Legend of Lylah Clare [DVD] [1968] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Fans have been waiting years for "The Legend of Lylah Clare" to arrive on DVD. Warner Archive finally comes through with a beautifully restored, widescreen release (Sorry, NO Subtitles) of this overlooked 1968 indictment of Hollywood and the people who make the movies and make or break the stars. (NOTE: Check the Images section of this product for the screen grabs I posted). Directed by grand-guignol master Robert Aldrich ("Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte"), the film tries for the same gothic atmosphere, but doesn't quite achieve it, with it's psychadelic colors, fuzz guitars on the soundtrack and lightning-fast dialogue not as well-suited to the genre.

Kim Novak plays a dual role as mousy but headstrong budding actress Elsa Campbell, who is plucked from obscurity by agent Milton Selzer and presented to has-been director Peter Finch because she resembles the dead 1940s movie queen of the title. At first Finch is reluctant to meet her, but quickly changes his mind when Elsa begins to eerily channel Lylah while viewing her old films. It becomes clear that Finch and Selzer will direct and produce a new biopic about the late star. It's never explained or acknowledged in the script whether Elsa's supposed to be possessed by Lylah's spirit, but the script moves things along quickly, we as the audience don't really question it either.

Predictably, Finch becomes increasingly obsessed with molding Elsa into Lylah's image to recreate the past. The film's highlight is a press conference in which Elsa is introduced and there are clever camera angles used so that we the viewer don't get to see Novak's transformation until she descends the imposing staircase where the original Lylah met her demise years ago. According to her acting coach and supposed one-time lesbian lover Rosella Falk, she was accosted by a crazed fan on her wedding night and died under mysterious circumstances. The history of that fateful night is recalled Rashomon-style, in three separate, creepy, distorted, black-and-white flashbacks, while Novak's visage is superimposed in the corner listening wide-eyed to the sordid details.

Coral Browne steals the show as a viper-ish, crippled gossip columnist who pokes and prods Novak with her cane like a piece of livestock, referring to the starlet as "a grubby little slut". The film's best moment comes when Novak channels Lylah and lets Browne have it with both barrels. The deep, guttural German voice-dubbing for Novak as Lylah is so over-the-top it's ridiculous, and gives the movie added camp appeal. There's also some witty dialogue such as "For a man who sticks his initials on everything including the toilet seat, you're pretty critical of other people's vanities". Odd little moments such as Novak strolling the grounds of Finch's mansion in polka-dot hip huggers and her brassiere also give this a bizarre flavour.

Ernest Borgnine is terrific as the blustery studio head barking orders at everyone, and a brunette Ellen Corby ("Grandma Walton") has a small part as "Script Girl".

Some may find this movie endlessly talky and dull, and it probably could have benefit from some tighter editing as it does run over two hours. Not as campy or fun as "Valley of the Dolls" but better than "The Killing of Sister George".

You may want to check the Warner Archive site because the price is much less, but for Canadian and International customers, they don't ship outside the U.S.

Warner Archive has once again done it. They have released a more than 40 year old film with a stunningly beautiful remastered DVD edition that has not looked as good in rich Metrocolor since I saw it in a New York City theater upon initial release in 1968. I still have never seen the original TV play by Robert Thom and Edward de Blasio that starred Tuesday Weld. Was it the same Robert Thom who wrote "Wild in the Streets" and other AIP hits? The theatrical film stars Kim Novak, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Coral Browne, Milton Seltzer and Rosella Falk and was directed by Robert Aldrich who brought us "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte", "The Killing of Sister George" but also "The Dirty Dozen." His films are heavy-handed, sometimes brilliant and always entertaining. As scripted by Hugo Butler and Jean Rouverol with music by Frank de Vol and photographed by Joseph Biroc, "The Legend of Lylah Clare" is no exception. It is a campy, somewhat melodramatic and cynical examination of tinseltown. Warner Archive should be congratulated once again for bringing this overlooked film to home video, bringing their increasing finesse to the technology and becoming even more affordable. Includes a trailer. There are a few imperfections, but again this film is over 40 years old with otherwise bravura restoration.

Omg....what a great camp classic. People have said this is Kim Novak's worst performance, (it's actually her last leading role in a feature), but I think people are taking the movie too seriously. It' been said the studio upon viewing the movie for the first time, didn't know how to take it, then decided to sell it as camp. There is no doubt in my mind that this movie was made from the start with that in mind. Maybe some of the actors involved didn't know it at the time of shooting, but that's the brilliance of it. Kim had to be in on the joke though, her performance is high camp style at it's best. When she does her wicked laugh, it is f'ing laugh out loud hilarious.
Lylah Clare (Kim Novak) is a dead film star. Movie-producer Barney Sheean (Ernest Borgnine) hires Elsa Brinkmann (Kim Novak), the living image of the late Lylah, to star in a film based on Ms. Clare's life. Barney hires director Lewis Zarkan (Peter Finch), Lylah's former husband, to transform the talentless Elsa into a facsimile of the deceased screen queen.
This color print from Warner Archive is really crisp, and bright.
There is a drinking game to be made from this movie, I just haven't figured it out yet.
Really fun, campy movie about Hollywood, but please, watch it with tongue firmly plated in cheek.