All Rise...

The Charge

Seduction! Betrayal! Murder!

Opening Statement

Oh, if only that were true.

One of the special features most often included on a packed DVD is the original theatrical trailer. A film's trailer will determine whether or not most people see a film. It's a two-minute advertisement giving the very first look at a film's plot and cast, and they really are an artform in their own right. This should go without saying, but lately studios have managed to give away the entire plot within the two minutes they're allotted by the MPAA. (What Lies Beneath anyone?)

After watching some older trailers, I was amazed at how different the sales pitch was to the film audience. You can see trends in the voice-overs, musical accompaniment, and editing style.

One or two trailers on a DVD is pretty nice. Now, how about 45?

Facts of the Case

The following 45 original film trailers from the golden age of film noir are collected on DVD from the archives of collector Ted Newsom.
• The Accused

• Act Of Violence

• Anatomy Of A Murder

• Berlin Express

• The Big Clock

• The Big Heat

• The Big Knife

• The Big Sleep

• Blackmail

• The Brasher Doubloon

• The Bribe

• Circumstantial Evidence

• Citizen Kane

• City Of Chance

• The Cobra Strikes

• Conflict

• Crossfire

• Deception

• Detective Story

• Double Indemnity

• Fingers At The Window

• Fury

• Gaslight

• Girl In 313

• The Glass Key

• Grand Central Murder

• Hangover Square

• I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang

• Key Largo

• The Killing

• Kiss Me Deadly

• Kiss The Blood Off My Hands

• Lady In The Lake

• The Maltese Falcon

• Ministry Of Fear

• Night Of The Hunter

• The Postman Always Rings Twice

• Private Hell 36

• Ride The Pink Horse

• Sealed Lips

• Strange Triangle

• Sunset Boulevard

• This Gun For Hire

• Witness For The Prosecution

• A Woman's Face

The Evidence

Some of the films listed above are very well known and respected, while others seem like good titles for the Lifetime Network movie of the week. ("Now back to Kiss the Blood Off My Hands starring Cheryl Ladd and Nick Mancuso, only on Lifetime") I'll have to admit I had some interest in this DVD before I began the review. I thought, "Gee, what a neat idea. It might be fun to take a look at film history." More on that below, but I was able to notice some trends. For example, not one of these trailers gave away the plot of the film, and they hooked the audience with star power. A few studio marketing personnel could learn something by watching this DVD.

These coming attractions are preserved in their current state, which means that there's plenty of artifacts, dirt, scratches and other problems that come with film that wasn't properly preserved for years. It saddens me to think that a great deal of our film heritage is being lost. At least these trailers seem to be in good hands. Since there are no extras included on this DVD, we can move right along to…

The Rebuttal Witnesses

45 trailers in one sitting?

I'd rather watch paint dry.

Closing Statement

This is a DVD that I would recommend for film history buffs, or for people who want to rid themselves of unwanted houseguests. Otherwise, I could recommend a number of the actual films seen in the trailers, with The Maltese Falcon being my favorite of the bunch.

The Verdict

All Day Entertainment is acquitted and hereby commended for trying to preserve film history. Case dismissed.

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