The Best of Everything (1959)
Company: Twilight Time
Starring: Stephen Boyd, Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Martha Hyer, Suzy Parker,
Louis Jourdan, Hope Lange
Plot: Product Description: A fabulously juicy melodrama based on Rona
Jaffe’s spicy novel about working girls at a 1950s-era New York publishing
house, The Best of Everything (1959) is brought to the screen by that painterly
master of ’Scope, director Jean Negulesco. Starring Hope Lange, Diane Baker and
Suzy Parker as a trio of roomies working under an “exacting” female boss (the
one and only Joan Crawford), the film details their trials and tribulations,
both professional and very personal.
My Review and Thoughts:
The Film: 4/5
This is a wonderful movie. A truly memorable romantic drama.
A great story laced with a dose of drama that is executed through a wonderful
cast of actors and actresses. This is the first time that I have seen this
film. This one was another film that seemed to go unwatched by me. Twilight
Time did another fantastic job releasing this on a beautiful Blu-Ray. I highly
recommend it. Seeing it for the first time on this top quality product makes
the experience all the more perfect.
This was adapted into a screenplay from the 1958 book
written by Rona Jaffe. The novel is titled the same. Jaffe is a brilliant
storyteller. I have always loved her very descriptive nature throughout her
books. She is most remembered from her controversial, 1981 book, Monsters and
Mazes where she tackled the reality of Real life Role playing, which could lead
to a darker side, where the fictional world and the non-fictional world
collide. This was based on half-truths, talking about an individual that
transcended into the tunnels in his role playing reality, and being lost, but
in reality in real life it was an individual named, James Dallas Egbert the
3rd. He had entered the tunnels to kill himself. But this was the 80s during a
time when the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons and the Satanic panic of
the 80s played around with the subject matter. The book ultimately became a
movie starring a very young 26-year-old Tom Hanks. Jaffe was a stunning writer
that left the world with many wonderful pieces of storytelling. The Best of
Everything is one of those stories made into this wonderful drama.
Directed by Jean Negulesco. Jean is a brilliant filmmaker.
He had away with truly making a film stand out. He directed many pieces of
wonderful cinema, and had a very unique eye at making cinema passionate. One of
those pieces of film is, The Best of Everything.
Interesting to note is this story was also adapted into a
Soap Opera, and also a Stage Play.
Starring in a very small part, one of my favorite actresses
of all time the extraordinary and brilliantly talented Joan Crawford. She is in
it only a short time, but still great to see.
This film has an ensemble cast of total acting brilliance. The beautiful
and amazing Hope Lange as your main character Caroline Bender. Bender’s
character is as a young secretary who has been let down, and that jilted
reality leads her into the arms of her editor. The editor is played by the equally
talented Stephen Boyd playing the character Mike Rice. Starring also the
talented and striking Suzy Parker as the character Gregg Adams. Martha Hyer as
character Barbara Lamont, Diane Baker as April Morrison, Braine Aheme as Fred
Shilimar, Robert Evans as Dexter Key, and many wonderful others. Each one added
a dynamic experience on screen that the viewer can’t help but be entertained
by.
In reality, the film had many problems getting made. A lot of
the original cast was replaced, or actors and actresses that was supposed to
play the part, was changed, or dropped out. This also included the directors,
and production problems. Thankfully the film finally got underway and created a
wonderful little piece of cinema that Twilight Time has honored with an amazing
Blu-ray.
Audio/Video: 5/5
Having never seen this before, all I can say is this product
is perfection, in visual, and sound quality. A beautiful vibrant film. A sound
that is crystal clear to the ears. A total perfection in this department.
VIDEO: 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1
AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Extras: 3/5
Isolated Score Track. Here is another dynamic special feature.
The music is composed and conducted by the wonderful and amazing Alfred Newman.
Alfred Newman alongside the orchestra of Earle Hagen and Herbert Spencer create
a wonderful example of music perfection. There is also the mix throughout the
film by Cyril Mockridge, Lionel Newman, Johnny Mercer, all multi-talented music
Gods that leave a truly lasting impression upon the watcher of this fun
romantic drama.
Audio Commentary with Author Rona Jaffe and Film Historian
Sylvia Stoddard. This is a wonderful special feature. I was thoroughly educated
on this piece of film. I really thought this was a perfect commentary to a film
that should be seen and experienced.
Fox Movietone Newsreel
Original Theatrical Trailer
You also as always get the wonderful booklet insert by the
amazing film historian Julie Kirgo. This booklet is always highly praised by
me. I love when lovers of cinema explore, and educate, and express the beauty
of film.
Overall:
Another wonderful and flawless example of how to treat a
piece of cinema. A fresh, beautiful new outlet. A top quality Blu-ray in
showing how to treat a piece of cinema history. Twilight Time aced it again and
brought out a great product. A wonderful, fun, romantic drama that is the
classic reality in making film.
INFO:
Make sure you head over to www.screenarchives.com to buy all
the wonderful Twilight Time Blu-rays. The main page that gives you these
beautiful releases on top quality Special Editions.
Also head over and like Twilight Time on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/twilighttimemovies