Warner Archives | 1962 | 107 mins. | NR
Vincente Minnelli—husband of Judy Garland and father of Liza—became famous largely as a result of the lavish musicals he directed during his time at MGM. Some of his best known films include Me In St. Louis (1944), An American in Paris (1951), Brigadoon (1954), Kismet (1955), and Gigi (1958). Though Minnelli was clearly a master of the musical genre, a closer inspection of his resume shows a wider appreciation for film and various types of character development.
In 1952, Minnelli joined forces with producer Jack Houseman, writer Charles Schnee and actor Kirk Douglas to make The Bad and the Beautiful, which featured Douglas as a once-successful producer attempting to revive his career. Having created a film considered by many to be one of the best about the industry, the men paired up again in 1962, in hopes that lightning might strike twice.
The result was the decidedly less successful, Two Weeks In Another Town. While the film certainly has merits, it’s too preposterous to be taken all that seriously. Actor Jack Andrus (Douglas) is a broken man. His wife Carlotta (Cyd Charisse) had an affair with his best friend, filmmaker Maurice Kruger (Edward G. Robinson). The trauma of being double crossed landed him in a mental institution.
Released from the hospital and his once thriving career in tatters, a telegram arrives from Kruger offer a small part in the film he is finishing up in two weeks in Rome’s Cinecitta. With his doctor’s blessing, Jack boards a plane for Rome. Upon landing, Jack learns that Maurice never really had a part for him. He simply wanted to spend some time with his old friend. If that isn’t bad enough, Jack, who’s still trying to find his way in the world, has to deal with Kruger’s wife Clara (Claire Trevor), who doesn’t bother trying to hide her contempt for him. Kruger, meanwhile, has problems with his Italian producer (Mino Doro) about his contract to make a Hollywood film.
Kruger had to wait two years for the chance to make this film. The has-been director and washed-up actor share a common fate. To make matters worse for Kruger, he must get the film done in two weeks. Since Kruger wants to make a quality film in order to show Hollywood he still has what it takes, he faces a major obstacle: How can he dub the film in English the way he wants, and still finish on time? Jack hesitantly accepts the job, coaxing Maurice’s less-than-gifted actors into dubbing their lines convincingly enough. When Maurice suffers a heart attack and is unable to finish the film, Jack offers to finish things up. If he succeeds in making a respectable motion picture, it will be a big boost to the career of both men. If he fails, it will put an end to Jack’s comeback and significantly damage Maurice’s reputation.
When I first received it, I was surprised Two Weeks in Another Town was being released as part of the “DVDs manufactured on demand” Warner Archive collection. The film certainly has a well-regarded cast; Kirk Douglas, Edward G. Robinson, Cyd Charisse, George Hamilton, and Claire Trevor. One would think a cast like that would merit a standard DVD release. However, After seeing the actual film the “DVDs manufactured on demand” release is easier to understand. While Two Weeks in Another Town isn’t a terrible film, it will likely only appeal to the super fans of its stars.
The DVD transfer isn’t great, sporting numerous flecks, specks and areas of softness. David Raksin’s score sounds sharp and clear, but the dialogue is often muffled. The only special feature on the disc is a theatrical trailer.
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