|
Anyone
who is interested in becoming an actor/actress should make
it a point to see everything that the remarkable Maureen Stapleton
has ever done. She is truly an amazing actress who is given
another chance to shine in the semi musical Queen Of The Stardust Ballroom, another of the best films of the "Made for TV Movie"
heyday in the 70s. In it she stars as Bea a middle-aged woman
living in the Bronx whose life is changed a year after the
death of her husband when she accompanies some female friends
to the title establishment. There she meets Charles Durning,
a mailman with whom she is able to find something that she
never thought she'd experience again: love.
The film
is referred to as a "semi-musical" because it contains about
four songs, in which the leading characters quite naturally
express their inner thoughts in song. It is both tender and
touching, and thoroughly realistic without being maudlin.
Queen Of The Stardust Ballroom is well remembered for what
it remains: one of the finest examples of what was done in
an era when television was not quite so ruled by Wall Street.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Don't be
put off by the out of focus cover photos: the picture is really
quite good. Black level and contrast are very good, however
the entire film (including interiors) was done on location,
so lighting can be a bit questionable. The flesh tones are
absolutely perfect, and the colors are quite natural: but
of course, the palette is deadly dull: remember, the 70s was
the decade of realism!
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
The audio
was also almost entirely recorded "live" (rather than looped),
though the rare bits of singing were obviously done in a studio.
As with almost any film recorded this way, the sound quality
varies a bit "from room to room" (as it were), and even outdoor
scenes were recorded this way, so sometimes you can hear planes,
etc. Overall the sound was all right, dialogue fairly clear,
and the high and low tones acceptable. However, there were
some lengthy stretches where the sound (particularly the upper
part of the spectrum) got very harsh.
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? There are
bios and filmographies for Stapleton and Durning.
Parting Thoughts
This is
an excellent film, a treat for anyone who loves good acting
(and tear-jerkers), with a very good picture. Even if the
sound can be a bit "iffy," it's never looked or sounded better
on video.
|
