BY TIM MCGLYNN

The Warner Archive has released a new edition of Corvette Summer and the movie, while not a major hit, looks great on this Blu-ray disc.

Mark Hamill, fresh from the incredible success of 1977’s Star Wars, stars as a Southern California high school senior who is quite the auto mechanic and restoration expert. He plays Kenny, a teenage car aficionado with a special place in his heart for Corvettes.  His passions lead him to fix up a 1973 Corvette Stingray in his auto shop class with the help of his classmates, and together they create one spectacular ride.  Candy apple red and featuring incredible modifications including the steering wheel being moved to the right side, it is a sweet ride.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before the car is stolen, so Kenny, distraught over losing the only thing in the world that meant something to him, puts out all his efforts in getting the vehicle back.  A tip leads him to Las Vegas, where he connects up with a fledgling hooker, Vanessa, who helps him track down the Stingray before it gets away for good.

The plot is paper-thin and none of the characters are able to maintain any consistent qualities. The real star is that very cherry Corvette that endures two paint jobs, rough handling on the road and a general lack of respect by the thieves.

If you watch carefully during Mark Hamill’s close-ups it is possible to see evidence of his January 1977 near-fatal car accident. As a result, he suffered a fractured cheekbone and a broken nose while crossing several lanes of traffic in his BMW. Doctors were able to correct the damage by removing cartilage from his ear to repair his nose. Despite the surgeons’ best efforts, Hamill was left with some minor scarring. Make-up hid most of the effects of the crash, but you are able to see evidence of it in brightly lit scenes. The next year, while filming The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas explained the scars by adding Luke Skywalker’s encounter with the Wampa monster in the ice cave on Planet Hoth.

Corvette Summer includes the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold played by a young Annie Potts in her first movie role. She is the most likeable member of the cast. Potts actually attempts several jobs along the way including fast food worker, casino dealer and soft-core porn actress. None of these scenes are too graphic as this is a PG-rated film. At one point a scantly dressed Vanessa asks Kenny to spend the night in her trailer. After learning he is a virgin, she lays back on the waterbed and tells him “Forget kissing, let’s screw.” That line would certainly not pass muster with the PG rating today. Before PG-13 came along in 1984, the old PG classification allowed for some fairly strong violence, language and adult themes. I remember seeing the comedy Silver Streak at the theater back in 1976. While traveling on a train, Gene Wilder and Jill Clayburgh share a love scene in their coach and included was a fairly racy shot implying Wilder enjoying a bit of oral sex. There was a young mother with her family sitting in the row directly behind me. Her little boy loudly asked “What’s she doing now, Mommy?” The quick thinking parent answered back “She’s just tickling his tummy.” Nearby audience members just roared as it was the funniest line we heard all evening.

A plethora of terrific character actors make appearances including Dick Miller, Danny Bonaduce, Philip Bruns, Eugene Roche, Wendie Jo Sperber, T.K. Carter and Brion James. James is best remembered as the nasty replicant, Leon, who kills the first test administrator in Blade Runner. Dick Miller is his usual memorable self as a lucky gambler who helps Hamill out of a jam. Eugene Roche plays the kind of high school teacher who always looks out for his students. There is a plot twist involving Roche near the end, though, that you don’t see coming.

Corvette Summer was scripted by Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins, who also wrote or directed popular films such as Dragonslayer, Warning Sign, MacArthur, *batteries not included and The Sugarland Express. Corvette Summer doesn’t offer much backstory or motivation for Hamill or Potts. There is more needed in the way of plot developments and better characterizations. It’s basically boy restores car, boy loses car and boy attempts to get car back.

The sharp Technicolor cinematography was the work of Frank Stanley and his efforts are especially apparent during the scenes in Las Vegas. This was the older Strip from the 70s and the bold neon signs looked spectacular. I was reminded of the Vegas shots from the 007 film Diamonds Are Forever.

Craig Safan, a lesser known but very talented film composer, provided a spirited score that added energy to the stunt driving scenes. This film was prior to his best known work in The Last Starfighter and Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

The fights and car chase sequences were staged by veteran stunt coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker who also served as second unit director. He took care to make sure the Corvette was not damaged during shooting.

