Now, Voyager (DVD)

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As the story continues, Charlotte attempts to further develop her self-confidence and self-reliance, and with determination, she succeeds. But with Jerry, she is on less-sure ground. The moth has turned into a butterfly, but she still has a desperate need to be wanted, needed, and loved. The ending gets a little complicated insofar as Charlotte's relationship with Jerry and his youngest daughter is concerned, but it's wholly in keeping with the emotional tone of the film.

Besides the love story, Charlotte's transformation, and Ms. Davis's acting, the movie remains popular for two additional reasons. First, there is Max Steiner's music. It's another sweeping score from the composer who practically invented the integrated movie musical track with things like "King Kong," "The Informer," "The Charge of the Light Brigade," "A Star Is Born," "Gone With the Wind," "Casablanca," "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," and literally hundreds of other motion pictures. For "Now, Voyager" he won an Academy Award, and even if you're not a fan of old movies, you should find the main theme instantly recognizable.

The second notable reason for the film's success is Henreid's now-famous cigarette lighting routine. He puts two cigarettes in his mouth, lights them both, and then hands one to Davis. It was considered the height of sophistication at the time and copied all over the world. Henreid repeats this piece of business throughout the movie. But I'll let John Eastman explain it, from his book "Retakes" (Ballantine, New York, 1989): "Henreid claimed to have originated this bit on the set, but it had apparently been used between George Brent and Davis herself in 'The Rich Are Always With Us' (1932). Following 'Now, Voyager,' at any rate, the fad caught on with the public, and Henreid couldn't go anywhere without being accosted by women begging him to 'light me.'"

"Now, Voyager" is romantic and romanticized, sudsy and sentimental, a quintessential "woman's picture" that, nevertheless, has over the years found quite a following among men as well. The story is a throwback to an earlier age in Hollywood when movies didn't have to be loud or vulgar to sell a point. They say they don't make 'em like they used to, which comes as a relief to a lot of people. But "Now, Voyager" for all its exaggerated mawkishness can still keep one entertained for its full two hours. Thank director Irving Rapper ("The Corn Is Green," "The Glass Menagerie," "Marjorie Morningstar"), composer Max Steiner, the fine supporting cast, but most of all Ms. Davis for that.

Video:
The black-and-white print Warner Bros. found must have been cleaned up for the DVD because it looks like new. In fact, there are so few visible age spots, it looks better than most modern films. The B&W contrasts are deep, dark, and distinct; the gray levels are well accented; and grain is almost nonexistent. Quite a beautiful video presentation, actually.

Audio:
The audio is remastered in Dolby Digital 1.0 mono, also cleaned up to sound better than it ever did in 1942. There is virtually no noise in the background, as there would have been in its day, and the midrange is as smooth as velvet. Naturally, there is a limited dynamic range and limited frequency extremes, but since the movie is all dialogue, what does it matter?

Extras:
Understandably for the presentation of an older film on DVD, there are few extras included. There is a series of scoring session music cues that are almost as good to listen to as watching the movie. There's a cast and crew list, with detailed information about Bette Davis. And there is a theatrical trailer that makes one appreciate all the more the excellence of the feature print. A generous thirty-eight scene selections accompany the movie, plus English and French spoken languages, and English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.

Parting Thoughts:
Schmaltz sells, then and now. "Now, Voyager" was one of the most popular films of 1942 and one of most famous and popular films of Bette Davis's lengthy career. Years ago, the "New Yorker" wrote of the picture that "If it were better, it might not work at all. This way, it's a crummy classic." Well, no, it's not "a crummy classic," but a classic woman's weeper it is. And, as I've said, no one would want it any other way.

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