Reviewer's Rating 3 out of 5
There's No Business Like Show Business DVD (1954)

Frankly there's no business like DVD reviewing, but back in 1954, people like Marilyn Monroe didn't have DVDs as a career option, so had to slum it with Cinemascope musical extravaganzas. The theme for this effort is the life of a family of vaudevillians who sing and dance in a manner that allowed Cinemascope audiences of the time to "ooh" and "ahh" at the breadth of the choreographed routines. While a cinematic presentation would undoubtedly be preferred, this film has never looked better on the small screen than now on DVD.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture For a film of its age, this is a picture transfer of exceptional quality. The opening golden titles against a red curtain look sensational and solid without any nasty bleed or smudging. As you'd expect, some scenes look a little grainy, but there's really no room for complaint.

Sound The 4.0 sound mix offers impressive depth, combined with sturdy bass support that showcases the Irving Berlin score to tremendous effect.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Extra Features Two trailers, a one-sheet poster image, and a restoration comparison. As it turns out, the original negative was in good shape so was the easiest to transfer to DVD out of the ten films in the collection.

Region: 2
Chapters: 28
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 4.0
Technical Features: Scene selection, multiple language subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.

End Credits

Director: Walter Lang

Writer: Phoebe Ephron, Henry Ephron

Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Dan Dailey, Johnnie Ray, Mitzi Gaynor, Hugh O'Brian

Genre: Comedy, Musical

Length: 117 minutes

Cinema: 1954

DVD: 5 August 2002

Country: USA