Titanic

You can have Leo and Kate and that bombastic Celine Dion song; this 1953 melodrama ranks with A Night to Remember as the Titanic film that will go on and on. The great cast on board includes Barbara Stanwyck as a mother trying to shield her children from what she believes to be the corrupting influence of her gadabout husband (Clifton Webb at his impeccable, haughty best); Robert Wagner as the college boy who romances her spoiled daughter; and an ideally cast Thelma Ritter as the, um, unsinkable Maude Young. Unlike James Cameron's behemoth film--perhaps the worst since The Greatest Show on Earth to win an Academy Award for Best Picture [Editor's note: I love Titanic deux; in fact, I'm gonna stop editing right now and go fire up the CD soundtrack]--Titanic's compelling Oscar-winning script offers three-dimensional characters whose personal lives keep the film sailing along until the inevitable disaster. Part of Fox's impressive "Studio Classics" line, the DVD boasts an excellent digital transfer and crisp sound, as well as a bevy of nice extras, including two commentary tracks--one with film critic and historian Richard Schickel, the other with Wagner, co-star Audrey Dalton, and cinematographer Michael Lonza--and a historical documentary. Highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—Feb. 12, 2013—Fox, 98 min., not rated, $24.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1953's Titanic features a handsome transfer and a DTS-HD mono soundtrack. Extras include two audio commentaries (the first with film critic Richard Schickel; the second by cinematographer Michael D. Lonzo, costars Audrey Dalton and Robert Wagner, and historian Sylvia Soddard), Stoddard's audio essay "Titanic Aftermath" (12 min.), two classic "Fox Movietone News" reels, including one on the film's premiere (3 min.), a stills gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: nicely timed for release close to the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the luxury liner, this 1953 classic shines on Blu-ray.]