Blu-ray Review – James Stewart: 4-Film Collection

      4-Film Collection: James Stewart

      SYNOPSIS:

      With 80 films to his name from 1935 to 1991, James Stewart easily deserves multiple 4-film collections, but we’ll highlight just one. Join us for four significant moments from his remarkable career.

      No collection would be complete without a selection of performances from James “Jimmy” Stewart. This set features four films, each of which could stand on its own as a Special Edition release: The Shop Around the Corner, The Mortal Storm, The Naked Spur, and How the West Was Won.

      Indeed, these are the same discs that were previously released by Warner Archive Collection. However, each film is worthy of a more detailed release if only studio accountants weren't so strict about the budget. (I get it, it’s show business, but can’t there be some leeway in the P&L for comprehensive classic film home video releases, even if they aren’t guaranteed to be profitable?)

      Before we delve into the films, it’s worth mentioning that the final entry in this collection, How the West Was Won, boasts a rich array of extras suitable for an epic. However, the second Blu-ray from the earlier two-disc release is not included here.

      **The Shop Around the Corner (1940)**

      Directed by Ernst Lubitsch.

      Featuring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan, and Joseph Schildkraut.

      Remade as Nora Ephron’s 1998 film You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, and based on the 1937 Hungarian play Parfumerie, The Shop Around the Corner features Stewart and Sullavan as co-workers in a leather goods shop who dislike each other but are, unbeknownst to them, engaged in a secret letter correspondence.

      Stewart plays Alfred Krallik, the store's top salesman, while Sullavan portrays Klara Novak, who manages to secure a job but struggles under Alfred’s leadership.

      Alfred confides in his colleague Pirovitch (Felix Bressart) about his anonymous correspondence with a woman from a newspaper ad. While they keep their identities and personal details hidden, they provide enough information to become infatuated with one another.

      As Christmas approaches, they arrange to meet at a café. When Alfred learns who his mystery correspondent is, he is disappointed but chooses to get to know her better incognito. The narrative is predictable, but the enjoyment lies in watching the chemistry among the cast.

      Bonus features include the 11-minute The Miracle of Sound, which discusses this film along with others from MGM's pre-war era, along with two radio adaptations from 1940 and 1941— the former featuring most of the movie's cast— and a four-minute trailer.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      **The Mortal Storm (1940)**

      Directed by Frank Borzage.

      Featuring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Robert Stack, Bonita Granville, Irene Rich, William T. Orr, Maria Ouspenskaya, and Gene Reynolds.

      Transitioning from a light-hearted rom-com, we confront more serious themes amid a world at war. Set in 1933, as Hitler rises to power in Germany, The Mortal Storm stars Stewart as Martin Breitner, a friend and neighbor of Professor Viktor Roth (Frank Morgan), whose sons Erich (William T. Orr) and Otto (Robert Stack) swiftly embrace Nazi ideology.

      The professor, his daughter Freya (Sullavan), and Martin are disturbed by the changes occurring in their small town, reflecting a broader disease affecting their nation. Though the phrase “The more things change, the more they stay the same” has become clichéd, The Mortal Storm effectively illustrates how easily people can adopt harmful views of their neighbors under the influence of their leaders.

      As the professor is arrested and sent to a work camp, Freya and Martin realize their best chance is to escape over the mountains into Austria. Audiences in 1940 were acutely aware that Nazi Germany had annexed Austria in 1938, lending ominous undertones to their flight toward freedom in 1933.

      This film deserves at least a commentary track, but unfortunately, the bonus features here are not specific to The Mortal Storm. Instead, there’s a short film and a cartoon from the same era, along with the trailer. Perhaps one day, accountants will allocate a budget for a commentary by a film scholar (or a combination of a film scholar and historian).

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★

      **The Naked Spur (1953)**

      Directed by Anthony Mann.

      Featuring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker, and Millard Mitchell.

      Thirteen years later,