Blu-ray movie reviews: ‘Mister Roberts,’ ‘The Harvey Girls’ and ‘Sergeant York’

Here’s a look at a trio of classic films, restored for the high definition format and available as part of the Warner Archive Collection.

Mister Roberts (Not rated, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, 102 minutes, $21.99) — Directors John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy’s 1955 cinematic adaptation of author Thomas Heggen’s novel and award-winning play debuts on high definition looking like it was just released in theaters.

Covering the amusing shenanigans of a group of seamen aboard the U.S. Navy cargo ship the USS Reluctant during the waning days of World War II, the star power cast included Henry Fonda as executive officer Lt. Douglas Roberts (a guy sick of his commander and looking for a way to get into the war action); Jack Lemmon as the amusingly lecherous Ensign Frank Pulver; and a craftily cantankerous James Cagney as the curmudgeon Capt. Morton.

Lemmon won the Academy Award for his wacky performance, but clearly Fonda and Cagney had the meatier roles that I consider even more worthy of the Oscar.

Despite the film being devoid of any horrors of combat, the ending delivers a gut punch as well as a sobering reminder of why war is really not that amusing.

The remastering of the 4K scan of the original CinemaScope negative offers a virtual vacation for viewers, courtesy of cinematographer’s Winton C. Hoch’s jaw-dropping coverage of the South Pacific waters and locales.

Best extras: The only piece of bonus content is a big winner offering an optional commentary track with Lemmon (culled from the Premiere Edition DVD release from 1998). The legendary actor sounds like he’s chatting with old friends over dinner as he shares great, name-dropping stories about his life in Hollywood. The only miscue is large chunks of the film are devoid of his nostalgia blasts.

The Harvey Girls (Not rated, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, 102 minutes, $21.99) — Legendary Judy Garland teamed up with her “Wizard of Oz” companion Ray Bolger (who played the Scarecrow) and eventual Broadway legend Angela Lansbury in a Technicolor-powered musical directed by George Sidney (“Show Boat” and “Pal Joey”) way back in 1946.

The Academy Award winner finally debuts in high definition and is given new visual life thanks to a 1080p restoration from a 4K scan of the original nitrate Technicolor negatives.

Viewers can appreciate the period piece about the real life Harvey House chain of restaurants and its famed waitresses that helped bring a dose of civilization to the Wild West.

Garland plays Susan Bradley, a mail-order bride taking the train from Ohio to Sandrock, Arizona, to marry a cowboy she has never met. She quickly changes her mind and decides instead to try her luck as a Harvey Girl while helping to restore some family values to a town known for its saloon, dance girls and rabble rousing.

Suffice it to report, the meticulous resurrection delivers a stellar presentation bursting with candy-rich color and clarity.

For example, the cowboys’ kerchiefs and ladies’ vintage costuming are drenched in color and detail down to a patchwork leather vest on one of the cowpokes. Also, panoramic scenes of the Southwest shine especially when observing some saturated flora and fauna.

Best extras: Warner gives viewers a real gift with an optional commentary track culled for the film’s 1995 laser disc release, starring the director unloading on his memories.

Sidney offers a joyful, near nonstop nostalgia trip back to the 1940s as he touches on Clark Gable originally slated to star in the film (in what was originally to be a traditional Western); shooting the original screen test for Judy Gumm (aka Garland); the breakdown of the “Atchison” musical number as well as Garland nailing the song on her first take; and a visit by Red Skeleton on the set where he met his first wife.

Next musical choices abound with no less than 27 audio scoring sessions available of the songs including five versions of the Oscar-winning “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe,” a rehearsal track of “In the Valley” with Garland and arranger Kay Thompson and the unused “Hayride.”

Also, viewers get three deleted musical sequences including the cast loaded “March of the Doagies” that should have been used in the film.

Sergeant York (Not rated, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, 134 minutes, $21.99) — Director Howard Hawks’ celebrated black-and-white biographical drama from 1941 about one of America’s most-decorated war heroes gets a welcomed debut on the high definition format sporting a brand new 4K restoration.

Gary Cooper won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Alvin C. York, a religious Tennessee farmer and conscientious objector forced to join the American Army during World War I.

He struggled with the possibilities of killing the enemy until he was reminded about the history of the United States and its fight from freedom.

York’s coaxed epiphany led to his single-handedly killing more than 25 enemy soldiers and capturing 132 prisoners in an attack during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.

The charming and realistic portrayal of 19^th century rural America, enhanced by performances from Walter Brennan as a feisty preacher and Margaret Wycherly as York’s stoic mother, dominates the first half of the film and offers plenty of balance to the stark war scenes.

A nitrate, fine-grain film source was scanned in 4K, 16-bit and then restored and corrected to deliver dazzling black-and-white digital imagery. It’s exactly what one should expect from a project of this historical magnitude.

For example, a sermon held in church early in the movie looks like it was broadcast on a live TV show in the 1950s with detail so clear that the rims of the preacher’s glasses sparkle from the studio lights.

Best extras: The Blu-ray discs first feature an information-packed optional commentary track with Jeanine Basinger, movie historian and author of the book “The World War II Combat Film: Anatomy of a Genre.”

Her vast knowledge permeates the track nonstop as she covers World War I history; the cast; the war heroics of York; themes of the film; the accuracy of the sets; and the often meticulously dissection of the onscreen action as well as a stream of trivia nuggets (for example, piano-playing extra Elisha Cook Jr. was more famous for his role of Wilmer in “The Maltese Falcon”).

Next, a 40-minute documentary from 2006 narrated by Liam Neeson “Of God and Country” offers both a biography of the hero and an overview from the production. Highlights include the original footage of York; and current interviews (i.e. 2006) from June Lockhart (who played York’s sister Rosie) and Joan Leslie (York’s sweetheart Gracie Williams).

Also included are a pair of color shorts — the live-action “Lions for Sale” about a lion farm in California and the Tex Avery cartoon “Porky’s Preview” starring the famous Looney Tunes pig.

What’s missing is any biography on Cooper, seen in the 2006 DVD release, that would have made this Blu-ray an “ultimate edition.”