DVD Corner

The Boy With Green Hair Blu-ray Review

“The Boy With Green Hair” is one weird movie. 

Based on a magazine story of the same name by Betsy Beaton, 1948’s “The Boy With Green Hair” begins with a runaway bald boy (Peter) being questioned by a Doctor. Peter recounts his story which involves a great deal of tragedy about him becoming a war orphan who is bounced around from relative to relative until he eventually ends up living with a former actor named Gramp. One day after bathing, Peter discovers that his hair has become green. This freaks out local townspeople who are afraid of him. Is it real? Is it a fantasy? That’s up for debate.

Directed by Joseph Losey (best known for the acclaimed film “The Servant”) and written by Ben Barzman and Alfred Lewis Levitt, “The Boy With Green Hair” is an oddball movie that is hard to get a grasp on. It has fantasy elements, there are musical numbers (with the “Nature Boy” song being a constant music theme as well), and there’s a serious central anti-war story about war orphans. There’s also a great deal of exploration about themes of home, family, grief, acceptance, and being different. Tonally, it’s all over the place as you might surmise, but it does deserve credit for going against the grain back in the 40s. It’s nothing if not unique even though it might not quite work as a feature film. It feels like there’s something missing here as the story flounders about in the middle act. 

Cast wise, there’s a lot of notable actors here that include Robert Ryan, Pat O’Brien, Barbara Hale and a young Dean Stockwell as the titular boy Peter. Stockwell does well at leading the movie and taking the audience on a peculiar journey. Pat O’Brien gives perhaps the best performance here as the eccentric but kind Gramp. 

“The Boy With Green Hair” is available on Movie Zyng and other online retailers.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? This Technicolor gets a superb transfer from Warner Archive. The colors are especially vibrant (yes, including the bright green hair).

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? There are no complaints about this very clean 2.0 track.

The lone extra is an MGM short film titled “A Really Important Person.”

June 16, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Classic Movie, Dean Stockwell, Pat O'Brien, Robert Ryan, The Boy With Green Hair Blu-ray Review