The Strawberry Blonde Blu-ray Review
“The Strawberry Blonde” is an odd romantic comedy.
In this remake of “One Sunday Afternoon,” 1941’s “The Strawberry Blonde” is a period piece romantic comedy set in the 1890’s in New York City. The story revolves around a grouchy, struggling dentist (Biff) who is married to Amy. Biff gets word that his next patient is someone he has a beef against- Hugo. Via a very lengthy flashback (which is a majority of the film) we learn about Biff’s past and how Hugo essentially stole his alleged dream girl (Virginia) away from him. We also see how he met and married a nurse named Amy (who was a friend of Virginia) and how Biff ended up in prison.
Directed by Raoul Walsh and written by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein, “The Strawberry Blonde” is a peculiar romantic comedy to say the least. At the heart of the motion picture is a sweet story about a man (Biff) who learns that he has everything he needs and that Amy is the one for him. Surrounding that aspect is a weird mish-mash of comedy, drama, and even musical moments involving laughing gas, Biff feuding about music, Biff’s relationship with his father, spaghetti dinner puzzlement, prison time, and Biff having thoughts of murder. Weird can be good, but the movie has a dark streak that creates a wildly inconsistent tone. On top of that, the script just doesn’t quite click and is filled with far too many coincidences for its own good. The never-ending flashback also makes the movie structurally clunky.
The one aspect that keeps “The Strawberry Blonde” afloat is the cast. James Cagney has always been a national treasure. He could do song and dance pictures, he excelled at gangster films, and he can even make romantic comedies like this. Although the character of Biff is perhaps too harsh and selfish, Cagney effortlessly brings out the many layers of the character. Olivia de Havilland is the true heart of the movie and she delivers a touching performance. Rita Hayworth (who plays the titular blonde Virginia) is perfect in the role and Jack Carson delivers a credible performance as the shady Hugo.
“The Strawberry Blonde” is available on Moviezyng.com and through other online retailers.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? Warner Archive does a lot of amazing work, but this might be one of their best prints (and that’s saying a lot). The image quality is nothing short of stunning.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Viewers can expect a nice clean track.
Extras:
* Theatrical trailer
* 2 Radio Dramas- Screen Guild Radio Broadcast and Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
* “Polo With The Stars” short film
* “Tortoise Beats Hare” cartoon.
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