A String of Holiday Classics [3 Discs] [DVD]

Films don't fit the romantic comedy mold much better than Roman Holiday, and now this time-tested classic is on DVD from Paramount. Released as a "special collector's edition," this disc does have some nice supplements, though far from the wealth of information that this label implies. Of greatest interest is a 25-minute featurette called "Remembering Roman Holiday" with some nice interviews, behind-the-scene photos, and vintage clips. Two shorter featurettes are also included, "Restoring Roman Holiday" and "Edith Head -- The Paramount Years." They do offer some additional interesting notes, but they leave one wishing for more overall. Finally, along with a photo gallery that is as interesting as most tend to be, are three theatrical trailers. The image is wonderful in all respects due to the restoration. Presented in its original full-frame aspect ratio, the transfer is solid. Blacks are deep, while detail is crisp and clean. Momentary instances of grain are evident, but that would be expected for a film of its age; still, they are seldom and hardly ruin this nice presentation. The sound, a two-channel mono track, is certainly adequate for this sort of film. Granted, there is nothing extraordinary about it, but dialogue is clear and distortion free, which is all that can be asked for sometimes.