I always find it interesting that no one seems to drive on the Interstate in road or chase movies. No matter how fast they need to travel, the characters in these films always take the two-lane secondary roads. Some directors find ways to rationalize this aspect of a film. In Rain Man, for example, director Barry Levinson explains this by revealing Raymond Babbitt’s (Dustin Hoffman) fear of large highways. The reason for smaller roads is most likely the difficulty in shutting down major expressways for filming.

Corvette Summer enjoyed moderate success for MGM during the summer of 1978 as it played in most of the finer drive-ins and second-run houses across the country. It served as a stepping stone for director Robbins, screenwriter Barwood and actress Potts as they all enjoyed successful careers in Hollywood.

The Blu-ray from Warner Archive features the usual excellent video quality, crisp mono sound and clean, clear dialogue. There is moderate grain, typical for the era that, for me at least, aids in the focus of my outdoor video projector. Subtitles and a theatrical trailer are the only extras, but one should be grateful that distributers are willing to restore and release lesser-known films in such beautiful editions. Corvette Summer is a great little film for a rainy day when one is nostalgic for 70s car movies.

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Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Paramount Home Video:

Groundbreaking Films Arrive on Blu-ray^â„¢ this August with New Bonus Content

Three acclaimed cinematic classics join the collectible Paramount Presents line with the Blu-ray release of A PLACE IN THE SUN and NASHVILLE on August 10, 2021 and BUGSY MALONE, making its U.S. Blu-ray debut on August 31, from Paramount Home Entertainment.

A PLACE IN THE SUN

Director George Stevens’ masterwork A PLACE IN THE SUN won six^* Academy Awards® and is widely considered one of the finest works of America cinema.  Remastered from a 4K film transfer in celebration of its 70th anniversary, the film is presented on Blu-ray with a brand-new Filmmaker Focus featuring film historian Leonard Maltin talking about George Stevens and the innovative film techniques he used for this unforgettable story of ambition, passion, and betrayal.  The disc also includes previously released bonus content, including commentary by George Stevens, Jr. and Ivan Moffat, retrospective cast and crew interviews, and a segment on George Stevens featuring filmmakers who knew him.

Montgomery Clift stars as George Eastman, a young man determined to win a place in respectable society and the heart of a beautiful socialite (Elizabeth Taylor). Shelley Winters is the factory girl whose dark secret threatens Eastman’s professional and romantic prospects.

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NASHVILLE

Director Robert Altman’s seminal film NASHVILLE remains an essential classic of 70s cinema with its complexly textured portrayal and critique of America’s obsession with celebrity and power.  Newly remastered from a 4K scan of original elements, the film is presented on Blu-ray with a new featurette entitled “24 Tracks: Robert Altman’s Nashville.”  The disc also includes a previously released commentary by Altman.

Fittingly, NASHVILLE is Volume 24 of the Paramount Presents line as the film follows 24 distinct characters with intersecting storylines over five days in the titular city.  The phenomenal ensemble cast includes Ned Beatty, Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine, Karen Black, Geraldine Chaplin, Henry Gibson, Michael Murphy, Lily Tomlin, Shelley Duvall, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, and Barbara Harris.

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BUGSY MALONE

Acclaimed director Alan Parker redefined the movie musical with his first feature-length film, BUGSY MALONE, which celebrates its 45^th anniversary this year.  Available for the first time in the U.S. on Blu-ray, the film has been remastered from the original elements for this limited-edition release. The Blu-ray includes a new Filmmaker Focus delving into this early work from the director of Fame, The Commitments, Pink Floyd: The Wall, Mississippi Burning, and Evita.

Set in 1929 New York City, BUGSY MALONE captures a flashy world of would-be hoodlums, showgirls, and dreamers—all portrayed by child actors. As Tallulah, the sassy girlfriend of the owner of Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeasy, future superstar Jodie Foster leads a talented cast.  Parker’s sharp script, combined with the music and lyrics of Paul Williams, makes for an irresistible satire that’s truly one-of-a-kind.

