Where Was Charlton Heston Born

DVD Extra: Sony's MOD -- Madman, madwoman, musical remakes

Sony's manufacturing-on-demand program -- the somewhat awkwardly titled Screen Classics by Request -- has stepped up its output in recent months, and has begun selling DVDs through the Warner Archive website as well as Sony's Columbia Classics site.

Sony's library may not have the breadth of Warners' huge multi-studios holdings, but it contains many worthwhile, sought-after (if lesser known) Columbia Pictures titles that are being offered in dazzling transfers that are consistently among the sharpest-looking in the burgeoning MOD fields.

One great thing about the MOD programs is that they allow you to chart the progress of directors by filling in gaps in their DVD resumes with lesser-known films. Take Columbia stalwart Charles Vidor, best known these days for the noir classic "Gilda.''

No relation to legendary Texas native King Vidor, the Hungarian-born director scored his biggest success with "A Song to Remember'' (1944) the campy Technicolor Chopin biopic with Cornel Wilde, Merle Oberon, Paul Muni and Jose Iturbi on the soundtrack that was among the initial offerings from Screen Classics on Demand.

The program also offers Vidor's "Over 21'' (1945), a forgotten comedy starring Irene Dunne and Alexander Knox based on an autobiographical play by Ruth Gordon about her and her middle-aged husband Garson Kanin's Army experiences when he served in the Army during World War II.

Charles Vidor, who broke into Hollywood features by taking over direction of "The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (1932) without credit from Charles Brabin, bounced around from studio to studio for several years until his breakthrough feature at Columbia, "Blind Alley'' (1939). A sleeper in its day, this is a little-seen link between '30s crime movies and the noirs of the '40s and '50s -- it was, in fact, remade nine years later as a full-fledged noir, Rudolph Mate's "The Dark Past'' with William Holden and Lee J. Cobb.

Ralph Bellamy, who had played Ginger Rogers' psychiatrist in "Carefree'' the year before, is a more serious, pipe-smoking member of the profession here. A party he and his wife (Rose Stradner, the seldom-seen Mrs. Joseph L. Mankiewicz) are throwing at their lakefront home is crashed by a murderer who has just escaped from prison, along with his moll (Ann Dvorak) and a couple of accomplices.

The War Lord (1965)

. Jerome Moross steps in with a strong score which is rousing in the right places without becoming overdone.

On screen, however, Charlton Heston is on his own, although you wouldn’t know if from his on target performance. Joining him it what could otherwise be termed a weak ensemble supporting cast is Richard Boone and Rosemary Forsyth. Richard Boone does quite a nice job even though he isn’t in the heart of my acting batting order.

The War Lord . Heston is Chrysagon, a 11th century Norman Lord who has come north to restore the power of his Duke. Richard Boone is his worthy lieutenant. Chrysagon’s new home is a desolate and marshy wasteland with a roughly finished (or perhaps even unfinished) tower marking the center of his rule.