Garv’s Pick of the Week: If I Had a Million (Kino Lorber)
For the release week of March 28th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: If I Had a Million [Blu-ray/ Kino Lorber]: A dying millionaire (Richard Bennett) leaves one million dollars to eight random strangers, which kicks off this 1932 Pre-Code anthology film, showcasing several of Paramount Studios’ top stars and directors. The stories of each of the individual inheritors is directed by Ernst Lubitsch, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, James Cruze, H. Bruce Humberstone, Stephen Roberts, Norman Z. McLeod, William A. Seiter and Norman Taurog. The recipients and their retinue are played by Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton, W. C. Fields, Alison Skipworth, George Raft, Jack Oakie, Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roscoe Karns, Mary Robson, Wynne Gibson, Frances Dee, Gene Raymond, and Lucien Littlefield.
Additional Titles of Interest —
Counsellor at Law [Blu-ray/ Kino Lorber]: William Wyler directs the great John Barrymore in this 1933 Pre-code drama about a successful attorney facing potential disbarment, due to an indiscretion in his past.
Tonight of Never [Blu-ray/ VCI]: This forgotten 1931 Pre-Code romantic comedy teamed Gloria Swanson and Melvyn Douglas, under the direction of Mervyn LeRoy. Boris Karloff also appears in a small role.
Tomahawk [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: Van Heflin and Yvonne De Carlo star in this 1951 Western. I haven’t seen it, but I’ve never seen Van Heflin give a bad performance. The same goes for Jack Oakie, who appears in support.
Border River [Blu-ray/ Kino Lorber]: When you think Westerns, you think Yvonne De Carlo. YDC is back in this 1954 Western. Her leading man this time is Joel McCrea.
Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milian Collection [Blu-ray / Severin]: Five 1970’s poliziotteschi crime films starring Milian and directed by Lenzi are collected in this box set. These Italian thrillers have been restored uncut and uncensored from the original negatives. It should be good, sleazy fun. The included films are Almost Human (1974), Syndicate Sadists (1975), Free Hand for a Tough Cop (1976), The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist (1977), and Brothers Till We Die (1978).
){kind=link}