The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray Discs^â„¢ come in collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of each film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments.  Each disc also includes access to a digital copy of the film.

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About Paramount Presents

This collectible line spans celebrated classics to film-lover favorites, each from the studio’s renowned library.  Every Paramount Presents release features never-before-seen bonus content and exclusive collectible packaging.  Additional titles available in the Paramount Presents collection on Blu-ray include: Fatal Attraction, King Creole, To Catch a Thief, Flashdance, Days of Thunder, Pretty In Pink, Airplane!, Ghost, Roman Holiday, The Haunting, The Golden Child, Trading Places, The Court Jester, Love Story, Elizabethtown, The Greatest Show on Earth, Mommie Dearest, Last Train From Gun Hill, 48 HRS., Another 48 HRS., and Almost Famous.

BY TIM MCGLYNN

“I am I, Don Quioxte, the man of La Mancha!”

Shout! Factory has released the 1973 film version of Broadway’s hit musical Man of La Mancha. Directed by Arthur Hiller and starring Peter O’ Toole, Sophia Loren and James Coco, this was United Artists’ follow-up to their hugely successful film version of Fiddler on the Roof. It was also one of the last of the roadshow attractions to play across the country. In the Chicago area, where I grew up, this meant a reserved seat engagement at the famed McClurg Court Theater.

Based on author Dale Wasserman’s stage hit, Man of La Mancha, and featuring music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, itt starred the great Richard Kiley in the role of Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. Well-received by audiences at the time, the show won the 1965 Tony Award for Best Musical.

Mitch Leigh wrote the music for several stage musicals such as Cry for Us All and Home Sweet Homer with Yul Brynner. Both of these productions closed after only a handful of performances. While these shows did not produce any hit songs, it was Leigh’s efforts in the area of television advertising that provided his greatest fame. Jingles such as Nobody Doesn’t Like Sara Lee and music for the ABC network’s programming introductions paid the bills. He also wrote the trippy instrumental number The Dis-Advantages of You, which was made famous by a series of commercials for Benson & Hedges cigarettes during the late 60s.

The score for Man of La Mancha features a boisterous title song along with the inspirational anthem The Impossible Dream. Gillian Lynne provided the staging for the dances and fight sequences. While you may not recognize her name, Lynne went on to create the amazing movements and dances for the Andrew Lloyd Webber megahit Cats.

In the film, O’ Toole plays Miguel de Cervantes, an aging and utter failure of a Spanish playwright, poet and tax collector. Cervantes has been incarcerated in a Seville dungeon awaiting trial by the Inquisition for an offense against the Church. There he is dragged before a kangaroo court of his fellow prisoners, who plan to confiscate his few possessions including the uncompleted manuscript of a novel, Don Quixote. Cervantes, seeking to save the manuscript, proposes his defense in the form of a play. The court agrees, and Cervantes and his manservant utilize make-up and costumes transforming themselves into Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. They then play out the story with the prisoners taking the roles of other characters.

In this play within a film, Quixote and Sancho take to the road in a quest to restore the age of chivalry, battle evil, and right all wrongs. The famous battle with the windmill follows, with Quixote blaming his defeat on his enemy, the Great Enchanter.

In a roadside inn, which Quixote insists is really a castle, Aldonza, the inn's serving girl and part-time prostitute is being harassed by a gang of muleteers. Quixote sees her as the dream-ideal whom he will serve forever and insists her name is Dulcinea. Aldonza is confused and angered by Quixote's refusal to see her as she really is.

Later Aldonza encounters Quixote in the courtyard where he is holding vigil, in preparation for being knighted by the innkeeper. She questions him on his seemingly irrational ways, and Quixote answers her with a statement of his credo, The Impossible Dream. 

