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I Could Go On Singing

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    C.D. Workman
    Senior Member

  • I Could Go On Singing



    Released by: Twilight Time
    Released on: May 10, 2016
    Directed by: Ronald Neame
    Cast: Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Jack Klugman, Gregory Phillips, Aline MacMahon, Pauline Jameson, Jeremy Burnham
    Year: 1963
    Purchase From Screen Archives

    The Movie:

    American singing sensation Jenny Bowman (Judy Garland) is in London to perform at the prestigious Palladium. While there, she seeks out Dr. David Donne (Dirk Bogarde), with whom she'd had a fling 15 years prior. Now older, she also hopes to meet the son she had given birth to with David. At the time, she had chosen her musical career over David and her baby, sending David back to England and into the arms of another woman, whom he'd married. That woman had raised the child, Matt, as her own. Now Jenny wants a relationship with Matt (Gregory Phillips), something David steadfastly refuses, though he does arrange a meeting between the two on the condition that Jenny doesn't tell Matt the truth. Motherless, Matt is instantly captivated by the singer and wants to see more of her, something Jenny arranges behind David's back… at first. But the time comes when she wants a true relationship with her son.

    Judy Garland began her career on Vaudeville as part of the musical act The Gumm Sisters, but it wasn't long before she was signed by MGM and cast in a series of Andy Hardy movies alongside Mickey Rooney. Garland proved to be a big draw for audiences in the role of the girl next door, though studio execs still forced her to wear prosthetics to reshape parts of her face, a situation that resulted in Garland forever seeing herself as an ugly duckling. In 1938, MGM cast her as Dorothy in its big-budget, color adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz. The film was released the next year and proved to be one of the most successful in cinema history. It also branded Garland as the sweet, young, innocent type, albeit one with a pleasant singing voice. It led to many other similar roles in such films as Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and The Harvey Girls (1946). She was MGM's top draw for a number of years, but by the early 1950s, her personal relationships and mental breakdowns were becoming a problem for the studio. It didn't help that she was also becoming increasingly addicted to drugs. She took a break from Hollywood to tour, filling concert halls in both the United States and abroad.

    She experienced a major comeback in 1954, filming the remake of A Star is Born for Warner Brothers. It was a major success both commercially and critically and led to a number of serious roles for the actress, as well as various stints on television. In 1963, she filmed what would be her last film, I Could Go On Singing, which was a semi-biographical take on her life. Jenny Bowman isn't far removed from Judy Garland: Both are singing sensations with severe interpersonal problems. Directed by Ronald Neame (who had written England's Casablanca, the terrific Brief Encounter, 1945), the film's script was extensively reworked by Bogarde with Garland's permission. The result is surprisingly good, with a winning performance from Garland. It's easy to see why young Matt finds Jenny Bowman captivating; she may be something of a Jekyll and Hyde, but when she's a Jekyll, she's caring and attentive. And one can at least empathize with her desire for a relationship with the son she's never known, given the loneliness of stage life. So what if she made a mistake years ago? She's done her time in theater and is ready to move on. The problem is that her ex-lover doesn't see it quite the way she does, and he certainly doesn't want his son getting abandoned the same way he had been when Jenny left the first time around. There's also more than a hint of jealousy; after all, what parent wants to lose a child to another parent, particularly one who hasn't been there to assist in the raising of that child?

    I Could Go On Singing plays deftly with these questions, and though it looks like a musical on its surface, it's really a domestic drama, one with serious performances, a smart script, and solid but sensibly invisible direction by Neame several years before his masterpiece, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969).

    Video/Audio/Extras:

    Twilight Time has released I Could Go On Singing on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The film is given an AVC encode and mostly looks stunning, with vivid colors and resplendent detail. The transfer does well with the Technicolor imagery, particularly purples, reds, and blues, which practically pop off the screen, and detail reveals a rich array of textures in everything from clothing to skin. (Check out the abbey ruins and Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England for maximum ocular pleasure.) In brightly lit scenes, grain appears organic and capably supports the filmic look, though darkened interiors do suffer from slightly pronounced grain, mild crush, and weak black levels. Not to worry, though; most of the film is well lit. There's a minor amount of dirt and debris, but anyone who has read this writer's reviews will know that's a good thing. It gives the film a natural look without ever detracting from the clarity and richness of the image. TT has opted to place the film and its extras on a BD50 disc, all the better to avoid issues of compression. The film has never looked better than it does here, and given its unjustifiably lackluster reputation, it probably never will, at least not in hard media. There are also 24 chapters, making it easy to jump to one's favorite scene.

    There are no less than four audio tracks provided. The first is the film's original soundtrack, which features a score by Mort Lindsey and a famous title song by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, sung by Garland herself. It isn't the only song Garland sings, and in English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, her voice often sounds stunning. Unlike most musicals from this period, the songs are always explained logically within the film: Garland's Jenny Bowman belts them out with beautifully controlled precision as part of her stage persona. Not until the masterful Cabaret would such a scenario work so well again. Thankfully, the audio mastering is superb, so that there's nary a hiss, crackle, or pop, and songs and dialogue are distinct entities that never interfere with each other. (Though if you're deaf or hard of hearing, English subtitles are provided.) The second track is the film's original score with some isolated effects and is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There's only one drawback; the singing voices are generally included but occasionally aren't (for some of those songs that aren't really “songs” in the typical sense of the word). Still, it's a great way to hear Garland belt some tunes without the typical aural distractions inherent in cinematic undertakings. She had a terrific voice, and it's easy to see why she retains fans to this very day.

    As if those two tracks aren't enough, there are two commentary tracks. The first features the film's co-producer, Lawrence Turman, and film historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman. Turman discusses his memories of the film, revealing that it was inspired by a television property. He also notes that the script's parallels with Garland's real life were no accident, though Garland fought strenuously to keep the two separated. Turman's memories are terrific, providing a great deal of insight into the film's background and production. He also holds nothing back on the issue of the film's star. Redman does a great job keeping everyone on track, guiding the conversation with intuitive and empathetic questioning, while Dobbs offers the occasional interesting fact.

    A second audio commentary features film historians David Del Valle and Steven Peros. Surprisingly, much of the information is 'fresh,' meaning that it isn't merely a repeat of what's heard on the original track. Del Valle and Peros focus on the lives of the performers and share innumerable anecdotes about their times on and off the set.

    Extras include two original theatrical trailers, the first running 3:47, the second 3:06. Both, of course, focus on the persona that was Judy Garland, and both leave little doubt that the film is semi-biographical but masquerading as fiction. The TV spot (:57) treads the same ground.

    Rounding out the list of extras is an MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer. Accompanying the disc is an eight-page booklet containing superlative liner notes from film historian Julie Kirgo.

    The Final Word

    I Could Go On Singing is a wonderful film with great performances, terrific writing, and solid direction. The film has been given the treatment it deserves in this new Blu-ray release from Twilight Time, which is limited to 3,000 copies. The transfer is sharp and colorful, and the sound is every bit as good. There are two insightful audio commentaries, two trailers, a TV spot, and a booklet with liner notes from the esteemed Julie Kirgo. If you're a friend of Dorothy's and love Judy Garland, what's stopping you from picking it up? And if you aren't a friend of Dorothy's, well… pick it up anyway. Why not get exposed to something new? Good films come in a variety of packages, and this is one of them.

    Christopher Workman is a freelance writer, film critic, and co-author (with Troy Howarth) of the Tome of Terror horror film review series. Volume 2 of that series (covering the 1930s), is currently available, with Volume 1 (covering the silent era) due out later this year.

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



















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