Bundle Of Joy Blu-ray Review
Not even Debbie Reynolds can save “Bundle Of Joy.”
1956’s “Bundle Of Joy” is a musical remake of both “Bachelor Mother” and “Little Mother.” Set in Manhattan during Christmas time, the story focuses on Polly who works at the J.B. Merlin and Son’s department store. When she gets fired from her job, Polly’s life becomes unexpectedly more complicated when she discovers a baby on the doorstep of an orphanage. She tries to turn the child in, but the orphanage believes the child is hers. The orphanage steps in to get her re-hired believing she dropped the child off after being fired thinking she would be unable to support a child. Still not wanting the child, Polly drops the child off with the son of J.B. Merlin (Dan Merlin). After this, a whirlwind of misunderstandings occurs which leads to Polly and Dan forming a connection and both parties pondering what to do with the baby.
Directed by Norman Taurog and written by Robert Carson, Norman Krasna and Arthur Sheekman, “Bundle Of Joy” is a lesser known Christmas movie/musical comedy. It’s a decidedly old fashioned and inoffensive piece of Hollywood entertainment, but one that is hobbled together from prior source material. Like many films of the time period, it’s a standard story of misunderstandings and romance. It practically writes itself and drags on for far too long. Sure, there’s plenty of songs thrown in like the title track and “Worry About Tomorrow,” but that doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s a one-note film.
The most appealing aspect of “Bundle Of Joy” is the behind-the-scenes story. Stars Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds were not only married at the time of production, but Reynolds was actually pregnant with Carrie Fisher during the making of this film. Even though Eddie Fisher isn’t much of an actor (though he sure can sing),the chemistry between him and Reynolds is noticeable here. As for Reynolds, she’s the real MVP here. She carries the movie in virtually every regard and tries her best to elevate the material. If only she had better material to work with.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? The Technicolor film gets a crisp hi-def transfer.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Expect a very lively 2.0 track (especially during the musical numbers).
Extras:
* Original theatrical trailer and song selection option
* Cartoons titled “Gift Wrapped” and “The Fright Before Christmas.”
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