The Yellow Rolls-Royce

Boasting picturesque locations, a mix of American and European stars and a gaggle of romantic plotlines, this frothy 1964 big-budget confection is certainly representative of its era. Director Anthony Asquith and scripter Terence Rattigan collaborated on the classic The Browning Version (1951), but here the Tales of Manhattan-like scenario (three troubled relationships linked by the titular vehicle) suffers due to a lack of chemistry between the on-screen couples. The first and third story lines—linking Rex Harrison with Jeanne Moreau and Ingrid Bergman with Omar Sharif—are so solemn that they are purebred kitsch. The second, serio-comic segment is the most entertaining, as gangster’s moll Shirley MacLaine is seduced by an Italian lothario (Alain Delon), while tough guys George C. Scott and Art Carney look on with chagrin.

Shelf Talk: This is Yellow Rolls-Royce’s first home entertainment release, and the film’s oddball casting is sure to attract fans of Hollywood’s “uncertain age” (the early ’60s). It will be released separately and as a part of Warner’s Valentine’s Day-themed “All-Star Romance” group of releases, featuring the charmingly half-baked Goodbye Mr. Chips (1969) and Cannery Row (1982) and the superior Waterloo Bridge (1940) and Far From the Madding Crowd (1967).