.
Although
withheld from circulation for years, the film version of CALL ME MADAM
($15) remains a rather delightful little musical frolic in the guise of a
political satire. Based upon the hit Broadway show with a score by Irving
Berlin, CALL ME MADAM was a showcase for the amazing pipes and
comic timing of the one and only Ethel Merman. Merman recreates her stage
role for the screen with all of her unique talents shining though-
especially her big; brassy voice that was ideally suited to belt out tunes
all the way to the back of the theater. With a larger than life stage
quality shining through on the silver screen, Merman’s engaging
performance definitely gives one a taste of what she must have been like
on Broadway.
In
CALL ME MADAM, Merman portrays Sally Adams- the Washington, DC hostess
with the most-ess, whom President Truman appoints Ambassador to
Lichtenburg, a small European Duchy roughly the size of Brooklyn. With her
new press attaché Kenneth Gibson (Donald O'Connor) at her side, Sally
sets up shop in Lichtenburg, following the government’s strict
instructions to diplomatically turn down all requests for foreign aid. Of
course, Sally has no trouble saying "no," that is until she
meets charming General Cosmo Constantine (George Sanders), who immediately
places her in a swoon. Kenneth also finds himself in something of a
romantic predicament upon his arrival in Lichtenburg, falling for Princess
Maria (Vera-Ellen), who is promised to a foreign Prince, that is, if Sally
can ever be talked into recommending an American aid package that will pay
the princess’ dowry.
.
For
this cinematic version of CALL ME MADAM, Ethel Merman finds herself
in very good company; Donald O'Connor is in top musical form,
demonstrating his best dancing athleticism- both alone and with
Vera-Ellen, plus O'Connor keeps up musically with Merman for their duet
together. However, one of the film’s biggest delights is the very
charming performance of that "Professional Cad," George Sanders,
who sings with a rather nice baritone. The cast of CALL ME MADAM
also features Billy De Wolfe, Helmut Dantine, Walter Slezak, Steven Geray,
Ludwig Stössel, Lilia Skala, Charles Dingle, Emory Parnell, Emory
Parnell, Nestor Paiva and Fritz Feld.
20th
Century Home Entertainment has made CALL ME MADAM available on DVD
in a rather nice 1.37:1 presentation, which is representative of the film’s
original theatrical aspect ratio. In general, the image appears sharp and
offers more than respectable definition. There are occasional shots that
appear a bit softer than others, but it is never too bad. Colors are
strongly rendered and demonstrative of the rich hues associated with IB
Technicolor (with the hues taking on that decidedly "Fox
Technicolor" look). Blacks are deep, whites are clean and contrast is
quite good. The film elements used for the transfer do show some signs of
age, with very mild blemishes and occasional color instabilities being the
worst of it. Additionally, there is a bit of a grain structure that is
noticeable during much of the presentation. Digital compression artifacts
are always well contained.
CALL
ME MADAM comes with English Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural and stereo
soundtrack options. Both soundtracks are generally good, but not as
polished as they might have been. Since CALL ME MADAM has been
withheld from circulation for so long, it is possible that the sound
elements haven’t been preserved quite as well as similar films from the
same period. But then again, it may have just been Merman’s voice
pushing the limits of fifties era recording technology. When given a
goodly amount of amplification, the track occasionally exhibits a tiny bit
of distortion; however, if the track is kept to more modest listening
levels, it remains smooth and rather pleasant. Fidelity has the expected
limitations that one generally associates with recordings that are over
half a century old, but isn’t too bad. Dialogue is fairly crisp and
always completely understandable. Finally, the stereo version of the track
has a bit more sonic latitude, while the monaural implementation seems
flatter. No other language tracks are provided, although English and
Spanish subtitles have been included. The basic interactive menus allow
one access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as
a couple of extras. Film scholar Miles Kreuger is on hand for an
informative running audio commentary, plus the disc features a theatrical
teaser, theatrical trailer and bonus trailers.
CALL
ME MADAM is a genuine delight that is making its long overdue debut on
DVD. The film’s presentation is generally solid and the bargain price
makes it a keeper. If you are a musical fan, Irving Berlin fan or Ethel
Merman fan, CALL ME MADAM is a disc you will want to add to your
collection.
.
In
CALL ME MADAM, Merman portrays Sally Adams- the Washington, DC hostess
with the most-ess, whom President Truman appoints Ambassador to
Lichtenburg, a small European Duchy roughly the size of Brooklyn. With her
new press attaché Kenneth Gibson (Donald O'Connor) at her side, Sally
sets up shop in Lichtenburg, following the government’s strict
instructions to diplomatically turn down all requests for foreign aid. Of
course, Sally has no trouble saying "no," that is until she
meets charming General Cosmo Constantine (George Sanders), who immediately
places her in a swoon. Kenneth also finds himself in something of a
romantic predicament upon his arrival in Lichtenburg, falling for Princess
Maria (Vera-Ellen), who is promised to a foreign Prince, that is, if Sally
can ever be talked into recommending an American aid package that will pay
the princess’ dowry.
.
20th
Century Home Entertainment has made CALL ME MADAM available on DVD
in a rather nice 1.37:1 presentation, which is representative of the film’s
original theatrical aspect ratio. In general, the image appears sharp and
offers more than respectable definition. There are occasional shots that
appear a bit softer than others, but it is never too bad. Colors are
strongly rendered and demonstrative of the rich hues associated with IB
Technicolor (with the hues taking on that decidedly "Fox
Technicolor" look). Blacks are deep, whites are clean and contrast is
quite good. The film elements used for the transfer do show some signs of
age, with very mild blemishes and occasional color instabilities being the
worst of it. Additionally, there is a bit of a grain structure that is
noticeable during much of the presentation. Digital compression artifacts
are always well contained.
CALL
ME MADAM comes with English Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural and stereo
soundtrack options. Both soundtracks are generally good, but not as
polished as they might have been. Since CALL ME MADAM has been
withheld from circulation for so long, it is possible that the sound
elements haven’t been preserved quite as well as similar films from the
same period. But then again, it may have just been Merman’s voice
pushing the limits of fifties era recording technology. When given a
goodly amount of amplification, the track occasionally exhibits a tiny bit
of distortion; however, if the track is kept to more modest listening
levels, it remains smooth and rather pleasant. Fidelity has the expected
limitations that one generally associates with recordings that are over
half a century old, but isn’t too bad. Dialogue is fairly crisp and
always completely understandable. Finally, the stereo version of the track
has a bit more sonic latitude, while the monaural implementation seems
flatter. No other language tracks are provided, although English and
Spanish subtitles have been included. The basic interactive menus allow
one access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as well as
a couple of extras. Film scholar Miles Kreuger is on hand for an
informative running audio commentary, plus the disc features a theatrical
teaser, theatrical trailer and bonus trailers.
CALL
ME MADAM is a genuine delight that is making its long overdue debut on
DVD. The film’s presentation is generally solid and the bargain price
makes it a keeper. If you are a musical fan, Irving Berlin fan or Ethel
Merman fan, CALL ME MADAM is a disc you will want to add to your
collection.