WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Irma La Douce
Genre:Classic

Reviewed In Issue 26 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi, Bruce Yarnell, Herschel Bernardi, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney & Paul Dubov

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 3
Sound Rating: 1.5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): MGM
(Catalog Number): ML101582
(MPAA Rating): Not Rated
(Retail Price): $49.99
(Running Time In Minutes): 143
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1963
(LD Release Date): 3/97
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): Billy Wilder
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
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DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
(Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital): No
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Based on the play be Alexandre Breffort and the music by Marguerite Monnot, Irma La Douce is an off-beat and hilarious comedy about a policeman and the prostitute he falls for. Shirley MacLaine stars as Irma La Douce, or Irma The Sweet, a witty prostitute in the Red Light district of Paris, who makes more money off her clients by making them feel sorry for her. The Somach of Paris—where criminals and the cops coexist by live and let live—is in for a change when the honest rookie Officer Nestor (Jack Lemmon) takes duty. But as soon as he is hired, he is fired and one night with Irma leaves the bashful Nestor insanely jealous of all her other clients. But his plan to keep Irma all to himself backfires and there is only one person who can bail him out. André Previn’s lively and comical music score earned him an Academy Award®.

LaserDisc Picture:
The Panavision® Scope picture, framed perfectly at 2.35:1, looks dated overall, but exhibits generally natural looking color fidelity, accurate fleshtones and deep blacks. Shadow detail and contrast is good. The slightest noise and minor artifacts are apparent.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is undistinguished mono which is distorted and compressed.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
(Aggressive System Surround): No
(Intense 25Hz Bass): No
(Deep Bass Challenging): No
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield): No
(Aggressive Split Surround): No
(Center Back Surround Imaging): No
(Directionalized Dialogue): No
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: