Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Volume 2 (DVD)

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Kelly was almost as elegant a dancer as Fred Astaire but more acrobatic, if less sophisticated, and he puts his athleticism to good use in "The Pirate." Judy Garland, on the other hand, sings far less than one would imagine here, which is perhaps why it disappointed some audiences. Her first song doesn't even come until well into the film, and there are points in the movie where she sounds exactly like Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz."

"The Pirate" is a big, splashy musical in the traditional MGM style, but it is also more baroque, more flamboyant, yet more modern in its approach than most of the studio's more-staid musicals. Maybe that, too, is why it took years for audiences to catch up to it. In any case, parts of the movie are colorful enough, bold enough, and enjoyable enough to warrant a look by anybody who hasn't had the chance to see it. Those who have seen it and like it will find WB's new DVD edition of it quite pleasing.

Video:
With "The Pirate," like the other films in the series, the DVD captures the film's original 1.37:1 aspect ratio well, and the high-bit-rate transfer does a good job with the Technicolor. Skin tones are especially natural, definition is good, and black levels are deep. There is, however, a lightly dark tone throughout, so don't expect colors to jump off the screen. The WB engineers spruced up what was essentially a pretty good print, and there are no lines, scratches, fades, or what-have-you in sight. There is some minor grain present, however, noticeable mainly during the opening credits, and an occasional odd flicker.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 1.0 monaural audio processing probably does all that it can under the circumstances to reproduce the movie's soundtrack. The frequency response and dynamic range are fairly limited, the sound having a very slightly pinched quality at times, while appearing somewhat veiled at other times. In addition, expect a small degree of background noise, hardly heard except at volume. It's a typical mono soundtrack of its day, so in the main look forward to clearly represented dialogue.

Extras:
Because Warner Bros. offer each of the discs in the set separately as well as in the box, each of them comes with its own set of extras, including special introductions, audio commentaries, various featurettes, radio interviews, comedy shorts, outtakes, classic cartoons, scene selections, and theatrical trailers. Plus, each disc comes with English as the spoken language, plus English and French subtitles.

Specific to "The Pirate," we get, first, a commentary by the always enlightening film historian John Fricke. He shares with us a good deal of information about what didn't get into the picture, because there were quite a few changes and recuts made before the movie opened, and he provides a nonstop flow of information from beginning to end.

Second, there is a a newly produced, eighteen-minute featurette on the making of the film that explains some of its more controversial elements. Was it too artsy, too stylized, or just too frivolous? It depends on which critic you trust. Next, there is a vintage Pete Smith comedy short, "You Can't Win," followed by a Tom-and-Jerry cartoon, "Cat Fishin'." After that, there is a stereo remix version of "Mack the Black." Then, there are two audio-only bonuses: three song outtakes and five Roger Edens guide-track versions. Finally, there are promotional radio interviews with Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, and a theatrical trailer.

Purchased separately, each disc comes in a standard-sized keep case; purchased in the big box, each disc comes in an ultra-thin, translucent case.

Parting Thoughts:
Depending on how keen you are on old musicals, the big box set may not be for you. Although the films are fun, they can be tedious affairs for people only mildly interested in the subject matter. But insofar as "The Pirate" goes, I can endorse it wholeheartedly. While it, too, finds itself somewhat wanting in comparison to the very best musicals like "Singin' in the Rain," "My Fair Lady," or "Oklahoma," it has its moments of sheer delight that make it worthwhile.

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