Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Adolphe Menjou, Don Ameche, Herbert Marshall, Ruth Chatterton, Dorthy Lamour, Joan Fontaine, Anne Baxter, Gene Tierney, Ann Blyth, Michael Rennie, Dennis Price, Linda Darnell
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release:Varies based on Movie
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $34.99, Walmart: $34.86

Classic movie buffs like to believe that Hollywood was set to a higher standard than it is today. In some ways that may be true, but you still see some rushed through productions and mismanaged celebrities. Sure, things seemed better back then but the grass always seems greener, doesn’t it? Still, there are celebrities that stand out from the pack in any generation. In the past, we have reviewed sets by class acts such as Barbara Stanwyck and Bette Davis. Now it’s time to look at Tyrone Power.

Funnily enough, the first time I ever heard the name Tyrone Power, was during the fabulous Bette Davis performance in All About Eve. It would be much later before I knew he was real and then later still until I had seen some of his work. From 1925 to 1959, Power starred in over 50 movies. Many people would consider him one of the most romantic leads of his time. Those who claim that would probably be right. Power had a very charismatic, old Hollywood charm about him that is sadly lost from today’s talented brood. Still, in sets like this you have a chance to look back and remember the most talented for what they did and the joy it brought people.

Power is part of an acting legacy that continued on with his children, but the acting bug in the Power family started with at least two Tyrones before him. When it comes to him specifically, he led a full life, known for not only his romantic word play, but the swordplay that came with his swashbuckling roles. He served in WWII as a pilot and eventually made his way onto the cover of a Beatles album (Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band). In 1959, Power had a heart attack while shooting, Solomon and Sheba and died. His legacy lives on to this day in all of his films and the sets they’re made available in, such as The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection .

The The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection Plot
Rather than ramble too much, as you might find in a standard release DVD, I will just leave you with some plotlines for all ten movies that are included in The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection . Personal thoughts have been added above and below this section, for those that are interested in that.

Girl’s Dormitory (1936) – Marie Claudel (Simone Simon) is a young woman at a girl’s school that happens to fall in love with the headmaster (Herbert Marshall). Naturally, this would be considered a May/December romance, with the headmaster being much older than the student. The headmaster obviously has some charming qualities about him though because Claudel is not the only one in love with him. He’s also being adored from afar by one of the school’s professors (played by Ruth Chatterton). Power does not show up until the end of the film, only playing Simon’s characters cousin, in nothing more than a step above a walk-on role. The film itself has its ups and downs, especially when it comes to the match of Simon and Marshall, but it’s worth watching…at least once.

Love is News (1937) – Power and Loretta Young star together for the first time in this madcap comedy about life in the newspapers. Young plays a socialite celebrity that absolutely hates making the headlines. Power is a smooth talking journalist that tricks her into an interview. Before he knows it, Young has claimed that the two are planning to marry, so that Power can feel the pressure of the paparazzi and maybe learn something in the process. The chemistry and the obvious need to best the other works well in this picture, making Love is News even more enjoyable. Look out for small parts from Don Ameche, Dudley Digges, Jane Darwell, and Elisha Cook.

Café Metropole (1937) – Here you are offered Power and Young yet again in another comedy involving a bankrupt restaurant and a blackmailed Power that has to woo the wealthy, American Young. As in the movie before this one, the pair works off one another perfectly. While this movie wouldn’t have been amazing, these two really make an okay movie even better. Power plays Alexis, a young American in Paris that owes a debt to a nightclub owner. He pushes Power towards the young, rich Laura Ridgeway (Young) in hopes of taking hold of her fortune.

Second Honeymoon (1937) – In this film, Power (as Raoul McLish) again works with Young (as Vicky Benton). I don’t know if it is the predictability factor, but I found this film to be of less quality where these two actors are concerned. Whatever it is, predictability is certainly one of its flaws. McLish and Benton are a newly divorced couple. Benton has moved on to another man, but ends up becoming bored and is shocked to find her ex-husband in Miami where her new husband has taken her on vacation.

Day-Time Wife (1939) – This comedy reminds me of the type of nonsensical trouble that Lucy would find herself in. Linda Darnell plays, Jane, the wife of Ken (Power). When Ken forgets his second wedding anniversary his wife is sure that he is having an affair with his secretary (Wendy Barrie). Having no proof she opts to go undercover and gets a job as a secretary for an architect. When the two men begin working together, Jane ends up trying to keep her two personas different in this wacky comedy.

Johnny Apollo (1940) – In Apollo we see Power change rolls and take on the task of being more of a bad guy. Power plays Bob Cain (Johnny Apollo) a wealthy kid that turns to crime in order to get his embezzling father (Edward Arnold) out of jail. The younger Cain ends up getting involved with a mobster (Lloyd Nolan) and falling for his girl (Dorothy Lamour), which only leads to more trouble than this kid with good intentions could have ever bargained. There are some parts that don’t make sense here (it’s never been as easy to get in the mob as it is in this movie), but the acting makes up for these small issues.

