By Lee Pfeiffer
Sony has recently released an excellent set of five films starring Kim Novak. The legendary star epitomized glamour and sex appeal in the 50s and 60s before turning her back on Hollywood and going into self-imposed exile. Much of Novak's appeal can be attributed to the fact that, unlike many other actresses who clamored for the spotlight, Novak was content to reside in her rural home and carve out a new life for herself away from the madding crowds. That's precisely why this new DVD collection is so important to fans and film historians alike. Novak contributes insightful comments about the making of the five movies included in the set: Bell, Book and Candle, Jeanne Eagles, Middle of the Night, Picnic and Pal Joey, all of which are making their debut on DVD. In watching the films, one realizes that Novak never quite got her due as an actress. Typically dismissed as attractive, likeable but limited in terms of acting ability, she actually possessed considerable talent and could play light comedy as well as dramatic roles.
The films in the set each have their individual merits but one that most fans will probably be unacquianted with is Middle of the Night, Novak's own personal favorite in which she is cast in a May/December romance opposite the great Frederic March. The film bombed at the box-office despite its merits, and Novak complains that this relegated her to "stupid dumb blonde" movies thereafter - which undoubtedly convinced her to ultimately retire from acting altogether. The most impressive titles are Joshua Logan's excellent Picnic with William Holden as a shiftless drifter who turns a small town into a hotbed of sexual tension and George Sidney's Pal Joey, which teams Novak with two legends: Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth. The latter film is particularly delightful, as it presents three classic songs: My Funny Valentine (Novak laments the fact that her solo was dubbed), Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered and The Lady is a Tramp, which Sinatra performs to perfection.
In addition to Novak's excellent conversations with film scholar Stephen Rebello, the set also includes theatrical trailers for every movie. There are also new featurettes about the star, but they mostly consist of her commenting over still photos. Novak does allow the camera to shoot around the grounds of her rural estate and to photograph her indulging in her passion for painting. However, we never do see a close-up of her, which makes her mystique as powerful and intriguing as ever.
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(Continue reading for the Sony press release and detailed description of the boxed set)