MovieChat Forums > The Scarlet Coat (1956) Discussion > DVD from Warner Archives 9/18/12

DVD from Warner Archives 9/18/12

posted 12 years ago by hobnob53
8 replies | jump to latest

The Scarlet Coat has just been released by Warner Archives. Retail is $18.95. Of course, it's in its original widescreen format, and in stereo.

I'm surprised this is only the second thread topic on this site, and the first message posted in over two years. This film isn't widely known, which is a shame, because it's not only very well acted and done, but tells a critical piece of American history with reasonably faithful adherence to the facts, allowing for the usual dramatic license.

Terrific cast: the always underrated Cornel Wilde, drolly cynical George Sanders, refined Michael Wilding, gorgeous Anne Francis, the sadly doomed Bobby Driscoll, and many other familiar faces, in this story of the intrigue behind Benedict Arnold's treason.

So to anyone who visits this site again -- take a look at this movie. (It's also broadcast on TCM perhaps once a year.) Shot on location on or near the New York locations associated with the story, it was directed by the great John Sturges, who not only helmed such excellent well-known films as Bad Day at Black Rock, Gunfight at the OK Corral, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Ice Station Zebra, but who also directed several equally fine, but less familiar, films, including The Tall Target, The Old Man and the Sea, The Satan Bug, Marooned and many others...including The Scarlet Coat.

[–] Figbird 10 years ago

I've just watched the Warner MOD disc, the print is in scope and the colours are vivid, the picture though could be sharper as it is quite soft.
The film itself I thought was OK but if a bit dull and talky.

[–] hobnob53 10 years ago

Well, it's mainly a tale of intrigue and espionage, not an action movie.

[–] vivacious_dan 8 years ago

I absolutely loved this movie! I agree, it's very underrated. I especially loved all of the drama and espionage and the fact that it's such an important part of American history. Great watch, especially on the 4th of July :)

[–] hobnob53 8 years ago

Glad to find another fan! While much of the specific history has been fictionalized, the basic story is accurate, and it's well done in all departments. I don't really understand why this film was such a flop at the box office.

[–] vivacious_dan 8 years ago

No way! It didn't do well when it was released? How depressing :(

[–] hobnob53 8 years ago

Yeah, apparently it lost well over a million bucks, a major loss in that era. I really don't get it, considering the cast, director, production and of course the story. But history is often a hard sell at the box office.

Two years ago I showed this movie to a classic film group I hold every summer (for the Fourth of July, of course -- I beat TCM to the punch!), and everyone loved it.

[–] vivacious_dan 8 years ago

Well, that makes me feel better! :) I was telling my husband on Fourth of July that I wish we made movies like The Scarlet Coat today. People are so ADD, demanding action and blood and violence at every turn. I know "Turn" is a huge hit on AMC but I really don't see a movie like this being made today. Compare it to Mel Gibson's The Patriot which I felt was excessive in terms of the violence. I truly feel nostalgic for the classics (even though I wasn't around then) that could get across all their points, the story, the drama, the action, the history, the intensity - without all the viscera and gore. Ah, well. At least we have TCM (& DVD's!). And your classic film group sounds like a lot of fun. I don't know anyone other than my Dad (and my husband, I got him into them) that are into classics. :)

[–] hobnob53 8 years ago

Interesting comparison between The Scarlet Coat and The Patriot. I actually like that movie well enough, but it does follow the typical action-movie by-the-numbers playbook we see everywhere these days: slow-motion shots, Mel Gibson's no-eye-contact blank stares that he passes for emotion, the loyal black friend (incidentally, a treasured slave), and the usual romantic pathos.

I assume I'm older than you; I grew up with the films we now call classics (although I first saw most of them on TV in the 60s, when I was a kid), and have always had an affinity for movies. But I do like what's now the "older stuff" better than most recent films. Don't misunderstand: I like lots of newer films too. But overall I think most films have gotten dumbed-down, rote and predictable, formulaic even across genres.

Lots of people are into classics. Last year I was finally persuaded to start posting on the Classic Film Board (CFB) here on IMDb. We discuss a lot of older films there. But I was equally warned that some of the folks there are, shall we say, uncivil and argumentative. In short, beware the knives! But if you steer clear of trouble (unlike me!) you can find many interesting topics and discussions and learn many neat things.

I started my classic movie nights in 2002 at the suggestion of a friend who said, you know all this stuff and have all these movies, why not host one every week? It's only during the summer but I have a pretty good following, and over time I've brought them around from movies they mostly know to films they haven't seen or heard of. I have to admit, I get a big kick when, as has happened, someone comes up to me and asks, "Where do you find these things?" -- meant as a compliment. They also all like my intros. Please forgive the immodesty, but I give them a lot more than Bob Osborne does!

So I'm glad you got your husband aboard for classic films. I had no such problems with my wife, who's English and loves movies as much as I do...though I saw many more than she did growing up, which means I get to present her with something new every so often too!