GILDA [1946 / 2016] [The Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray] [USA Release]
There NEVER Was A Woman Like Gilda!
“Gilda, are you decent?” Rita Hayworth tosses her hair back and slyly responds, “Me?” in one of the great star entrances in movie history. ‘GILDA,’ directed by Charles Vidor, features a sultry Rita Hayworth in her most iconic role, as the much-lusted-after wife of a criminal kingpin Ballin Mundson [George Macready], as well as the former flame of his bitter henchman Johnny Farrell [Glenn Ford], and Gilda drives them both mad with desire and jealousy. An ever-shifting battle of the sexes set on a Buenos Aires casino’s glittering floor and in its shadowy back rooms, ‘GILDA’ is among the most sensual of all Hollywood “film noir.”
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FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1946 Cannes Film Festival: Grand Prize of the Festival: Nominated: Feature Film for Charles Vidor. ‘GILDA’ was screened in competition at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, the first time the festival was held.
FILM FACT No.2: Rita Hayworth's introductory scene was shot twice. While the action of her popping her head into the frame and the subsequent dialogue remains the same, she is dressed in different costumes and in a striped blouse and dark skirt in one film print, and the more famous off-the-shoulder dressing gown in the other. The strapless black satin gown that designer Jean Louis created for Rita Hayworth's “Put the Blame on Mame” number was based on the dress (with straps) worn by Madame X in the famous painting by John Singer Sargent. The painting, done in 1884, hangs at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. ‘GILDA’ was filmed from the 4th September to the 10th December, 1945. While ‘GILDA’ was in release, it was widely reported that an atomic bomb to be tested at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean's Marshall Islands would bear an image of Hayworth, a reference to her bombshell status. The fourth atomic bomb ever to be detonated was decorated with a photograph of Hayworth cut from the June 1946 issue of Esquire magazine. Above it was stencilled the device's nickname, "Gilda" in two-inch black letters. Although the gesture was meant as a compliment, Rita Hayworth was deeply offended. The two-piece costume worn by Rita Hayworth in the “Amado Mio” nightclub sequence was offered as part of the “TCM Presents There's No Place Like Hollywood” auction on the 24th November, 2014, at Bonhams in New York. It was estimated that the costume would fetch between $40,000 and $60,000; in the event it sold for $161,000.
Cast: Glenn Ford (narrator), Rita Hayworth, George Macready, Joseph Calleia, Steven Geray, Joe Sawyer, Gerald Mohr, Mark Roberts, Ludwig Donath, Donald Douglas, Enrique Acosta (uncredited), Sam Appel (uncredited), Sam Ash (uncredited), Robert Board (uncredited), Symona Boniface (uncredited), Eugene Borden (uncredited), Argentina Brunetti (uncredited), Jean De Briac (uncredited), Jean Del Val (uncredited), Herbert Evans (uncredited), Bess Flowers (uncredited), Ernest Hilliard (uncredited), Stuart Holmes (uncredited), Robert Kellard (uncredited), Frank Leyva (uncredited), Oscar Loraine (uncredited), Forbes Murray (uncredited), Ruth Roman (uncredited), William Smith (uncredited), Philip Van Zandt (uncredited), Ernö Verebes (uncredited), Blackie Whiteford (uncredited) and Anita Ellis (Singer for Rita Hayworth) (uncredited)
Director: Charles Vidor
Producer: Virginia Van Upp
Screenplay: E.A. Ellington (story), Jo Eisinger (adaptation), Marion Parsonnet (screenplay) and Ben Hecht (uncredited)
Composer: Hugo Friedhofer (uncredited)
Costume Design: Jean Louis (gowns)
Cinematography: Rudolph Maté, A.C.S. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black-and-White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
English: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 110 minutes
Number of discs: 1
Region: Region A/1
Studio: Columbia Pictures / The Criterion Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: In the film ‘GILDA’ [1946] Rita Hayworth could always work a room like no other actress of her time or after. Sure there’ve been other screen sirens, Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Veronica Lake, to name but a few, but she made being bad look not only good, but smoking hot when she starred as Gilda. In this film noir classic, based on the story by E.A. Ellington, she’s the wife of wealthy casino owner Ballin Mundson [George Macready]. Out of pure coincidence, Ballin Mundson hires gambler Johnny Farrell [Glenn Ford] to protect Gilda, not knowing that two of them used to be lovers. Filled with contempt for her and out of his sworn loyalty to Ballin Mundson and Johnny Farell, refuses to reconcile with the temptress. As Ballin Mundson’s other business deals are somewhat shady, this leads him into trouble with the Germans and the Argentine secret police. After killing one of his prospective business partners, Ballin Mundson boards a plane but it explodes mid-flight.
