition possible. One
company that’s been releasing films this way, everything from schlock drive-in
films to full blown top notch older blockbusters, is Olive Films. Most of their
releases have been simple, the title alone with few to no extras. Now they’ve
decided to add their name to the list of companies that handle the classics
they have the right to in full blown fashion with their Signature Series. These
movies offer the cleanest prints possible as well as some extras thrown in.
It’s a pure pleasure to see these this way and Olive has kicked it off with one
of the all-time classics, HIGH NOON.
If you’ve never seen the film the plot on the surface is
fairly simple. The sheriff of a small western town, Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is
taking off his badge and getting married to Amy (Grace Kelly), a Quaker who
doesn’t believe in violence or his carrying a gun. But immediately after their
marriage and before they can leave word reaches Kane that Frank Miller (Ian
MacDonald) has been pardoned from prison and Miller’s gang is waiting at the
train station for his arrival on the noon train to arrive. Kane straps his guns
on again against the protests of Amy who says she will leave him if he does.
What follows is Kane’s attempt to get the town people to rally behind him to
take on the gang. But no one does, leaving him to stand alone against the four
men.
So that’s a long paragraph but sums up the surface story
being told here. What it doesn’t tell is the story that lies underneath it all
and one that Hollywood reacted to. The reality is that beneath that surface was
the story of screenwriter Carl Foreman who wrote the screenplay and the
problems he faced with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). While most think
of Sen. Eugene McCarthy and the word McCarthyism with these activities he
actually came into the situation later and investigated politicians as opposed
to Hollywood.
HUAC was investigating the influence of Communism in the
world of entertainment and looking to find out just who was a Communist. They
put aside the fact that many were registered as such during WWII when Russia
was our ally. Instead rather than seek out any true saboteurs of traitors they
labeled anyone connected to the Communist Party as such. Foreman had registered
as a Communist years before and only remained involved with them for a year
before leaving. But he didn’t like the tactics used by HUAC to ferret out
people they felt were traitors.
HUAC offered two alternatives. You either provided them with
names of anyone else you associated with the Party or you were basically run
out of the business or worse imprisoned. Foreman stood up to these methods by
admitting his being a member for a single year but refusing to name names. He
ended up leaving the country for England.
Now the story of HIGH NOON might seem about a sheriff
against an outlaw. But in truth the parable
is telling the story of a man
standing up for what is right and finding that no one will stand with him. The
worst examples of western folk hate him for sending Miller to prison and taming
their town, the result of which was their inability to do what they pleased.
But then the upstanding members of the community don’t back him either. They
claim he was paid to handle things, that they will find themselves looking bad
before politicians or that this isn’t their fight. In the end he finds himself
alone taking on the problems the world has placed in front of him, the same
situation Foreman found himself in with his fellow writers, producers and
studio members. No one stood with him. That is the real story behind HIGH NOON.
Olive has done a spectacular job with this release. I’ve
never seen the print of this film look so vibrant, something that many won’t
understand since the film is in black and white. But never fear black and white
films. It is the story that matters not the flash of color. And if you are one
of the few who’ve started down the 4k trail it is indeed a 4k master.
They’ve also put together an impressive collection of short
featurettes that add to the enjoyment of the film and its background. Included
are: A Ticking Clock - Academy Award nominee Mark Goldblatt on the editing of
High Noon; A Stanley Kramer Production - Michael Schlesinger on the eminent
producer of High Noon; Imitation of Life: The Blacklist History of High Noon -
with historian Larry Ceplair and blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein;
Ulcers and Oscars: The Production History of High Noon - a visual essay with
rarely seen archival elements, narrated by Anton Yelchin; Uncitizened Kane - an
original essay by Sight and Sound editor Nick James; and finally the theatrical
trailer. None of these is overlong and actually add to the enjoyment of the
movie you can discover after your first viewing.
With the quality on hand with this release it makes me look
forward to future Olive Films Signature Series releases. My guess is that all
other film fans will feel the same way. And at a list price on amazon of $16.99
it makes it a value not to be beaten.
Click here to order.
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