Big Trees

Alpha Video's The Big Trees is one of many DVD releases of the public domain Technicolor movie, and it has its virtues, including a very sharp, crisply detailed image and excellent sound. Not so impressive is the Technicolor, which seems slightly muted in tone and lacks the richness that this reviewer has seen in some late-night public television broadcasts of the movie. In other words, it looks about like the film would have looked at the tail-end of its original copyright term (after which it was allowed to lapse into the public domain), and that's not bad, considering its budget pricing -- the color, though slightly muted, is consistent throughout and well defined. The source print is completely intact, right down to the original Warner Bros. logo, which is blacked out as the studio's herald music is played. The usual Alpha six chapters are adequate to this movie, which is pretty straightforward in its action and plot. The disc opens automatically to a simple three-selection menu.