This Above All (1942) – In this time period there was nothing like an against all odds love story based on the setting of war. Sometimes they made people forget about war and other times they made them passionate about the cause. In this particular undertaking, Joan Fontaine stars as aristocratic, Prudence, a female that goes against the grain to sign up for the WAF’s. She soon meets Clive Briggs (Power), whom she later discovers is a British deserter. Can their love survive what he has done or will his shady past get in their way? In addition to the two leads, This Above All offers an excellent supporting cast.

The Luck of the Irish (1948) – Another lighthearted comedy is on the menu for Power in The Luck of the Irish, where he stars as Steven Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is a confused writer who leaves New York behind for the beauty of Ireland. While there he meets up with a leprechaun and a beautiful innkeeper (Anne Baxter). The innkeeper urges him to follow his heart. After making his way back to his New York life, including a job and future wife, he learns that both leprechaun and good looking innkeeper are also in New York. It is then that Fitzgerald truly must learn how to follow his heart choosing between the position of New York and the beauty of Ireland.

That Wonderful Urge (1948) – This film is a particularly surprising choice because it is so similar to Love is News. The main difference here is that Gene Tierney plays the female lead instead of Young and instead of claiming they are engaged she opts to say they are married. Tierney does well though this isn’t really her type of role, but you never feel the strong comedic excitement that you gain from News. It’s entertaining, but it’s not nearly as good as the first movie with this storyline.

I’ll Never Forget You (1951) – This can only be described as a hilarious movie about the perils of time travel. Power stars as a scientist that deals in time travel. Upon jaunting back to the 18th Century, he meets (and falls in love with) his cousin (Ann Blyth). The film has the distinction of being in Technicolor during some scenes and black and white in others. The acting seals the deal in this light romantic comedy and it ends up being one of the best in the set.

Storyline/Plot: ★★★★☆
Replayability: ★★★★★
Acting: ★★★★½
Directing: ★★★★☆

Audio/Visual:
The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection comes with a warning that the DVDs were created using the best surviving source material available. This alone will make you think you’re going to end up with some DVDs that have horrible quality. Well, they aren’t horrible. The transfers look like what you would expect of an old movie that has been transferred over to DVD. The transfer is by no means perfect, but the 1.33:1 aspect ratio used on these movies looks as good as it can. You will find some dirt, speckles, and the occasionally bout of noise. One of the discs offers a green tint to the black and white scenes, which is a bit bothersome. At times the quality will be softer than I would like to see. However, for older movies, the transfers here could have been much worse.

I much prefer the black and white transfers to Power’s newer movies that have the Technicolor look to them. While the colored movies are not completely unwatchable, they are far from the color quality of today and it can be distracting. Meanwhile, most of the black and white movies have that timeless classic appeal to them. The important thing to remember is that these movies are 50-60 years old so they are not going to be perfect. Do not expect stellar quality. They are good, decent, and passable, but they are not anything you will see today. Of course, you shouldn’t expect that.

The audio sounds fairly good, all things considered. The tracks are all Dolby Digital Mono, but some come with the option for stereo, should you choose to indulge. The audio for each movie sounds pretty clean. I didn’t notice any real audio breaks or noises that hindered the movie watching experience. In addition to standard audio, each movie has the option for subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Visual: ★★★☆☆
Audio: ★★★☆☆

Bonus Features:
Every movie has some sort of special feature accompanying it, so there is a lot going on here. However, most of the offerings are basic, as you might expect from films of this particular age. Each film has galleries, which include various advertising posters, cards, and things of the like. Most of them also include behind the scenes style featurettes, as well. A couple of the movies include some trailers, though the quality isn’t always the best where the trailers are concerned. Café Metropole includes some deleted scenes, making it one of the more comprehensive offerings as far as movies with special features in the The Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection.

There are a few featurettes here, as well, including, “Tyrone Power: Prince of Fox”, “Ty and Loretta: Sweethearts of the Silver Screen”, “Jayne Meadows Remembers”, and “My Dad, Tyrone Power”. Each of the featurettes has something worthwhile to offer. The “Prince of Fox” begins things with a good overview of Power and his work with Fox. Moving to “Ty and Loretta” there is information about the two and their working relationship. Make sure to watch out here for Judy Lewis (Clark Gable’s daughter with Loretta Young). The third feature clocks in at just less than 10 minutes and also offers a good bit of information, with a walk down memory lane. Finally, you can hear from Power’s three children in the most touching end to the special features.

Bonus Features: ★★★★☆

Bottom Line:
The films chosen for this ten movie box set are meant to showcase the career of Tyrone Power. These choices seem like a very interesting ones to me. Most people would agree that Power had other works that were better or more significant to his career beyond what you find in this five disc double-sided box set. That being said, there are plenty of good movies here. It is easy to see the talent in Power and the other actors he works with on every film. While these may not have been the movies I would have picked myself, I did enjoy watching the set and am sure that I will do so again in the future. Considering the price of this set and the fact that most of these movies are unable to be purchased separately, I highly recommend fans of Power and classic cinema pick this up when they have the chance.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆

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