In a rare dramatic role, Esther Williams (Million Dollar Mermaid, Raw Wind in Eden) stars as a high school teacher stalked by a peeping tom who might be the same homicidal sex fiend wanted by the police. Written by Larry Marcus (Witness for the Prosecution) and Herb Meadow (The Lone Ranger) along with legendary actress Rosalind Russell (His Girl Friday), The Unguarded Moment is a moody Technicolor neo-noir that co-stars John Saxon (Portrait in Black, Joe Kidd) in one of his first major roles and George Nader (Man Afraid, Appointment with a Shadow) as the investigating detective. Directed by Harry Keller (The Female Animal) with Edward Andrews (Elmer Gantry), Les Tremayne (The Fortune Cookie) and Jack Albertson (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory).
For thoughts on The Unguarded Moment, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/F23oOqWKYDM?t=1680]
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents The Unguarded Moment with a striking Blu-Ray in 1.85:1 from a new 2K master that looks really great. Instances of print damage such as nicks and lines still occasionally pop up, but there is no mistaking that there has been significant cleanup and overall clarity and detail is strong. The presentation is very enjoyable throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being handled well. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming slightly thick. The picture has a few odd moments of softness, but the gorgeous Technicolor hues are well saturated with the bright colors popping off the screen. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. Kino Classics has done a nice job with this presentation.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a stable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this film really well. This track shows no major age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. A substantial thing you will notice is the fidelity of the Herman Stein score and the way it complements the narrative. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. All of the sound effects and music appear to be accurate to the intent of the creative team. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. You could not ask for better from Kino Classics.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Film Historian David Del Valle and Filmmaker David DeCoteau provide a very informative commentary track in which they discuss how this fits into the career of Esther Williams, how Universal took on many starlets who had aged out of previous studio contracts, the cinematography of William Daniels, the background of the ensemble players and much more. While informative, DeCoteau tends to make too many references to Williams’ appearance, which can be a bit annoying.
- Audio Commentary #2: Professor and Film Scholar Jason A. Ney provides a sturdy commentary track in which he discusses the background of the project, how the script evolved into what we have on screen, the common beliefs about certain hot button topics of the time, the ways in which the film is both progressive and very outdated, the contributions of Rosalind Russell and more.
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer for The Unguarded Moment is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Raw Wind In Eden, The Female Animal, Portrait In Black, Midnight Lace and 23 Paces To Baker Street.
Final Thoughts
The Unguarded Moment is frustrating in many respects, but it keeps you glued to the screen in a way that is impressive. The character as played by Esther Williams is painfully naive to the reality of her situation as she consistently puts the well-being of her students ahead of her own, often ignoring all of the signs of danger. What holds this one together is the performances, especially that of Williams who makes her character sympathetic even when her actions are maddening. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a couple of commentary tracks. If you appreciate a good youth-run-amok drama, this is worth a shot. Recommended
The Unguarded Moment will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on November 29, 2022.
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.