Peter O’Toole is charming as the confused Don Quixote and is effectively able to separate himself from that role to play the clever Cervantes. He is not, however, a singer and his songs were dubbed even though he reportedly recorded the score before this decision was reached. His emotions shine through the layers of make-up and masks required for both of these characters. Sophia Loren is simply gorgeous even though she is understandably sullen through most of the film. Her songs are also dubbed, but she has a commanding presence during the dance sequences. She suffers a cruel fate late in the story, however, as she is ravaged by the muleteers. The assault is more suggestive in this PG-rated movie supposedly geared for family audiences. James Coco, a stage veteran, is a comic genius in the roles of Cervantes’ servant and the squire, Sancho Pancho. He can convey more emotion with a single glance or raised eyebrows in his complete devotion to his master. British stalwart Harry Andrews must be given credit for his wonderful portrayals of the Innkeeper and the leader of the prisoners.

At first Richard Kiley and Joan Diener, Broadway’s Aldonza, were going to repeat their stage roles. Albert Marre, the original director, was to helm the movie but creative differences with the producers caused him to depart the production taking Kiley and Diener with him. British director Peter Glenville was then hired and quickly fired when he planned to eliminate the tunes from the production. A musical without songs was apparently not a good idea. Glenville was the one who hired O’ Toole for the lead role. Finally, Arthur Hiller came aboard and the production was filmed in Rome.

Under Arthur Hiller’s direction the film took on a dark and colorless quality. It seemed that Hiller could not decide if it was a drama with many close-ups or a musical with more open scenes and production numbers.

On stage the entire story took place in the prison common room, but Hiller kept switching from the jail to the inn and the prairies of Spain. This juxtaposition of the settings was somewhat confusing to audiences and even Roger Ebert in his review admitted he didn’t know what was going on for the first 15 minutes.

The cinematography, set designer and customer all worked to create the depressing brown, tan and grey colors that dominate the film. It is also one of the few big budget musicals to be shot in 1.85 and not scope like most stage-to-screen adaptations. However, for the 70mm roadshow prints the picture was cropped to the 2:20 aspect ratio.

Shout! Factory has given us their usual excellent quality for this Blu-ray preserving the 1.85 ratio and 5.1 surround sound. Extras include a 1973 featurette, the theatrical trailer and a photo montage shown over the overture music.

Man of La Mancha, which was a critical and boxoffice failure, may disappoint some fans of the stage show, but it is an interesting study of a man who lives in his dreams and sees only the best in his fellow man.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

Two years before "Bonnie and Clyde" revolutionized the American crime movie genre a far more modest production centered on a star-crossed pair of lovers who were young, in love and killed people. "Young Dillinger" starred Nick Adams in the titular role, playing notorious gangster John Dillinger who was among the "Most Wanted" criminals of the Depression era. Although the real Dillinger had a hardscrabble life and a dramatic death (ambushed by police when benignly exiting a movie theater), any resemblance to the historic figure and the character portrayed by Adams on screen is purely coincidental. The film was distributed by Allied Artists, which would go on to release some top-shelf hits in the 1970s including "Cabaret", "Papillon", "The Man Who Would be King" and "The Wild Geese". However, in 1965 Allied was strictly a Poverty Row studio that churned out low-budget movies for undiscriminating audiences in hopes of making a quick, modest profit. Shot in B&W, "Young Dillinger" opens with "Johnny" and his girlfriend Elaine (former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley) necking in a car and bemoaning the fact that they are too broke to get married. Elaine must still live at home under the rules set by her mother and father, an inconvenience that intrudes on her not-inconsiderable sex drive. She spontaneously comes up with a plan of action: they can break into her father's office and steal a load of cash that he keeps in the safe. Dillinger is all in immediately but the plan goes awry when they are spotted by a watchman. Still, they get the loot and head off on a cross-country spending spree, indulging in expensive meals, liquor, gambling and hotel rooms. It all comes to an end when the cops track them down and arrest them. Dillinger makes a deal: he will plead guilty if Elaine is not charged. Consequently, he is sent to jail for several years, an experience that leaves him even more cynical and disillusioned. Sure enough, Elaine is waiting for him when he emerges and they immediately take to crime again. Dillinger is hired by professional gangsters to carry out an audacious plan to spring 'Pretty Boy' Floyd (Robert Conrad) and 'Baby Face' Nelson (John Ashley) from a prison farm. When he succeeds in carrying out the plan, Floyd invites him to join him and 'Baby Face' in their newly-formed gang. With Elaine along for the ride, the group terrorizes the Midwest through small-time robberies that eventually lead to daring bank jobs. Before long, Dillinger is on the F.B.I's "Most Wanted" list.

