Bus Stop Blu-ray Review

This new 1080p/AVC-encoded Blu-ray presentation of "Bus Stop" is a significant upgrade, maintaining Fox's high standards in Marilyn Monroe transfers. While it doesn't boast the creamy highlights of the now-phased-out Technicolor system, the movie's DeLuxe Color processing remains striking, rendering colors vibrant and natural. Chérie's Blue Dragon costume and the interplay of warm skin tones and cool shadows during the snow fight scene exhibit excellent color accuracy and clarity. Close-ups reveal intricate textures in skin and clothing, demonstrating a significant boost in definition over previous editions. Only a few softer shots appear, but these are scarce and don't detract from the overall quality.

Fox's meticulous restoration work is evident, with a print free from major defects like color fluctuations, compression issues, or unwanted digital noise reduction. The film retains its 35mm grain structure, offering a rich, organic quality akin to a projected print. The transfer features balanced color timing, enhancing depth and contributing to a film-like feel. The single-strip color packs surprising saturation and vibrancy while adhering to natural tones—reds are bold, blues are slightly enhanced, and browns convey a potent earthiness. The dramatic shift in brightness adds warmth, enriching the film’s intimate moments.

Detail is consistently impressive. Extreme close-ups, particularly during climactic scenes, highlight Monroe's emotional range with breathtaking clarity. Background elements are sharp; intricate wallpaper patterns in hotel rooms and bustling crowd scenes at the rodeo are distinctly clear. Fabric details, such as the checkered diner uniforms, resist issues like shimmering and banding. Grain is naturally integrated, ensuring no digital tinkering disrupts the viewing experience. Overall, this Blu-ray transfer delivers the best home video quality "Bus Stop" has seen to date and is a must-have for Monroe aficionados seeking visual excellence.

The Blu-ray release of "Bus Stop" features an upgraded DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 mix, which remains true to the film's original quadrophonic stereo sound design created with the Westrex 4-track recording system. This lossless audio mix delivers a well-preserved vintage sound experience that engages both the front and rear speakers. While much of the audio emanates predominately from the front channels, rear speaker engagement sporadically enhances key moments with subtle ambient effects and swelling musical cues.

The orchestral score, crafted by Alfred Newman, Lionel Newman, and Cyril J. Mockridge, is delivered with clarity and fullness, maintaining a pleasing tonal depth throughout. The main theme, "The Bus Stop Song" performed by The Four Lads, and other musical elements provide excellent stereo separation across the front channels, successfully broadening the soundscape. Notable dynamic range ensures dialogue is consistently prioritized and easily intelligible, while bass frequencies are handled adeptly, particularly during sequences like the rodeo scene where crowd noise and bar patrons' commotion lightly bleed into the rear channels.

Technically, the audio track is free from any age-related imperfections such as pops, hisses, or crackles, ensuring a clean and stable playback. The inclusion of multiple dub and subtitle options also adds to its versatility. Overall, while the audio may not be overly flashy, it complements the film effectively with its faithful reproduction and meticulous preservation.

The Blu Ray release of "Bus Stop" misses the mark with minimal extras. Despite a well-anticipated release, the disc lacks substantial supplementary material beyond trailers. While trailers provide a nostalgic glimpse, they fall short of adding true value or context to the film. The addition of vintage newsreels, a retrospective featurette, or an audio commentary would have greatly enhanced the viewer’s understanding and appreciation of Marilyn Monroe's significant role. Moreover, content such as photo galleries or differences between the play and its cinematic adaptation are notably absent, leaving the extras feeling disappointingly sparse.

Extras included in this disc:

• Theatrical Trailer: The film's original trailer highlighting Monroe’s return and the Broadway success of William Inge's play.
• More Monroe Movie Trailers: Previews for six additional Monroe films from Fox including 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,' 'How to Marry a Millionaire,' 'Niagara,' 'River of No Return,' 'The Seven Year Itch,' and 'There's No Business Like Show Business.'

"Bus Stop," marking a significant juncture in Marilyn Monroe's career, presents a captivating, though uneven, narrative that leverages her growing acting ambitions. Directed by Joshua Logan and adapted from the William Inge play by George Axelrod, the film provides Monroe with a platform to dig into a character rife with personal parallels. Chérie, played by Monroe, is an Ozark hillbilly turned chanteuse caught in a third-rate Phoenix nightclub, her dreams of Hollywood success seemingly unattainable. Monroe's own vulnerability and nuanced method acting shine through, infusing Chérie with a poignant depth amid a storyline that juxtaposes the naive vitality of Bo Decker (Don Murray), a young cowboy, against Chérie’s seasoned disillusionment.

Don Murray, in his film debut as Bo, delivers an overly broad performance marked by folksy cornball humor, occasionally stretching credulity with his brashness and naïveté. The cinematography emphasizes the constrained settings, particularly during the film's climactic scenes at a snowed-in roadside diner. Monroe's portrayal of Chérie stands out, skillfully amalgamating her real-life insecurities and acting prowess into a character beset by external forces. Her accent and makeup might fluctuate, but the emotional resonance she brings to the role is palpable. Director Logan’s close-up shots heighten the film's dramatic tension and vulnerability.

While Monroe’s performance elevates the film, "Bus Stop" tends to waver between tender moments and grating sequences. The supporting cast, including Arthur O'Connell as Bo's mentor Virgil, bolsters the narrative but often feels overshadowed by Monroe's luminous presence. Despite its measured success in character portrayal and thematic exploration of romantic pursuit and self-identity, the film's pacing and Murray's overtly theatrical portrayal detract from its overall cohesion. Nonetheless, Monroe’s work here is a testament to her determination to break free from typecasting, offering glimpses of her potential as a serious actress.

20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of Bus Stop showcases Marilyn Monroe in one of her most critically acclaimed performances, marking a significant shift from her typecast "dumb blonde" roles to a more nuanced character. As the bruised and resilient Cherie, Monroe delivers a performance rich with humor, vulnerability, and heart, compelling audiences to take her more seriously as an actor. Joshua Logan's adaptation of William Inge's play may be patchy in pacing and somewhat run-of-the-mill in its execution, yet the lively character portrayals maintain audience engagement throughout.

The Blu-ray edition features superb video quality and robust audio fidelity that elevate the viewing experience. Much like 20th Century Fox’s previous releases in their Marilyn Monroe series, this one does not disappoint in terms of technical presentation. However, the Blu-ray is regrettably light on supplemental features which may be a drawback for those seeking in-depth behind-the-scenes content or historical context.

Conclusion:

Bus Stop is often cited as the film that made critics sit up and take Marilyn Monroe seriously as an actor, and not just another pretty face and stunning figure. While Monroe is good here, the movie itself—an old-fashioned romance that leans heavily on 1950s morals and an everyone-deserves-a-second-chance message—is nothing special. The film's brand of folksy, home-spun comedy hasn't particularly aged well, and co-star Don Murray is progressively more and more grating as the yokel cowboy who practically hog-ties Marilyn into romantic submission. Minus the lack of special features, 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release is stellar—all of the films from their Monroe series have looked wonderful—but Bus Stop is only a must-buy for the biggest fans of the iconic bombshell.