Put the blame on “Gilda” – Now on 4K UHD
- Bill Kelley III
- 18 hours ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
4K ULTRA HD REVIEW / HDR SCREENSHOTS
Rita Hayworth finally makes her on-screen appearance as Gilda at the 17-minute and 30-second mark, and it’s a doozy. (2) She flings back her lustrous red hair and catches the eye of her former lover, Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford).
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“GILDA: THE CRITERION COLLECTION”
4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray; 1946; Not Rated
Best extra: “The Odyssey of Rita Hayworth” documentary
DIRECTOR Charles Vidor frames the shot super-tight, capturing the entrance of “love goddess” Rita Hayworth, the most glamorous actress of the ‘40s. When she raises her head, throwing back her lustrous red hair, we are immediately caught in the trap of the vulnerable, yet manipulative, femme fatale, Gilda.
“She illuminates the screen,” Australian director Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge!, “Elvis”) says in one of Criterion’s carryover featurettes. “Then – bang – right between the eyes! A sex bomb explodes.”
Legendary American director Martin Scorsese agrees. “She’s a character that’s innocent and guilty at the same time.” He saw “Gilda” for the first time when he was 12 years old. He wasn’t sure what was happening, “But I was perplexed by it.” He describes Vidor’s film as a story of self-destruction between men and women.
“Gilda” opens in post-World War II Argentina. A U.S. veteran and small-time gambler, Johnny Farrell (played by Columbia contract actor Glenn Ford, “3:10 to Yuma”) gets the upper hand – using his own dice – in a night of craps with a gang of Buenos Aires longshoremen. Then a thief confronts him as he leaves, pockets overflowing. A smooth businessman, Ballin Mundson (George Macready), who just happens to be out on the docks in the middle of the night, comes to the rescue. Using his cane and a switchblade he calls “little friend,” he takes care of the mugger. It turns out Mundson owns a casino.
(1&2) Johnny wins a wad of money using his own dice from a gang of Buenos Aires longshoremen. One of the men pulls a gun to get Johnny’s winnings. (3) Casino owner Ballin Mundson (George Macready) comes to the rescue with his cane and switchblade. (4&5) Ballin invites Johnny to his nightclub.
The two hit it off, and soon, Johnny trades in his dice for a tuxedo to become Mundson’s right-hand man at the casino. Much of the story unwinds at Mundson’s nightclub, which has the look of “Rick’s Café” from “Casablanca,” plus shades of Hitchcock’s “Notorious.” “Macready’s Mundson, like Claude Rains’ role in Hitch’s post-WWII thriller, is smitten by a gorgeous woman. Rains’ character falls for Ingrid Bergman (Alicia Huberman), while Mundson marries Gilda two days after they meet. Tension escalates when Mundson introduces her to Johnny; we sense these two have known each other before.
Originally, critics were lukewarm to “Gilda.” The New York Times called it, “so mysterious and so foggily laced through the film [it] serves no artistic purpose.” But American audiences couldn’t get enough of Rita Hayworth, who delivers a seductive striptease in the classic, “Put the Blame on Mame.” Wearing a gown by Jean Louis, head designer for Columbia Pictures, she peels off a long, white glove, and that’s all. Still, it was enough – and it made Hayworth a superstar.
You might recall the original title to Stephen King’s novella – “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” – which was made into the beloved, Oscar-nominated “Shawshank Redemption.” Hayworth in pin-up form was the original goddess who guarded the escape hatch.
(1&2) Ballin introduces his new wife, Gilda, to Johnny and doesn’t realize the two had been lovers. (3&4) Ballin offers Johnny the casino manager position. Johnny keeps an eye on the roulette wheel operator. (5) Gilda dances with a man, trying to make Johnny jealous. (6) Ballin quizzes Gilda about Johnny and whether they had a previous relationship. She answers, “No.”
EXTRAS
2010 carryover commentary with the late film critic Richard Schickel, included on the 4K and Blu-ray.
He pinpoints the long facial scar on George Macready’s right cheek, which he sustained from an auto accident. “It bound him to pretty much to villainy movies (“Path of Glory,” “The Great Race”) and TV shows.” The actor was also known for his good taste and co-owned an art gallery with friend and actor Vincent Price.
