Any new release from the 3-D Film Archive is cause for celebration, and their latest, 3-D Rarities Vol. II, is no exception. This time around, in addition to a wide variety of short subjects, we are treated to a feature-length stereoscopic gem: 1953’s El Corazón y la Espada, the first 3D film produced in Mexico. It’s a fun swashbuckler clearly intended as a Saturday matinee crowd pleaser, starring Cesar Romero and Katy Jurado, two actors born in Mexico, who found success both in their native country and the Hollywood film industry. Romero, of course, is best remembered for his role as The Joker on TV’s Batman, while Jurado earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in Broken Lance (1954) and won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her work in High Noon (1952).
Set in 16th Century Granada, the plot of El Corazón centers on a Spanish nobleman (Romero) seeking revenge on the Moors who occupied his family estate and murdered his parents – er, wait, no, it’s the tale of none other than Ponce de Leon (Tito Junco) on a quest for the fabled “Rose of Granada,” an elixir of youth that – no, I mean, it’s the story of a fiery, female adventurer (Jurado), searching for a secret alchemical formula to create gold – or something. Honestly, it’s all a bit convoluted, and it’s mostly an excuse for a lot of creeping through corridors and secret passages, punctuated by occasional bouts of swordplay. In between, Romero and Jurado exchange smoldering glances that at any moment might erupt in bloodshed, or lovemaking. Possibly both.
There’s also a worried-looking priest (Miguel Ángel Ferriz) tagging along for some reason, ostensibly to look pained at the many outbursts of violence. Rebeca Iturbide also lights up the screen as the fetching young niece of the Khalif, who occasionally interrupts her life of pillow-lounging to advance the plot. And no 3D film of that era would be complete without plenty of flying and/or pointy objects bursting from the screen, and El Corazón is no exception, featuring tumbling acrobats, flaming skewers and a particularly lethal length of chain (never mind, you’ll see). The Mystery Science Theater Gang would have had a field day with this one, but there’s no denying it’s hokey charms.
The transfer is nothing short of perfection, with wonderful depth and clarity, lovingly mastered by the intrepid crew at the 3-D Film Archive in 4K from original negatives. Viewers can choose between the original Spanish-language soundtrack with English subtitles, or an English-dubbed version.
The included commentary track was a bit of a disappointment. Clearly, it’s hard these days to find living cast or crew from a film of this era. Instead we have 3D film historian, David Wilt, reading prepared remarks that often seem to have little to do with what’s onscreen. He’s joined briefly by Dr. Robert Kiss, who also shares insights in similar fashion. In fairness, they both dispense a wealth of information about the film and the Mexican film industry in general, but it’s all a bit heavy going and disjointed. I’d have been happier to hear these two obviously knowledgeable gentleman discussing what was onscreen in a more conversational way. Still, it’s a minor nit that we are lucky to be able to pick at all.
As if the above wasn’t enough (the disc is titled “3D Rarities” after all), there are plenty of short subjects to enjoy as well. Unfortunately they can’t be accessed individually from the main menu; you have to select “3D Shorts” then chapter-skip through to get to a particular one. Which is not the end of the world, but it would have been a nice feature to have. (Okay, that’s it, my last nit, I swear.)
First up is A Day in the Country, miraculously restored from a faded anaglyphic print and converted to 3D blu-ray format. It’s a wonderfully goofy bit of nonsense serving as an excuse to have two mischievous boys throw things at an unsuspecting farmer, then steal his car and wreak havoc. Good fun.
From the UK in 1952, we have The Black Swan, featuring an excerpt from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Swan Lake. It’s another beautiful transfer with sprightly and informative commentary from Mike Ballew (who also wrote the disc’s extensive liner notes). Much is made of the “floating window” effect devised by stereoscopic supervisor Raymond Spottiswoode, which gives the whole production the sense of watching through a giant View-Master frame.
Hillary Hess Presents Mid-Century Memories in Kodachrome Stereo is perhaps my favorite segment on the entire disc. It presents a series of Stereo Realist slides shot by a wide range of amateur and professional photographers that serves as a wonderful time capsule of American life in the 1950s. Culled from the archives of many 3D collectors and historians, the images absolutely radiate off the screen with gorgeous color and depth, accompanied by a delightful commentary from the aforementioned 3D expert, Hillary Hess.
Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror is a misleadingly titled trailer for a re-release of the 1960s horror flick La Marca Del Hombre Lobo, featuring a werewolf on the rampage (but no Frankenstein’s monster apparently). We’re given tantalizing glimpses of elaborate and colorful sets that would no doubt thrill in a full restoration. Dare to dream.
Games in Depth is an oddball assortment of clips showing children playing tetherball, planes taking off and landing, speedboats, football games, etc., all incongruously intercut with behind-the-scenes footage from Burt Lancaster’s film The Swimmer. I’m sure it made sense to some 1960s pop art cineaste, but it’s all over my head.
Next we have another trailer, this time for 1983’s The 3D Movie, a compilation film of the sort made popular a decade earlier by “That’s Entertainment” (in the prehistoric days before home video). Happily, many of the films featured in the trailer have been restored to their original glory and released on 3D blu-ray (The Mask, The Bubble, Parasite, Jivaro, Inferno, etc.). But many others remain unavailable for 3D home viewing, so it’s great to catch even brief stereoscopic glimpses from such films as Robert Mitchum’s Second Chance and Anne Bancroft’s Gorilla at Large.
Last, but far from least, is The Stereo Photography of Harold Lloyd, another selection of Stereo Realist slides, this time shot by none other than silent film legend and master stereographer, Harold Lloyd, with narration by his granddaughter Suzanne. His work is well-known in 3D circles but this, I believe, is the first time many of them have been collected and presented on 3D blu-ray. Lloyd’s skill was unmatched in the use of the Realist, and his celebrity gave him access to a wide range of notable subjects, from Bob Hope to Marilyn Monroe to Dwight D. Eisenhower. His candids and travel photos are no less interesting. I could watch an entire disc of just Lloyd’s slides, and given that he reportedly shot over 200,000 of them, presumably there’s no shortage to choose from. Another KickStarter, perhaps? Pretty please??
It’s hard to imagine a fan of 3D that hasn’t already plunked down their hard-earned cash for this collection. But if somehow you’re still on the fence, perch no more. Grab a copy from Flicker Alley or Amazon and enjoy.