Review of Genevieve (Special Edition)

Introduction

The London to Brighton car rally is an annual event that has taken place for many many years. Vintage and veteran cars make the journey to the coast with most of them making it under their own power. This is the story of one such run as seen through the adventures of two enthusiasts, Alan McKim (John Gregson) and Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth Moore).

A friendship of many years is put to the test as both McKim and Claverhouse endeavour to outdo each other, ending up with a challenge of a race back to the capital.

McKims long suffering wife Wendy (Dinah Sheridan), stands by her husband but becomes increasingly frustrated with the constant battling between her husband and her old friend Claverhouse. She finds an ally in Claverhouses partner for the event Rosalind Peters (Kay Kendall), who it seems can also think of a better way to spend the weekend.

Both cars suffer troubles along the way, as do the drivers and passengers, but in the end a winner is declared and all the troubles are forgotten.

Video

The blurb on the box states that this is a remastered version of the film. Having seen previous remastered offerings of the era, I was not expecting to be that impressed with the quality of the video. How wrong I was.

The standard of the 1.33:1 picture is absolutely superb with virtually no evidence of dirt or noise on the print. The colours are not as in your face as on modern films but have a nice subtle quality that captures the mood of the times.

Remember this is a film that was released in 1953, so the masters will be pushing on 50 years old. The work that has been done and the standard that has been achieved are truly remarkable and should stand as a guide as to what is possible for future efforts.

Audio

The original mono soundtrack has been retained, although I suspect that work has been done to this as well, as it is very clear and hiss free. After a while you forget the limitations of a mono soundtrack as the images and Larry Adlers score drag you back to a simpler time.

In some ways a more complex soundtrack would have been out of place with the movie, so for once, a mono soundtrack gets a big thumbs up.

Features

The extras are fronted by the usual scene access and animated menus, which are nicely produced and scored. Along with these regular offerings are a picture gallery, profiles and an excellent profile of Genevieve documentary.

Dinah Sheridan tells the story of the making of the film along with some of the crew and this offers a fascinating insight into the times and also the minds of the American studio bosses, who thought the film unfunny and a waste of time. So much so that it nearly didn`t get a release.

Conclusion

A truly excellent film that is a joy to watch. Genevieve has some of the biggest British stars of the time that really seem to enjoy working together. The film relies on the characters to provide the entertainment rather than expensive stunts and effects and this is the winning element of this film.

The film is presented in a new type of box that makes a pleasant change from the normal packaging. It`s a much better use of a cardboard package than the normal flimsy plastic frame with cardboard insert type. This is a real box that opens easily and has a strong plastic insert to hold the disc. I hope this style catches on as it really is quite nice.

There is only one phrase that can really sum up this movie. They don`t make them like this anymore!