With Gilda inheriting his entire fortune, Johnny marries her not out of love, but to keep her guarded. Caught in a loveless marriage, Gilda has no way out. They still can’t see eye to eye and while Johnny Farell feels betrayed by her, he doesn’t want to betray his loyalty to Ballin Mundson either. The past has a funny way of catching up though, even for those who declare they have none. Gilda and Johnny Farrell, despite their faithfulness to Ballin Mundson, will find that sleeping dogs don’t always lie so quietly.
‘GILDA’ contains a few of cinema’s most memorable moments, such as Rita Hayworth’s entrance in the film and her show-stopping performance. The two songs Hayworth sings in ‘GILDA,’ “Put the Blame on Mame” [choreographed by Jack Cole and dubbed by Anita Ellis], where s Rita Hayworth removes a single glove but does it’s with such eroticism, that it secured her name as film noir’s ultimate femme fatale. The other song “Amado Mio,” was written by Doris Fisher and Allan Roberts. The song writing team also composed the entire song score for Rita Hayworth's next film, ‘Down to Earth’ [1947], as well as “Please Don't Kiss Me,” the sole number Rita Hayworth performed in Orson Welles' ‘The Lady from Shanghai’ [1947]. While it is well-known that in ‘GILDA’ Rita Hayworth's voice was dubbed by singer Anita Ellis for the major musical numbers, it must be noted that Rita Hayworth's own voice, as well as guitar-playing, can be heard in the film as ‘GILDA’ reprises the song “Put the Blame on Mame” while sitting at the casino bar. Rita Hayworth was also known to have sung for the troops during many live appearances during WWII, and she also sang onstage in 1940 at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood during a run of Charlot's Revue.
The film bears all of the hallmarks that you would expect in film noir; there’s the cinematography with its shots of darkened alleyways, hallways and dimly lit rooms where illicit things are happening. We also have Johnny Farell narrating the story and becoming entangled in a job which leads him to the femme fatale. For these are so many other reasons, ‘GILDA’ is just an all-out classic that’s multi-layered and filled with sexual innuendo, not least of all because of the phallic sword cane that Ballin Mundson uses to win over Johnny with or the way the story deals with the intrusion of a woman in the complicated relationship between two men. While the Production Code restricted what could be explicitly told on screen, there was no limit on what could be implied and that’s one of the things that makes the classic film like this a real gem to watch.
Rita Hayworth was relieved to learn that ‘GILDA’ was to be shot in black-and-white rather than Technicolor, especially with the amount of lighting needed for colour photography could be oppressive and stifling.
Rita Hayworth sizzles with sensuality and magnetism as she sings "Put the Blame on Mame" and, in fact, it is her immortal performance as the temptress title character that really carries the film. It is a B-movie with a script that is best when dealing with the witty dialogue between the main characters. But the plot itself is fairly obtuse and much is left unclear. Glenn Ford, who had co-starred with Hayworth under Vidor's direction six years earlier in ‘The Lady in Question’ [1940], would also go on to team together in ‘The Loves of Carmen’ [1948]. But once again with cinematographer Rudolph Maté's luminous black and white cinematography looks totally amazing, especially any time Rita Hayworth appears on the screen. Blacks have a rich, velvety quality and the picture boasts a smooth, but distinct rendering of the various shades of grey. ‘GILDA’ is an enduring classic.
