The Collection:

Don Ameche's film and TV career stretched from the 1930s to the 1990s and encompassed both light comedy and heavy melodrama, as well as a handful of biopics. Fox Cinema Archives has repackaged three of their previously released Don Ameche movies from the 1930s into a mostly satisfying triple feature that shows off the talented actor's many sides.

Josette (1938)

As convoluted as this film's set-up is, the execution by veteran director Allan Dwan (Heidi) feels light and effortless. Ameche and Young are nicely matched as romantic rivals, and Simon is sly and sexy as the fake Josette. The cast also has some nice supporting turns from character actor favorites, like Preston Sturges regular William Demarest as a henpecked diner owner and Paul Hurst as a well-to-do drunk who threatens to spoil the whole charade. Only Joan Davis, as Josette's unlucky-in-love chaperone, doesn't quite nail the laugh lines like she should. Apart from some fizzled jokes, Josette is a delightful soufflé.

Swanee River (1939)

Ramona (1936)

Loretta Young stars as the title character, an orphan who has been living with the well-to-do Moreno family in recently Americanized California. She's had a brother-sister relationship with Señora Moreno's only son, Felipe (Kent Taylor), but now Felipe wants to make it much more. The cold-hearted Señora (Pauline Frederick), who knows more than she says, disapproves. It's okay, because Ramona ends up falling for a handsome "Indian" (the film never bothers to discuss specific tribes) named Alessandro (Don Ameche), who has come to the Moreno ranch to shear sheep. The Señora disapproves of this match too, but when she reveals that Ramona's mother was actually an Indian, she can do little to stop Ramona from going after her new love. Once Ramona and Alessandro are married, their troubles begin, as they are pushed off of Alessandro's ancestral land and forced to wander in search of a new home.

This Ramona is undeniably melodramatic, but it is also just as undeniably disarming. Young and Ameche are a truly sweet screen couple, which makes it easier to stay with the film, even when it gets hokey.

The DVD
Fox Cinema Archives repackages three of their standalone manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD-R releases into this new triple feature. The 3 discs are housed on three hubs in a single keepcase. Each disc is branded as being part of the "Don Ameche Collection."

The Video & Audio:
Each film is presented in a standard 1.33:1 video transfer with a Dolby 2.0 mono audio mix. No subtitles.

The black-and-white selection Josette fares best in both the audio and video department. Although some busy wide shots show evidence of mosquito noise and other similar digital artifacts, it's mostly a clean and clear presentation, with strong grayscale reproduction. The audio is noticeably dated, but not overwhelmed by too much crackling or hissing.

It's hard to tell whether Josette was taken from a TV master or not, but the two Technicolor films are clearly taken from old transfers meant for TV.

Swanee River comes from a fairly stable print, with good color, except that the image is frequently too dark. There are more than a few exterior night shots that seem to be anticipating film noir, because viewers can only make out the highlights while everything else disappears into shadow. There are also more than a few moments of cross coloration and chroma noise scattered throughout. The soundtrack is perfectly discernible, although there is significant surface noise and hiss throughout.

Ramona looks more accurately balanced than Swanee River, but the film elements from which it was transferred are not as stable. TV scan lines are consistently visible throughout the entire film, although honestly you get used to them. The soundtrack is much like Swanee River, in that dialogue and music are discernible but there is a nonstop hiss from beginning to end.

Special Features:
None.

Final Thoughts:
As far as star-driven triple features go, this set is pretty solid. The first film, Josette, is the best of the three in terms of entertainment and also A/V presentation, but the other two films are still worth a look if you like '30s melodramas. Recommended.

Justin Remer is a frequent wearer of beards. His new album of experimental ambient music, Joyce, is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple, and wherever else fine music is enjoyed. He directed a folk-rock documentary called Making Lovers & Dollars, which is now streaming. He also can found be found online reading short stories and rambling about pop music.