April Love

Released by: Twilight Time
Released on: April 14, 2015
Director: Henry Levin
Cast: Pat Boone, Shirley Jones, Dolores Michaels, Arthur O'Connell, Matt Crowley, Jeanette Nolan, Bradford Jackson
Year: 1957
Purchase From Screen Archives

The Movie:

Back home in Chicago, wayward youth Nick Conover was convicted of joyriding in a stolen vehicle. Now, through an arrangement between his mother and his aunt that's been authorized by a trial court, he's been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Kentucky, where they hope he will turn his life around without the influence of his city friends. Part of Nick's plea deal, however, is that he won't operate any motor vehicles unless they're on private property. Aunt Henrietta is excited about his summer stay, but Uncle Jed resents the boy, believing his wife is trying to replace their son, who was killed in The Korean War. The aging couple own a horse farm and immediately put Nick to work. He also meets two wealthy sisters, Liz and Fran Templeton. Horse-riding Liz has a crush on Nick, but he's more interested in Fran, who owns a sweet red sports car. Meanwhile, he also tames a wild horse his uncle owns and trains to compete in a local horse race.

April Love is based on the novel Phantom Philly by George Agnew Chamberlain, which had been published in 1941 and provided the basis for the Oscar-nominated film Home in Indiana (1944). Cast in the lead was Pat Boone, whose recording career began in 1954 and featured a number of hit covers of songs by African American artists; these covers were aimed at white, teenaged audiences and resulted in Boone being the second-most popular pop singer of the 1950s, behind Elvis Presley.

The year 1957 was something of a watershed for the performer: Not only did he get his own television series, which lasted until 1960, but he also starred in his first film, Henry Levin's Bernardine. Given his tremendous popularity with young people at the time, he was then cast in Levin's Young People in Love before Bernardine was even released. To better capitalize on one of the songs Boone sings in the film, Young People in Love was released under the title April Love in November 1957, and the titular song became a smash hit on the Billboard charts the following month. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.

The film itself also proved a smash as well, ranking as the fourth most successful film released at the domestic box office in 1957. It's easy to see why. Rebellious teenagers were in vogue in the late 1950s, thanks to Columbia's hit The Wild One earlier in the decade and a number of cheap American International rip-offs since. All that said, Nick's rebellious behavior is toned down considerably from that of his predecessor, Sparke Thornton, in Home in Indiana. Not that it matters; April Love has just the right touch of schmaltzy adults-against-teenagers pathos to appeal to young people and charming innocence to placate their parents. Boone is entrancing and likeable as Nick, despite a fairly limited ability to emote, and Broadway star and singer Shirley Jones is enchanting and delightful as Liz. Arthur O'Connell is particularly good as the ruffled, angry uncle who comes round in the end, and Jeanette Nolan steals a couple of scenes as Aunt Henrietta. Bringing all of these performances together is the smooth, efficient direction of Henry Levin and a fun, breezy script from Winston Miller. Clocking in at 99 minutes, April Love is a fast-moving diversion worthy of a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Audio/Video/Extras:

Twilight Time has released April Love on Blu-ray in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 1080p high definition with an MPEG-4 AVC encode. There are certainly no complaints about the picture quality. There may be a whole of two scenes that are slightly soft and a little too grainy. Everything else looks resplendent. The color by DeLuxe is sumptuous, particularly the many hues of green in the Kentucky locales where much of the film was shot, as well as the bright pastels of the actors' wardrobes, which stand in relief against those greens. Flesh tones are natural, while detail looks phenomenal. To get an idea of just how sharp the image is, consider the screen shots below. As with the color, the foliage in particular stands out, providing an enticing, almost three-dimensional panorama of the countryside around Lexington. In general, there's a nicely organic structure to the grain, and even shots with opticals—which usually fare poorly on Blu-ray—are impressive.

There are three tracks. The primary track is the film's original soundtrack in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. We're happy to say that there are absolutely no issues with this track; sounds pop appropriately, dialogue is distinct and clear, and songs sound robust and dynamic. The songs include the aforementioned hit “April Love,” as well as “Clover in the Meadow,” “Do It Yourself,” “Give Me a Gentle Girl,” and “Bentonville Fair.” They're fairly typical of the period, though “Do It Yourself” is accompanied by a wonderful and well-choreographed cookout sequence, and “Bentonville Fair” is catchy and well-paced. The second track is the isolated score, which is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. It begins with a strange anomaly, someone reciting a series of numbers, which repeats throughout. (This is obviously inherent in the original recording and is recorded at a lower volume than the score.) Regardless, the track is a nice showcase of the original score without the distraction of dialogue and sound effects. That said, it would have been pleasant to hear the songs themselves in their full glory. Finally, rounding out the tracks is an audio commentary featuring star Shirley Jones and film historian Nick Redman. (Boone was originally slated to join them but had to bow out at the last minute due to a personal issue.) Redman is an amiable moderator, asking just the right questions and keeping the discussion on track. Jones comes across as a complete sweetheart, self-effacing and quick to laugh. The commentary isn't relegated to Jones's performance in the film; she and Redman touch on a number of subjects related to the film and its stars as well as discussing Jones's long and varied career. It's a fun and informative commentary, a real highlight in the presentation.

The one extra that accompanies the film is its original theatrical trailer, which runs two minutes and thirty-two seconds. It is an appropriate indicator of exactly what the film is and focuses on the tunes.

Not to be neglected, of course, is film historian Julie Kirgo's liner notes, which are provided in an accompanying booklet. The notes are beautifully written, as these opening lines attest: “April Love (1957) is, let's face it, a confection, but one concocted by the magician/craftspeople of 1950s-era Twentieth Century Fox: the most superbly skilled cinematic pastry chefs in movie history. Even as it was taking its last gasp, the studio system was replete with potent talent and stunning technology, and nowhere more than at Fox, 'The House of Scope' where widescreen, DeLuxe Color, 4-track stereo fantasias achieved their apotheosis.” We'll let you purchase your own copy of the release to read the rest, but suffice it to say, Kirgo's writing has grown to the point that her work no longer reads like typical nonfiction; she has achieved a striking literary quality, which makes her prose such a pleasure to review.

The Final Word:

April Love is a fun and magnetic picture, a beguiling slice of late 1950s pop cinema that acts as a window into another time. Even better, the film has been given a stunning transfer by Fox, which Twilight Time has released in all its glory on Blu-ray. While the BD doesn't have the number of special features that some of the other TT releases have had of late, it's still worth a purchase. Not only does it look and sound good, but it features a terrific audio commentary and wonderful liner notes from Julie Kirgo. There are certainly worse ways to spend a lazy afternoon or evening.

Note: Twilight Time's BD release of April Love is limited to 3,000 units.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!