The film ‘GILDA’ is definitely a totally marvellously cinema verities style, making full use of the central casino sets — and benefiting from all the class a shaky major studio like Columbia Pictures could always do prestige production, and ‘GILDA’ is in many ways, an absolute triumph of the cinema “film noir.” Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth, usually limited but engaging and photogenic performers, have definitive performances drawn out of them like teeth, and George Macready — has the time of his life as the complex villain, prevented from taking top billing for his lead role simply by the dictates of the star system. Director Charles Vidor was a journeyman otherwise noted — if at all — for his musicals — including a different take on Rita Hayworth in ‘Cover Girl’ and a replay of the obsessive triangle of Gilda and Charles Vidor was here handed a studio assignment that turned out miraculously right, and has a resonance beyond its immediate exotic charm. As the posters claimed, “there never was a woman like Gilda!”
GILDA MUSIC TRACK LIST
AMADO MIO [Written by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher] [Performed by Rita Hayworth and Dubbed by Anita Ellis].
PUT THE BLAME ON MAME [Written by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher] [Performed by Rita Hayworth and Dubbed by Anita Ellis].
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Blu-ray Image Quality – The Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the film ‘GILDA’ is presented in a stunning 1080p Black-and-White encoded image and presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 and it is incorrect saying it is 1.33:1 aspect ratio as stated on the back cover as well all of the idiotic dumb reviews I have checked out via the internet and of course you get the usual black bars either side of the image to maintain the proper screen format while viewing the film. The new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit DataCine film scanner from a 35mm fine-grain master made from the original camera negative. The entire film has a very pleasing organic appearance. Generally speaking, close-ups boast very good depth; even during the darker footage depth never suffers. Clarity and sharpness are also pleasing. There are a few areas where it is easy to see that time has left its mark and as a result some minor density fluctuations exist, but they do not create any balance issues. Overall image stability is very good. This Blu-ray ‘GILDA’ release has been restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive 2K restoration of which was produced in cooperation with Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Library of Congress, and The National Film and Television Archive UK. This rendering certainly surpasses other 'GILDA' video incarnations and will please those like myself who have waited a long time for this steamy drama Blu-ray debut.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – The Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the film ‘GILDA’ is in the original uncompressed 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio soundtrack at 24-bit from the 35mm soundtrack negative. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tolls HD, Audio Cube’s integrated workstation and iZotope RX 4. This Blu-ray disc compared to the Italian audio release does open up the music numbers a lot better. During Gilda's final performance in the third act depth is clearly better. However, clarity is identical. The dialogue is stable and clean. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review. The ambient noise of the casino and Carnival celebration possesses fine presence and detail, and all the dialogue is clear and easy to comprehend. Hugo Friedhofer's Latin-tinged composed music score nicely fills the room, and a slight level boost enhances Rita Hayworth's two musical numbers, “Amado Mio” and of course, “Put the Blame on Mame.” A wide dynamic scale handles all the highs, lows, and sonic accents with ease, while keeping distortion at bay, and no other anomalies inhibit enjoyment of this straightforward but effective sound mix.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Audio Commentary by Film Critic Richard Schickel [2010] [1080p] [1.37:1] [110:04] This audio commentary was recorded in 2010 for the SONY Pictures Home Entertainment, and features film critic Richard Schickel. To listen to the audio commentary while viewing the film ‘GILDA,’ then you have to press the AUDIO button on your remote control by selecting the 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio experience. Here we are introduced to Film Critic Richard Schickel and informs us that he will be doing the audio commentary for the film ‘GILDA’ which of course starred Rita Hayworth and the year was 1946 and for the actress was a change in her acting performance and showing us what an accomplished professional actress Rita Hayworth was becoming in this “film noir” movie. Here Richard Schickel reveals his inner thoughts, if at times a slightly sporadic audio commentary, and gives his personal appreciation for the film ‘GILDA’ and seems to intensify as the movie and his talk progress. Richard