This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
Three teenage buddies meet the woman of their wildest fantasies and mistakenly think she belongs to the world’s oldest profession in The First Time. Kenny, Mike and Tommy (Wes Stern, Rick Kelman and Wink Roberts) have only one thing on their minds—and it isn’t baseball! At a Canadian summer resort, they meet the stunningly beautiful Anna (Jacqueline Bisset, Bullitt, The Mephisto Waltz, Le Magnifique) and believe since she has no passport, she must be a prostitute. Under the imagined spell of her “allure,” they help her cross the border into the U.S. where the four check into a motel. But comedic mayhem ensues when the inexperienced high-schoolers are reduced to behaving like scared little boys when they realize they’re not ready to take the plunge into manhood. This charming coming-of-age classic from 1969 was directed by James Neilson (Night Passage) and co-written by Jo Heims (Play Misty for Me).
For thoughts on The First Time, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents The First Time with a fairly solid release in the form of a new 1080p transfer that is not noted as being from a new scan. This debut provides some welcome detail within the outfits, production design and environments. The transfer retains its naturally filmic look with no trace of digital manipulation. There are some small deficits in the video quality, especially in some of the establishing shots of Niagara Falls, but you will not find any compression artifacts or other preventable digital anomalies.
The presentation delivers black levels with acceptable depth, but certain moments veer slightly milky without crushing. Highlights are kept at a nice level with no blooming or clipping. Skin tones appear to be natural with fine detail in close-up. There is no egregious damage such as major tears in the print, but there is an undercurrent of specks. This release looks quite nice with a robust color palette that captures the bright hues of the location. Fans should be happy with the work put forth by Kino Classics.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a perfectly fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that gets the job done without much opposition. This track shows no particularly abhorrent instances of age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. The sound effects and music appear to line up with the original intent of the soundscape. The score comes through with great clarity and fidelity. Dialogue and background noises work in harmony with all competing elements. Nothing ever overwhelms the dialogue or other important information. This audio presentation does what it needs to do. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Trailers: The nearly two-minute trailer provided for The First Time. There are also trailers provided for The Mephisto Waltz, Le Magnifique, The Greek Tycoon, Scenes From A Class Struggle In Beverly Hills and Night Passage.
Final Thoughts
The First Time is a very good coming-of-age film that borders on greatness. There are some progressive notions (for this time) explored regarding how women should be valued and treated, but there are some decisions made right at the finish line which slightly dilute the impact of the overall message. Despite this, the movie does a nice job of exploring the different dynamics of these characters and the artifice men sometimes build to gain acceptance. The performances are pretty solid all around, but it is Jacqueline Bisset who steals the show. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation and barely any special features. This one is worth a watch if the premise sounds promising to you. Recommended
The First Time is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
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.
