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Released by: MGM Limited Edition Collection
Released on: 3/15/2011
Director: Stanley Kramer
Cast: Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, Olivia de Havilland, Lon Chaney Jr., Broderick Crawford, Lee Marvin
Year: 1955
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The Movie:
Stanley Kramer's twisted drama stars Robert Mitchum as Lucas Marsh who, when we meet him, is a medical intern hell-bent on working his way up the ladder and establishing himself as one of the finest physicians in the country. To help make this happen, he woos and then weds a pretty woman named Kristina Hedvigson (Olivia de Havilland) who just so happens to be an expert in the field of surgery. She also happens to be quite well off. Once they're married, she proves to be the perfect wife in every way that he knew she would be, and off they go to a small town where Lucas sets up his own medical practice.
Things are going well until Kristina learns that her husband has been unfaithful to her and that he's been fooling around with a local woman (Gloria Grahame) - understandably, Kristina is upset. Lucas, however, doesn't seem to care. He got what he wanted from Kristina and has established his increasing reputation and as such, he divorces her, despite the advice of his friend, Alfred Boone (Frank Sinatra). Marsh will soon learn that his actions are going to bring about some serious consequences, however, especially when his employer, Dr. David Runkleman (Charles Bickford) has a heart attack and needs surgery.
While some of the medical technology and terminology used in the film is obviously going to be dated by today's standards, the story here holds up well. The pacing in the film is solid, the camerawork nice and atmospheric, particularly in the last half hour or so, and the film's message still a pertinent one. The film approaches melodrama to a fault at times but makes up for it with a great cast and some memorable set pieces.
As far as the performances are concerned, Mitchum has an ice cold demeanor here that plays the character with perfect selfishness. He's very good in the part and while his lack of a more active persona could be misconstrued as sleepwalking through the movie, rather it's more in keeping with the character he's playing. That distance he keeps between the other characters in the movie is effective in establishing and maintaining his style and in keeping with his plan. Sinatra's performance, however, doesn't quite match up and while he's far from awful here, he feels like a weak link in an otherwise sturdy chain. His interactions with Mitchum's character are good and he definitely has moments where he shines and shows his talent as an actor, but he doesn't light the screen up the way he has in other films. Olivia de Havilland, on the other hand, is excellent here, evoking all the sympathy her character deserves without ever laying it on too thick. Look for a small cameo from Lee Marvin.
Not the fastest moving film ever made, nor really one of Kramer or Mitchum's best works, but still a well made drama worth seeing.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Not As A Stranger looks pretty nice in this 1.33.1 fullframe black and white transfer that apperas to present the film open matte. There are some shots that look a bit softer than others and there are some minor compression artifacts noticeable in a few darker scenes, but overall the image is clean and stable and shows both okay black levels and good, though not perfect, contrast. It doesn't look like a full on restoration has been done but the source materials used for this DVD-R were obviously in pretty decent shape as there is only minor print damage to note.
The English language Dolby Digital Mono track is fine. The background music sounds pretty good while the dialogue is clear and balanced properly against the score and effects. No serious issues with an inordinate amount of hiss or distortion, and if this is limited in range by the original source material, so be it. No alternate language tracks or subtitles are provided.
MGM has supplied a static menu that offers up chapter selection and… that's it. You've got to love the cover art though.
The Final Word:
As flawed as it is, Not As A Stranger is still definitely worth checking out not only for the very fact that it contains an amazing cast, but because Mitchum's turn in the film is so downright cold and eerie. The story is a decent one, the supporting efforts fairly strong, though sadly is out of place here. Regardless, there's enough about the picture that works that it stands as an interesting, albeit imperfect, drama. MGM's barebones disc offers no supplements but looks and sounds fine.
