Easter Parade (DVD)

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"Easter Parade" may not be my favorite musical, nor even my favorite Judy Garland musical, but I have to admit it's hard not to like. The film's spirits are always high, the dancing is effervescent, and the Irving Berlin tunes, hit and miss though they may be, provide enough delights to carry the show. The movie is wholly out of style these days but fun stuff, nonetheless.

Video:
The picture is presented in a 1.33:1 screen ratio, closely approximating the original 1.37:1 dimensions of the day. The print has been completely restored to all its Technicolor brilliance and looks as good as it has probably looked at any time in its life. Colors are bright and sharp, and there doesn't appear to be a blemish, scratch, or age spot in sight. On the minor downside, typical of 1940s' and 50s' Technicolor, the hues are rather more vibrant than one would see in real life (but the movies are supposed to be bigger and brighter than real life or they wouldn't be movies), and there is some slight line shimmer from time to time. It's nothing to fret over.

Audio:
The monaural sound is quite clean and clear throughout the midrange, but it's also expectedly limited in the frequency extremes, lowest bass and highest treble. Nevertheless, it is reasonably dynamic in the musical numbers, even without the benefit of rear-channel surround for better overall ambiance. It does well with what it has to work with, the sound further clarified through Dolby Digital 1.0 mono processing and made quieter through suitable noise filtering. The result is pleasing, particularly in the midrange, even if it isn't multichannel state-of-the-art.

Extras:
In keeping with the movie's perennial appeal, Warner Bros. have accorded it a two-disc Special Edition. Disc one contains the movie in its new digital transfer, plus several other items of interest. The first is an audio commentary by Fred Astaire's daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, and Judy Garland biographer John Fricke. They relate a host of inside details concerning the film in a mostly fascinating listen. For instance, as I mentioned before, we're told the movie was first planned for Gene Kelly, who broke his ankle and recommended Astaire, who had recently announced one of many retirements but accepted. Astaire's daughter also tells us that over the years people would sue the Fred Astaire Dance Studios because they never learned to dance as well as her dad. It's an amusing and informative commentary.

In addition, disc one includes a Judy Garland trailer gallery, with trailers for eleven Garland movies. Chronologically, they are "Love Finds Andy Hardy" (1938), "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), "Ziegfeld Girl" (1941), "For Me and My Gal" (1942), "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), "The Harvey Girls" (1946), "Ziegfeld Follies" (1946), "'Til the Clouds Roll By" (1946), "The Pirate" (1948), "Easter Parade" (1948), "In the Good Old Summertime" (1949), and "A Star Is Born" (1954). Finally, there are thirty scene selections; English and French spoken languages; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Disc two contains several more attractive items. First, there's a new, 2005, making-of documentary, "Easter Parade: On the Avenue." It's thirty-four minutes long and hosted by John Fricke, assisted by Astaire's daughter, as on the commentary. In the documentary, we hear from Sidney Sheldon, the screenwriter who was brought in to lighten up the script; Ann Miller, who reminisces about her role; and various others of the filmmakers. Second, there's an "American Masters" documentary profile, "Judy Garland: By Myself." It is almost two hours long, divided into twenty-two chapters, and quite comprehensive. Third, there's a series of outtakes for Garland's eventually deleted "Mr. Monotony" musical number. And fourth, there are two audio-only bonuses: a brief radio promo, and, more important, a March 11, 1951 "Screen Guild Playhouse" radio production of "Easter Parade," with Garland, Astaire, Lawford, and Monica Lewis. It's fifty-four minutes long, and while no fast forward is available, it is conveniently divided into nineteen chapters.

The two discs are housed in a slim-line keep case, further enclosed in a colorful cardboard slipcover. But Warners Bros. provide no chapter insert or informational booklet, which seems an odd oversight given the money they spent on everything else.

Parting Thoughts:
"Easter Parade" was an immediate hit with moviegoers in 1948, and it's been a musical favorite ever since. While some of its initial glitter may have worn off with age, WB's new transfer certainly does up its picture as brilliantly as ever, and what music remains fashionable is as sparkling as it could be. Better yet, Astaire is as amazing as ever to watch. If not everything in the movie works, and surely the plot and characters are only incidental to the music, it's not for lack of trying. Still and all, insofar as splashy Hollywood musicals go, there's enough in it, like Berlin's tunes, Astaire's dancing, WB's video, and Garland being Garland, to make it a pleasure.

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