Schickel mentions that it is a good shadowy movie and the more you look at it, you get to appreciate the manner of this movie and it is also has a very good shadowy lighting balance, so making it a very good attractive “film noir” movie. Richard Schickel compares ‘GILDA’ to the film ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Notorious,’ and provides cursory background information on all the principal players and crew, and spends a good deal of time analysing what he perceives to be the homoerotic undertones found in the relationship between the two male characters, and offers his own defence of Charles Vidor as a director, who he feels has been unfairly dismissed. Richard Schickel calls Johnny Ballin’s sword-cane “perhaps the most enviable phallus in any kind of film at that time.” Richard Schickel also talks about the impact of “film noir” on America's post-World War II society and dissects Rita Hayworth's persona, charting her evolution from glamorous musical star to dangerous “film noir” heroine. On top of all that, Richard Schickel audio commentary mostly just chimes in here and there making comments now and again about something happening on the screen without expanding much information. Sadly we get far too many silent gaps that plague this audio commentary and I feel it really spoils this audio commentary, but when Richard Schickel eventually does speaks, he makes some noteworthy points, and fans of the film will appreciate his knowledgeable insights and candour of the film ‘GILDA.’ Please Note: due to the limited amount of space provided for my Blu-ray Reviews, these audio commentaries have had to be edited quite a lot, so I hope this will not disappoint your enjoyment in my review of this particular audio commentary.
Special Feature: Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann on ‘GILDA’ [2010] [1080p] [1.78:1] [16:06] With this featurette, we meet the filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann who share their personal apperception for the film ‘GILDA.’ With this special feature it gives more airtime to Baz Luhrmann than to Martin Scorsese, but both men do share interesting perspectives on the film ‘GILDA’ phenomenon. Acclaimed directors Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann discuss the unique qualities of the film ‘GILDA’ and Rita Hayworth's legendary performance. Baz Luhrmann praises the period's style and marvels at how filmmakers then could “do so much more with so much less.” Baz Luhrmann admits he modelled Nicole Kidman's hairstyle in the film ‘Moulin Rouge’ on Rita Hayworth's, and classifies the costumes in ‘GILDA’ as a “fantasy of nude,” meaning they evoke nakedness without depicting it. At one point Martin Scorsese says, “I saw ‘GILDA’ around the age of 10 or 11, and it had some sort of funny reaction to Gilda and me and my friends didn’t know what to do about Rita Hayworth, and we didn’t really understand what George McCready was doing to her. Can you imagine ‘GILDA’ at age 11. But that’s what we did. We went to the movies.” Martin Scorsese also says, “As an example, ‘GILDA’ is of the “studio system at its best,” and compares Rita Hayworth to Ava Gardner in the way she projects innocence and guilt at the same time. It's always a treat to hear contemporary directors express admiration for classic films, and Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann articulate their views well.
Special Feature: Hollywood and the Stars: The Odyssey of Rita Hayworth [1964] [480i / 1080i] [1.37:1] [25:11] With this featurette, we get to view a 1964 episode of the UNITED ARTISTS TELEVISION series “Hollywood and the Stars” and tells the story behind the making of Hollywood’s original “love goddess” actress Rita Hayworth and takes a closer look at the life and legacy of one of Hollywood's greatest star, Rita Hayworth. The special feature is narrated by Joseph Cotten who appeared in ‘The Third Man’ and ‘Citizen Kane.’ In the annals of Hollywood Rita Hayworth holds the distinction of being the first movie star to be called a “love goddess.” This episode follows the 30-year career of the former Marguerite Carmen Cansino, the daughter of a Ziegfeld Girl who was discovered at the age of 15. Rita Hayworth marries twice and after leaving the Hollywood life she realizes she misses the life and returns as a serious dramatic actress acting in films with Burt Lancaster, John Wayne and others. Rare clips from early films, footage of her daughters, and assorted newsreel segments paint a full-bodied portrait of Rita Hayworth that promotes her glamorous image and accentuates the positive aspects of her life. Sadly, even the clips from her Technicolor films are presented in black-and-white. This Hollywood documentary will certainly interest diehard Rita Hayworth fans for its personal elements and celebratory tone. One very unprofessional aspect towards this special feature, is that they have kept the commercial adverts title breaking up the flow of the TV programme, whereas they should have had a much professional outlook and edited out that interruption part with the flow of the programme, as to me personal I felt it spoilt my enjoyment look at the career of Rita Hayworth.
