‘The James Stewart Collection’ Blu-ray Review (Warner Archive)
James Stewart is widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s greatest leading men. In 1999, the American Film Institute recognised his legacy by ranking him #3 on its prestigious 100 Years… 100 Male Stars list, placing him just behind Cary Grant (#2) and Humphrey Bogart (#1).
For years, the Warner Archive Collection has been celebrating screen legends with its actor spotlight box sets, honouring both the industry’s most iconic actresses and actors. Now, it’s Stewart’s turn to take centre stage with The James Stewart Collection – a fitting tribute to one of cinema’s most enduring stars.
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940) – Two gift shop employees can not stand one another. But both are writing to an anonymous pen pal. Little do they realize that these pen pals may live a bit closer than either thinks. ***
- The Mortal Storm (1940) – The Roth Family lives a quiet and happy life in a small Alpine village. Their lives are turned upside down by the Nazi regime. ***
- The Naked Spur (1953) – A bounty hunter is forced to accept the help of two strangers in bringing a murderer to justice. ***
- How the West Was Won (1962) – A family saga covering several decades of Westward expansion in the 19th century, including the gold rush, the Civil War, and the building of the railroads. ***
Warner Archive has restored and transferred each of these films on Blu-ray, presented in 1080p with 1.33:1 aspect ratio for the first three films and a 2.89:1 aspect ratio for How the West was Won. The audio tracks are English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and 5.1, respectively. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. As with all Warner Archive releases, these restorations are masterpieces – the picture and audio quality are second to none. But these are not bare bones Blu-rays, Warner has added some really cool bonus features, including:
The Shop Around the Corner Blu-ray Bonus Features:
- The Miracle of Sound
- Screen Guild Players (9/29/1940)
- Lux Radio Theater (6/23/1941)
- Theatrical Trailer
The Mortal Storm Blu-ray Bonus Features:
- Peace On Earth
- Meet The Fleet
- Trailer
The Naked Spur Blu-ray Bonus Features:
- Things We Can Do Without
- Little Johnny Jet
- Theatrical Trailer
How The West was Won Blu-ray Bonus Features:
- Commentary by filmmaker David Strohmaier, Director of Cinerama Inc, John Sittig, Film HistorianRudy Vehlmer, Music Fistorian Jon Burlingame and Stuntman Loren James
- Cinerama Adventure Featurette
- Theatrical Trailer
As a long-time admirer of James Stewart, this is a genuinely lovely Blu-ray collection to have on the shelf. Stewart was never an actor who could be boxed into a single genre – he moved effortlessly from drama to comedy, from adventure to westerns, even dipping into fantasy and romance with total conviction.
The Warner Archive Collection brings together a strong cross-section of his work here, spanning a romantic comedy, a straight drama, a western, and a sweeping western epic. That said, as with many of these spotlight sets, the discs themselves have been released previously. So if you already own the individual Blu-rays, there’s nothing new in terms of content; this set simply packages them together under one banner.
**** 4/5
If you love the films of James Stewart as much as I do, this Warner Archive Blu-ray set would make a wonderful addition to your collection – head over to Amazon and order your copy now.
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