Directed by Terry O. Morse, who was primarily known as an editor, the movie breezes along at a brisk pace even if the style is quite unimpressive and pedestrian. In fact, the film looks like a standard TV episode of "The Untouchables" in terms of production values. Even a fleeting glimpse at Dillinger's biography will make it immediately apparent that story is almost entirely fictionalized. The performances are adequate, nothing more. Adams, who was a seasoned actor, tries to bring some intensity to the role but the script presents Dillinger as a superficial gangster type with no effort expended to provide some of the more interesting aspects of his background. Similarly, we know nothing about Elaine aside from the fact that this "girl next door" type can turn into a hardened criminal on a whim. Why? We never learn anything about her background, either. The supporting actors don't fare much better. Robert Conrad, who would soon find stardom with the hit TV series "The Wild, Wild West" is given little to work with as 'Pretty Boy' Floyd and is mostly seen shooting at the cops. One exception is the inimitable and delightful Victor Buono, who makes a couple of cameos as "The Professor", an eccentric mastermind who provides the gang with operational plans for bank jobs. Equally good is John Hoyt as a mob doctor who Dillinger hires to undergo some plastic surgery (a rare instance of the film depicting an actual event). The doctor botches the surgery but while Dillinger is lying helpless in bed in terrible pain and his face wrapped up like The Mummy, the surgeon takes advantage of the situation by trying to rape Elaine. She has to keep him at bay with a loaded gun while not alerting Dillinger to the crisis when he's helpless to assist her. It's the best scene in the film and the only one that provides a bit of suspense. It also allows Mary Ann Mobley to display her acting chops instead of being presented as Gidget as opposed to a Depression-era gun moll.

BY LEE PFEIFFER

By 1987, Burt Reynolds was largely regarded as being past his sell date as a leading man in theatrical films. Some of his decline in popularity was self-imposed. Reynolds had continued to knock out cornpone  comedies long after they had run out of steam. His other problem was due to the fact that he had been seriously injured on the set of "City Heat" due to a mis-timed stunt that left him in serious shape and resulted in a long hospital stay. During this time, terrible rumors spread widely that implied he had contracted AIDS. By the time Reynolds recovered, the damage to his career had been done. Although he would continue to star in films for major studios, their boxoffice take was generally mediocre at best. Reynolds would eventually gravitate to television where he starred in a hit sitcom, "Evening Shade". One of his attempted comeback vehicles was the 1987 crime thriller "Malone" in which Reynolds eschewed his image as a towel-snapping wiseguy and returned to his roots to play a mysterious man of action. The film opens with the titular character, played by Reynolds, refusing to carry out an assassination for the CIA. Malone has been one of their most reliable covert killers but he's ashamed of his profession and decides to give it up for a quiet, normal life. He knows that one doesn't just walk out on the CIA so he uproots his life and packs all his belongings in his weather-beaten car and heads off to remote areas of the Northwest. While enjoying his lifestyle as a drifter, his car breaks down and he manages to get it to a one-horse town where the local garage owner, a partially disabled widower, Paul Barlow (Scott Wilson) informs him he has to order a special part for the vehicle. The two men make friendly chatter and Barlow offers to allow Malone to stay at his house until the car can be repaired. Also on the premises is Barlow's teenage daughter Jo (Cynthia Gibb), who immediately takes a fancy to the mysterious stranger who has entered her otherwise mundane existence. During his stay, the tight-lipped Malone observes that Barlow and some other town residents are being bullied and intimidated by employees of a local land baron named Delaney (Cliff Robertson), who- for reasons unknown- is trying to force certain locals to sell him their land. Failure to do so results in inevitable harassment. When Malone comes to Barlow's aid and humiliates some of Delaney's goons, Delaney meets with him and tries to bribe him to work for him. Seems that anyone of influence in the town is on Delaney's payroll, including the local sheriff (Kenneth McMillan).  Malone refuses the offer and Delaney turns to bringing in professional assassins to murder him. Adding to Malone's woes is the fact that a former CIA colleague, Jamie (Lauren Hutton) has tracked him down and has orders to kill him, as well. Jamie, however, warns Malone of her mission and the two decide that "Make love, not war" should be their mantra. As Delaney increases the pressure, Malone decides to go mano a mano with him. He sneaks into Delaney's heavily-guarded compound and discovers a massive arsenal being stockpiled there. Turns out that Delaney is the leader of an extremist right wing fringe group with ties to sympathetic elected officials in Washington, D.C. He intends to imminently launch a violent uprising in the hopes that it spreads nationally and takes down the government. 