Special Feature: Eddie Muller [2015] [1080p] [1.37:1 / 1.78:1] [23:13] With this featurette, we get to view the “film noir” historian Eddie Muller, which was conducted exclusively for The Criterion Collection in 2015. Here Eddie Muller gives us his personal view of the film ‘GILDA,’ and is very enamoured with the movie and Eddie Muller also discusses the subversive nature of the film ‘GILDA,’ and the unusual relationship between Johnny Farrell and his very menacing employer character Ballin Mundon played by the actor George Macready and the elusive gay subtexts throughout the film ‘GILDA,’ and the creative environment in Hollywood at the time when the film was made, and the different motivations driving the main characters. Eddie Muller focuses mainly on the sexual undertones that permeate the picture and that “the subtext is the plot,” Eddie Muller says, “the predominance of innuendo and double entendre that allowed the racy subject matter to skirt by the censors aka The Protection Code Admisistrators. Eddie Muller believes Johnny Farrell is “clearly a bisexual character” and he explores Johnny Farrell's intense devotion to Ballin Mundson and how it affects his stormy relationship with Gilda. Eddie Muller also questions the classification of ‘GILDA’ as a “film noir,” and draws parallels between the behind-the-scenes drama and what transpires on screen, and discusses the notable impact a female producer Virginia Van Up had on the cult film. At the end, Eddie Muller comments about the film ‘GILDA,’ that it is about unspoken things, that most movies of that era didn’t even go near and to me that is what makes the film unique, and that is what makes ‘GILDA’ so incredible. So all in all, this special featurette is well worth viewing.
Theatrical Trailer [1946] [1080p] [1.33:1] [2:09] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘GILDA.’
BONUS: Here we have a beautiful Black-and-White illustrated leaflet, that opens up featuring a very extensive essay by critic Sheila O'Malley entitled THE LONG SHADOW OF GILDA. Plus, it also contains CAST; CREDITS; ABOUT THE TRANSFER; SPECIAL THANKS; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and PRODUCTION CREDITS.
Finally, everything that was great about Hollywood in the 1940’s and especially with this extraordinary “film noir” ‘GILDA’ and is an established classic film that should find a welcome home in any Blu-ray Collection of any film fan, especially towards Charles Vidor and Rita Hayworth. ‘GILDA’ is not your regular femme fatale who manipulates everyone to get what she wants. To me she is a woman who doesn't know what she wants, so instead she ends up rebelling against everyone and everything. Not as a search for her place in life, but as the only thing she can think of. This isn't an evil woman who makes you cold to the bone. ‘GILDA’ is a tragic character that makes me truly sad. The dialogue in this movie should be mentioned, it is truly outstanding and of course the sparks fly just about every time Gilda speaks. The other characters do their best at countering her sparks, but ‘GILDA’ is the centre of attention in every scene that Rita Hayworth appears in. There is an aura of appealing yet frightening energy around her. I would go so far as to say that every other character in this film is just there to give us some idea of what exactly is going on inside Gilda's head and what a fascinating sight it is. This is a terrific film everyone should watch. The Blu-ray disc gives you stunning black-and-white crisp presentation images of the film that will not disappoint the vast majority of fans of this film genre. So of course I am very proud to add this Classic “film noir” film to my Blu-ray Film Collection. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