The 2015 featurette with film noir historian Eddie Muller (22 mins.) highlights the film’s strange subtext, unusual in a ‘40s film. “Was it the ‘Mulholland Drive’ of 1946?” he asks. Muller also examines the romantic triangle between Mundson, Gilda, and Johnny; were the two men involved in a relationship beyond employer and employee?
The 2010 interviews with Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann (16 mins.) as both filmmakers detail how Hayworth was a superstar. Plus, “Gilda” was a perfect example of the studio system “at its best,” says Scorsese. “It was the artistry of many: the director, the cinematographer, the cast, the writers, the choreographer, the costume designer, and art direction.”
“The Odyssey of Rita Hayworth” (22 mins.) a 1964 episode of “Hollywood and the Stars” from Emmy-winning director/producer David L. Wolper (“The Making of the President 1960,” “Roots”). It highlights Hayworth’s life and career. Born Margarita Carmen Cansino in Brooklyn, she got her dancing shoes at an early age. Her mom was a Ziegfeld Follies dancer, and her dad was the famous Spanish dancer, Eduardo Cansino. Hayworth performed with him in nightclubs in Los Angeles and Mexico until she was discovered by a Hollywood executive at 15.
Hayworth never accepted the “love goddess” handle: “I just felt like what I am, a mother and actress.” Married five times, her husbands included actor Orson Welles and Prince Aly Khan. Sadly, Hayworth died of complications from Alzheimer’s at 68. Her illness gave international attention to the disease, which was rarely discussed at the time. The Rita Hayworth Gala, a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, continues to raise millions.
The essay “The Long Shadow of Gilda” by film critic Shelia O’Malley, of RogerEbert.com. It’s located on the backside of the enclosed mini-poster of Hayworth.
(1&2) Gilda tries her hand at the roulette table. (3) A troubled businessman takes a shot at Ballin. (4&5) Johnny, who sleeps above the nightclub, is woken by Gilda singing “Put the Blame on Mame” to casino worker Uncle Pio (Steven Geray). Singer Anita Ellis provided all of Hayworth’s vocals.
VIDEO
Sony Pictures and Criterion have taken “Gilda” with its dark and moody imagery to new heights with this new 4K restoration. The previous very good Criterion Blu-ray (2016) had been struck from a 35mm fine-grain master (1.33:1 aspect), with a lesser print to fill gaps for its 2K master.
But this time, Sony was able to resurrect the original camera negative (1.37:1 aspect) and a duplicate negative to fill the damaged spots (a slight drop in resolution), while scanning and mastering everything in 4K. The added on-screen clarity is most evident with the wide shots of the nightclub and the shimmering dresses worn by Hayworth. Plus, the tight facial shots are more pronounced, along with the natural film grain, a product of the expanded grayscale (detailed highlights and deeper blacks) from the HDR10 and Dolby Vision grading.
AUDIO
The original Mono track had been restored from the original 35mm nitrate optical soundtrack negative, and the 2.0 DTS-HD soundtrack was ported over from the previous Blu-ray. It puts everything front and center, including the robust musical numbers from Gilda.
A salute to Sony and Criterion, who keep elevating their restoration work with many of Hollywood’s most treasured films.
― Bill Kelley III, High-Def Watch producer
(1) Johnny and Ballin watch as Gilda heads to the master bedroom. (2) Johnny and Gilda have an intimate encounter. (3) A tense moment between Ballin and Johnny. (4) Argentine authorities try to stop a plane from taking off.
Gilda hits the Stage
(1) Gilda performs “Amado Mio” at a club in Montevideo, Uruguay. (2&3) She returns to Buenos Aires and performs “Put the Blame on Mame” at the nightclub.
(4) Johnny and Gilda are surprised by a mystery guest.
SPECS:
100 GB disc
TRUE 4K mastering
Captured on 35mm black and white film stock (1.37:1 aspect).
Video bitrate: Varies from the lower 80 Megabits per second to just over 100 Mbps, with a running time of 110 minutes.
Awards: Cannes Film Festival 1946 nominee for Grand Prize of the Festival
National Film Preservation Board – 2013 Winner National Film Registry
TasteofCinema.com – The 15 Best Film Noir of the 1940s – “Gilda” was selected No. 13, landing between “Key Largo” (1948) and “The Woman in the Window” (1944).
RottenTomatoes.com – 100 Best Film Noir movies ranked by Tomatometer – “Gilda” was No. 28, between “Gun Crazy” (1950) and “Mildred Pierce” (1945).