There isn't a single original thought in "Malone". The film is a modern day remake of Clint Eastwood's "Pale Rider", which had been released two years before. Eastwood's film, in turn, was a virtual remake of George Stevens' "Shane". The stories all share some common themes: a family is being harassed by a local rich guy who has nefarious purposes. A mysterious stranger comes to their aid and, in the process, is idolized by a young member of the family. In the climax of all three stories, the stranger finds himself having to put his life on the line to rid the locals of the menacing figure who is making their lives miserable. Having said all that, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed "Malone". Under the competent direction of Harley Cokeless, the story moves at a brisk pace and there is plenty of time to explore the backgrounds of the key characters. Reynolds still had enough macho mojo to pull off roles like this and it's great seeing him play a serious role once again. As a man of few words, he excels not only in the dramatic sequences but also in the film's explosive conclusion, which borrows much from another (then) contemporary hit, "Witness" as we watch Malone on Delaney's farm systematically eliminate the bad guys. Reynolds gets some fine support from Cliff Robertson (in the kind of superficially charming role usually played by Robert Vaughn), Kenneth McMillan and Scott Wilson. Lauren Hutton's brief appearance is a highlight of the film, as she and Malone intersperse romantic interludes with suspicions about each other's motives. (Malone willingly beds her but is afraid to digest any drinks she prepares out of fear she will poison him.) The biggest revelation is the performance of Cynthia Gibb, who displays considerable charm as the young girl who is starstruck by Malone. (The script thankfully keeps the relationship chaste.) "Malone", filmed in and around Vancouver (the usual tax-friendly doppleganger for American locations), is a good old-fashioned action flick. In today's era of over-produced, over-budgeted CGI-laden monstrosities, it's simplicity, predictability and unpretentious story line are assets. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray contains the trailer as well as trailers for other Burt Reynolds releases available through the company. 

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

By the mid-1950s Burt Lancaster was one of the biggest stars in the world. He used his clout to form his own production company so that he would not be chained to exclusive contracts with specific studios as so many of his peers were. Lancaster could pick and choose his own projects and how they were brought to the screen. He harbored dreams of becoming a full-time director and stated publicly that he intended to retire from acting in order to fulfill this fantasy. So far, so good. However, Lancaster, who was never lacking in confidence or ego, managed to alienate seemingly everyone in his orbit by making disparaging remarks about directors and their profession in general. This didn't sit well with those he offended and Lancaster was denied entry into the Director's Guild of America when it came to helming his first film, an adaptation of Felix Holt's frontier novel "The Gabriel Horn", which he was bringing to the big screen in Technicolor and CinemaScope under the title "The Kentuckian". Lancaster had lined up some top-rate talent for the production, which was the first of a multi-picture distribution deal with United Artists. Acclaimed Western novelist A.B. Guthrie Jr. was the screenwriter, the esteemed Laszlo Kovacs was the cinematographer and Bernard Herrmann was the composer. This was a fairly big-budget production that eschewed Hollywood's penchant for studio-bound sets and stock photography in favor of actually filming on location in rural Kentucky. 

