Back Street, one of the most popular and endearing romance novels of all time, has been brought to the silver screen several times over the years. This sublime 1941 adaptation stars the luminous Margaret Sullavan (The Good Fairy, The Shop Around the Corner) and the dashing Charles Boyer (When Tomorrow Comes, Gaslight). Five years after meeting and falling in love with a banker (Boyer), a willful shop girl (Sullavan) decides to become his “back street” woman upon learning he has since gotten married and had a son. This classic story of an illicit love affair from author Fannie Hurst (Imitation of Life) is brought to vivid life by director Robert Stevenson (Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins) with wonderful supporting roles by Richard Carlson (All I Desire), Frank McHugh (Going My Way) and Tim Holt (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre). Featuring an Oscar-nominated score by Frank Skinner (The Tarnished Angels), this elegant tearjerker packs a hefty dramatic punch.
For thoughts on Back Street, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Back Street makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p master from a 2K master. For a film that is over 80 years old, this is a truly wonderful presentation. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. Black levels are very deep with no overwhelming occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and the track only experiences a minor amount of flicker and density fluctuation in the print. The gorgeous black-and-white photography shot by William H. Daniels shines in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a pleasing amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. There is still a pretty fine layer of minor nicks and scratches, but it is apparent that it has been cleaned up immensely. Kino Classics has done some marvelous work here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a solid DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie incredibly well considering its place in early cinema. The music from Frank Skinner never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track does not present with age related wear and tear or hissing and crackles. At worst, the track sounds a bit thin when the music comes up, which likely dates back to the source elements. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The good folks at Kino Classics have done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin and Costume Historian Elissa Rose deliver a really informative commentary track in which they talk about the source material, how this adaptation tied into the suffragette sentiments of the time period, the background of the performers, and, of course, the costumes featured in the film and how they provide characterization for certain figures, among other topics. This is a well-researched track that is worth checking out.
- Trailers: The three-minute trailer for Back Street is provided here. There are also trailers for The Good Fairy, The Young In Heart, Now and Forever and Back Street (1961).
Final Thoughts
Back Street is a heart wrenching romance which builds up your love for these characters before sending them down painful paths. Charles Boyer delivers a typically excellent performance, and Margaret Sullavan makes quite an impression as his leading lady. While fans of classic cinema have probably long known of his impressive skills, Robert Stevenson is becoming a director whom I look forward to exploring more outside of his Disney output. Kino Classics has delivered a stellar Blu-Ray release that sports both a standout A/V presentation and an interesting commentary track. Those who appreciate a well-crafted drama from Hollywood’s heyday should do themselves a favor and check this one out. Recommended
Back Street (1941) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
