Blu-ray Review: 'The Golden Year - 1939' with 'Gone with the Wind,' 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' and more

There are some truly incredible years in film history, but none so mythic as 1939. Over the decades, we have been told countless times that 1939 produced the best films Hollywood ever made. After all, the studio era was at the height of its Golden Age and World War II had yet to give Americans any reason to feel gloomy about anything.

David O. Selznick was producing Gone With The Wind, John Wayne was reintroduced in Stagecoach, RKO released the best Hunchback of Notre Dame adaptation Hollywood ever made and Errol Flynn learned how to ride a horse in Dodge City. Ernst Lubitsch got Greta Garbo to laugh for MGM and Frank Capra taught us about what politics is really like in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Dorothy visited The Wizard of Oz. Even Hal Roach got in the action by producing Of Mice And Men. Simply put, it really was a glorious year in American film.

Although 2014 marked the 75th anniversary of films released that year, Warner Bros. Home Video decided to wait until 2015 to release a box set of 1939 films. The Golden Year: 5 Classic Films From 1939 was released on June 9 and is an odd collection, made exclusively of Turner Entertainment-owned films. There's some Warner Bros. classics missing and there's not a single newly-produced bonus feature to be found. In addition, none of these films have anything thematically in common. So, let's take a head-first dive into WBHV's latest box set.

Dark Victory, Edmund Goulding (Warner Bros.)

The first disc in the set is the most unexpected. Dark Victory, a frothy, soapy drama that would make Douglas Sirk proud, doesn't exactly scream “classic movie we need in high definition.” But it helps bring Bette Davis into the collection and the film did bring her a much deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination. Her co-star, Geraldine Fitzgerald, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but for a different film (Wuthering Heights). Davis stars as a carefree heiress whose doctors find that she has a brain tumor after a series of accidents. In her last days, she seeks the love of a doctor (her frequent Warner co-star George Brent), who can help save her. Already tearing up? Just wait until you sit and watch it.

All of the bonus material from the DVD are carried over, including the 1939: Tough Competition For Dark Victory featurette, which includes historians convincing us that this is a great movie. It is an enjoyable film, no doubt, but not a classic. Goodbye Mr. Chips, which earned Robert Donat the Best Actor Oscar of 1939 and is just as sentimental, would have been a better choice.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, William Dietrele (RKO)

Up next is the stunning tale of Victor Hugo's Quasimodo, brought to life by Charles Laughton and director William Dietrele. The fact that Mickey Rooney was nominated for an Oscar but not Laughton should be considered one of the great cinematic crimes. Indeed, the film's only Oscar nominations came for Alfred Newman's score and its sound recording. Hunchback, which Joseph H. August photographed like a silent film, also features the American film debut of the beautiful Maureen O'Hara, who plays Esmeralda.

Aside from a few shorts, the Blu-ray does include a previously recorded interview with O'Hara that also includes some behind-the-scenes information. Unlike the other new-to-Blu-ray films in this set, it is presented on a dual-layer disc, which is fantastic, since a new restoration was used for this release.

Ninotchka, Ernst Lubitsch (MGM)

My personal favorite film in this set, Ninotchka is more than just “Garbo Laughs!” It's Ernst Lubitsch at his best, making fun of the Soviet Union on the eve of World War II. The film not only features a fine performance from Greta Garbo in her next-to-last film, but there's also a charming turn from Melvyn Douglas. Garbo stars as a Soviet agent sent to Paris to learn how the West works... and the West wins her over. It's one of the great romantic comedies, the type of film that just can't be made any more. At once, Lubitsch has you laughing, but in another scene, he has you reaching for the tissues.

The Ninotchka DVD only included a trailer, but WBHV added two shorts to the Blu-ray. If any film in this set could have used some historical context with a commentary or documentary, this is it.

Dodge City, Michael Curtiz (Warner Bros.)

The only film that's pure, fun entertainment in this set is Michael Curtiz's Dodge City, the first Western Errol Flynn made. Flynn plays Wade Hatton, who takes it upon himself to help clean up the titular city. It also pairs Flynn with his frequent leading lady, Olivia De Havilland, who can – as always – stand up for herself against Flynn. Also, has anyone realized that Curtiz has scenes of dueling anthems in both Dodge City (Union vs. Confederates) and Casablanca (Free French vs. South)? The only difference is that in Dodge City, it leads to one of the greatest bar brawls ever put on film.

Features for this film include everything that was on the DVD, including an 8-minute featurette about Flynn making his first Western. There's also a really unique trailer, which is actually a newsreel for Dodge City's premiere in the real Dodge City.

Gone With The Wind, Victor Flemming (Selznick/MGM)

Of course, WBHV had to include one of the “big two” from 1939 to get the average consumer interested, so the inclusion of GWTW can be forgiven. The set includes just the movie and the disc even features the art from last year's re-issue. (The 2014 75th anniversary disc is the exact same as the old 2009 disc, down to the automatic start when you put the disc in.) The only bonus feature on the movie-only disc is historian Rudy Behlmer's commentary, which actually runs for all 233 minutes of the film.

Bonus Disc

A sixth disc is included, but it is a DVD. The disc includes the one-hour documentary Warner Bros. Presents 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, this was actually included on the bonus Blu-ray disc included with previous releases of Gone With The Wind. This of course begs the question – why produce a whole new DVD when WBHV could have just included the bonus disc from GWTW releases? I'm not sure. At least the disc has a few other features, including more shorts that are not included on any of the other discs, as well as trailers (including one for Goodbye, Mr. Chips, which makes it even more infuriating that the film isn't here).

Also, it is worth watching all the shorts included in the set. These films and cartoons give you an idea of what it was like to go to the movies in a world before television. The set does include Sons of Liberty, which won the Oscar for Best Live Action, Two-Reel Short of 1939. There are also quite a few unique Looney Tunes shorts.

Packaging

The set is packaged in WBHV's new book style, which has been used for several box sets this year, including the Musicals 4-Movie Collection. It's thankfully very sturdy and compact. The set is barely taller than a typical Blu-ray case. No paper extras, like posters and cards, are included.

Final Thoughts

This is technically a must-get for classic movie geeks, even though we already have copies of GWTW. The gorgeous restoration of Hunchback is worth the price of admission alone. Sure, I could think of other films that could be in this set other than Dark Victory, but the set is a fantastic sample of why 1939 is still a beloved year.