Garv’s Pick of the Week: Oh, Doctor! and Poker Faces: Two Comedies Directed by Harry A. Pollard (Kino Lorber)
For the release week of April 18th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: Oh, Doctor! and Poker Faces: Two Comedies Directed by Harry A. Pollard [Blu-ray/ Kino Lorber]: Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd weren’t the only comedians producing features during the 1920s. However, due to the low survival rate of silent films, many names that were familiar to audiences of the time have been forgotten by all but the most ardent silent film fans. Consequently, it’s marvelous to see a couple of forgotten silent comedies get a combo Blu-ray release this week. Both films were directed by Harry A. Pollard (The Reckless Age) at Universal Studios, but they feature different lead comics. Oh, Doctor! (1925) stars Reginald Denny and Mary Astor, while Poker Faces (1926) features Edward Everett Horton and Laura La Plante.
Additional Titles of Interest —
Search for Beauty [Blu-ray/ Kino Lorber]: This Paramount Pre-Code comedy sounds wackadoodle in the best way. Olympic champs, played by Buster “Flash Gordon” Crabbe and Ida Lupino, get conned into promoting a health magazine, which is more of a smut rag. Expect scanty costumes and scandalous (for the 1930s) content.
High, Wide and Handsome [Blu-ray/ Kino Lorber]: Show Boat composers Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern also wrote this 1937 musical western. The great Rouben Mamoulian directs, and Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott star.
Lady in a Jam [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: Irene Dunne plays a screwball heiress in this 1942 romantic comedy. Patric Knowles co-stars and Ralph Bellamy (who else?) is the third wheel.
12 Angry Men [4K UHD / Criterion]: This classic (with a capital “C”) courtroom drama, directed by Sidney Lumet, gets a 4K UHD upgrade.
Serpico [4K UHD / Kino Lorber]: Sidney Lumet also directed this police drama, which inspired the Max Fischer Players.
The Seventh Seal [4K UHD / Criterion]: Max von Sydow plays chess with Death. ‘Nuff said.
Rebel without a Cause [4K UHD / Warner Brother]: I never particularly liked this whiny Nicholas Ray drama. However, fans of James Dean and Natalie Wood may want this 4K UHD upgrade.
Blondie: The Complete Television Series [Blu-ray / ClassicFlix]: Arthur Lake reprised the role of Dagwood Bumstead in this 1957 TV sitcom. Penny Singleton didn’t return as Blondie for the show. Barbara Britton steps into the role for these 26 half-hour episodes.
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