‘Gene Kelly Collection’ Blu-ray Review
Few performers danced their way into the hearts of moviegoers quite like Gene Kelly. Over the course of his remarkable career, he shared the screen and the dance floor with the likes of Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Kathryn Grayson, Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, and even Jerry Mouse.
Warner Archive’s new Blu-ray collection is a perfect reminder of why Kelly’s legacy continues to dazzle decades later, bringing together four previously released Blu-ray titles in a single, beautifully presented four-disc set.
- For Me and My Gal (1942) Two vaudeville performers fall in love, but find their relationship tested by the arrival of WWI. ***
- The Pirate (1948) A girl is engaged to the local rich man, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate. ***
- An American in Paris (1951) Three friends struggle to find work in Paris. Things become more complicated when two of them fall in love with the same woman. ***
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952) A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood. ***
All four of these movies have been transferred to Blu-ray in 1080p and are presented in HD Fullscreen format in 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The soundtracks are English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles.
If you haven’t experienced these restorations before, it goes without saying that the films look and sound spectacular. Warner Archive consistently delivers outstanding restoration work, and this set is no exception. Better still, these discs are far from bare-bones, with a wealth of bonus features spread across all four Blu-rays. Here’s a look at what’s included:
For Me and My Gal Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by John Fricke
- MGM Short: La Fiesta de Santa Barbara (1935)
- MGM Short: Every Sunday (1936)
- Outtake Musical Numbers: “Three Cheers for the Yanks”, “For Me and My Gal Deleted Finale”
- Screen Guild Players Radio Broadcast
- “Leo is On the Air” Radio Promo
- Theatrical Trailer
- Song Selection
The Pirate Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by John Fricke
- The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest
- Pete Smith’s “You Can’t Win” (1948)
- Vintage Cartoon: Cat Fishin’ (1947)
- “Mack the Black” Stereo Remix Version
- Audio Outtakes: “Love of My Life” – Original Long Version, “Mack the Black” – Unused Versions, “Voodoo” – Performed by Judy Garland.
- Roger Edens’ Guide Tracks: Be A Clown, “Manuela”, “Nina”, “Voodoo”, “You Can Do No Wrong” – Performed by Judy Garland.
- Radio Interviews: Gene Kelly for “On the Town”, Judy Garland for “The Pirate”
- Theatrical Trailer
- Song Selection:
An American in Paris Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Patricia Ward Kelly featuring rare interview segments with director Vincente Minnelli, stars Gene Kelly, Nina Foch, and Leslie Caron, and other key members of the cast and crew like producer Arthur Freed, screenwriter Alan Jay Lerner, co-musical directors Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin, musician Michael Feinstein, art director Preston Ames, and costume designer Irene Sharaff.
- S’ Wonderful
- Anatomy of a Dancer
- Paris on Parade
- Symphony in Slang
- Love Walked In
- Audio Outtakes: Alternate recordings of seven musical numbers.
- Radio Interviews: Interviews with Gene Kelly, Johnny Green, Leslie Caron.
- Theatrical Trailer
Singing in the Rain Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse, Kathleen Freeman, co-director Stanley Donen, screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green, filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and author Rudy Behlmer
- Singin’ in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
- Jukebox
- Theatrical Trailer
There’s an overwhelming amount of bonus material here, to the point where it’s hard to know where to begin. Audio commentaries, outtakes, interviews, trailers, featurettes, shorts, and more are all included, making this set an absolute treasure trove for fans. As a result, this Blu-ray sits comfortably alongside Warner Archive’s other excellent actor-spotlight collections, featuring legends such as Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, Doris Day, and James Cagney.
***** 5/5
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering Kelly for the first time, this Blu-ray release offers the kind of restored brilliance that makes classic cinema feel brand new again. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Amazon and order your copy of the Gene Kelly Collection on Blu-ray and enjoy his dancing genius in restored HD over and over again.
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