After several stage and screen incarnations as both a drama and a musical, this lively tale of ancient Baghdad was turned into a colorful extravaganza by Minnelli. In it, a poet (Howard Keel) schemes to marry off his beautiful daughter (Ann Blyth) to a local ruler’s son (Vic Damone) before a rival princess steals the young man away. The film was directed by Minnelli and written by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, with a score based on the music of Borodin, including “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” and “Stranger in Paradise.”
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Video Quality
Warner Archive brought Kismet to Blu-Ray with a very pleasant 1080p master transfer in 2.55:1 when it was released in 2014 remastered from its CinemaScope origins. Even at the dawn of their Blu-Ray output, Warner Archive always thrived when spotlighting Cinemascope elements. The film embraces some fetching colors within the jaw-dropping costumes and production design that radiate off the screen. We would love to see how this would pop on 4K UHD, but this transfer still impresses a decade later.
Highlights stay firm during the runtime and black levels are primarily deep and stable. The film is nearly flawless with no notable instances of damage or dirt detected here. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues likewise do not arise as an issue in this transfer. From the earliest moments, you are treated to great detail and clarity. This can be attributed in part to the preservation of the natural film grain which allows the picture to sing. Any brief instances of softness appear to be source-related rather than anything deficient in the transfer itself. Warner Archive can always be counted on to deliver something great for fans.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that is full of life and free of damage. Music is the driving element of this feature, and the numbers hold up with impeccable fidelity even in the higher registers. Dialogue and background noises remain in harmony alongside the music. Dialogue comes through clearly with no elements overshadowing the snappy exchanges. The more bustling moments are handled well and give the track a bit of excitement. There is no serious age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. Warner Archive has provided a disc that delivers what is needed. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.
Special Features
- The Battle of Gettysburg: A 30-minute documentary short is provided that takes a look at the historic battle with contemporary footage from the Gettysburg National Military Park.
- The First Bad Man: A six-and-a-half-minute unrestored Tex Avery cartoon that tells the tale of the first Texas outlaw.
- MGM Parade #12 with George Murphy: A three-and-a-half-minute visit to the set of Kismet with behind-the-scenes footage.
- MGM Parade #14 with George Murphy: Another six-minute promotional piece for Kismet in which Howard Keel is interviewed.
- Rahadlakum Partially Deleted Outtake: A nearly two-and-a-half-minute black-and-white outtake is provided for this sequence.
- Rhymes Have I Outtake (Audio Only) (3:24)
- Trailer: Theatrical Trailer (4:24) and Kismet (1944) Trailer (2:56)
Final Thoughts
Kismet is not the strongest musical outing from the great Vincente Minnelli, but it still holds up as a decently entertaining endeavor. The main weak point is the script, which fails to offer much that is particularly exciting when there are no lavish musical numbers on screen. The charisma of the performers keeps things rolling along, but this ranks more in the middle quality-wise rather than being an all-time classic. Nevertheless, if you like spectacular musical numbers, you should walk away satisfied. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and some excellent special features. Recommended
Kismet can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.