The story opens with Elias Wakefield (Lancaster), a widowed backwoodsman and his young son Little Eli (Donald MacDonald) as they gleefully march through remote wooded areas in Kentucky heading toward a far-away river where they intend to ride an elegant steam ship to a new life in Texas. The promise of vast land and unlimited potential is too much for Elias to resist and he's scrimped and saved up $200 for the passenger fare aboard the boat. He also wants to put some distance between him and Little Eli and two members of a clan that have been carrying on a long feud with the Wakefields and who are intent on tracking down and killing Elias. Things go awry when they reach a town where the locals are anything but friendly. Elias is framed for a crime and jailed. The corrupt locals intend to allow him to be killed by the would-be assassins who have arrived in town. Elias is saved by Hannah (Dianne Foster), a lovely young woman who is suffering as an indentured servant to a cruel owner of a tavern. She frees Elias and joins him and his son as they flee towards the freedom Texas offers. Along the way, they are captured by lawmen and Elias has to use his life savings to buy Hannah's "contract" out with her employer. Although Elias treats Hannah with sisterly respect, it's clear she has romantic designs on him that she keeps subdued. Upon arriving in another town to visit Elias's brother Zack (John McInintire) and his wife Sophie (Una Merkel), the trio finds the new locale not much friendlier than their last encounter with civilization. Although they are warmly greeted by Zack and Sophie, the rest of the local population mocks them as unsophisticated hicks. Because they are destitute, Elias has to go into Zack's career as a tobacco seller where he finds unexpected success. Hannah, however, finds herself back in servitude with yet another cruel tavern owner, Bodine (Walter Matthau in his big screen debut). Elias enrolls his son in school for the first time and manages to fall for his teacher, Susie (Diana Lynn), who returns the sentiment. As their love affair grows, Elias alienates his own son, who accuses his father of dashing their plans to move to Texas. Also alienated is Hannah, who suffers in silence while the man she loves romances another woman. Things come to a head when Elias has a knock-down brawl with Bodine, whose penchant for wielding a bullwhip exacts a terrible toll on him. Then the killers from the rival clan show up and lay in wait to assassinate Elias. 

"The Kentuckian" was not the great success Burt Lancaster had hoped for. Critics were anemic if not downright cynical about the film with Bosley Crowther of the New York Times mocking it mercilessly. When the movie under-performed, Lancaster uncharacteristically went public with his frustrations at the magnitude of work it took to both star in and direct the film. He ate considerable crow and said he underestimated how much talent it took to direct a movie, thereby winning him favor with a  profession he had previously offended. (Lancaster's only other directing credit is as co-director of the 1974 crime thriller "The Midnight Man". ) Although "The Kentuckian" has plenty of corny and predictable elements to it, the film is reasonably good entertainment. Lancaster, who was always among the most charismatic of leading men, delivers a solid performance and he is aided by an able cast of leading ladies and fine character actors. Young Donald MacDonald gives an impressive performance as his son and Matthau, who would later denounce the role he played as ludicrous, is nevertheless a suitable villain in the Snidley Whiplash mode. The cinematography is very good, though the movie does feature some of the worst "day for night" effects imaginable. Scenes that are set in the dead of night are presented in bright sunshine. Bernard Herrmann's score is appropriately rousing and the film features some good action sequences. Perhaps the most under-valued aspect of the movie is its intelligent screenplay which presents the characters with engaging back stories and dilemmas. Lancaster chose to stress the human side of the story instead of spectacle and violence. 

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray looks great and contains the trailer along with a welcome gallery of other trailers pertaining to Lancaster movies. 

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Hollywood has mined gold from films relating to the American Civil War. Generally, however, the opposite has been true of movie relating to the American Revolution. Relatively few have been made and those that were often proved to be boxoffice failures, none more so than director Hugh Hudson's expensive 1985 epic "Revolution", which was savagely attacked by critics and disappeared from theaters quickly due to audience disinterest, However, Hudson would later issue a DVD version of the movie with significant changes. As we argued at the time, the film may not be a classic but it has plenty of merits and it deserves to be re-evaluated. Click here to to read our original review.