Via Vision’s Imprint label has given movie buffs a plethora of gems including numerous Blu-Ray special editions over the last few years. This month their attention is turned toward several films that have never received widespread distribution in the home video era, with one being a title that was pulled from distribution altogether for several decades. The result is a trio of compelling curios that, even with their respective flaws, ought to captivate hardcore movie lovers.
The title I found most satisfying was BUS RILEY’S BACK IN TOWN (93 mins., 1965), one of those moody character-based dramas Hollywood used to produce once upon a time, that finds Michael Parks’ discharged military vet returning to his small hometown and the assorted people who populated his life. These include mom Jocelyn Brando and sister Kim Darby, plus high schooler Janet Margolin and, most significantly, Ann-Margret as the girl he once loved that he left behind. She’s since moved on and (unhappily)-married a wealthy, older man, but that doesn’t stop her from fooling around with Bus, who’s also trying to navigate a career now that he’s back on land. That, naturally, also leads to some pitfalls including a mortician friend who has designs on Bus himself (quite suggestive for 1965) and initially snubbing a potential career working for auto mechanic James Doohan.
“Bus Riley” was written by William Inge of “Picnic” and “Bus Stop” fame, though some issues the writer had with how director Harvey Hart’s finished product turned out led Inge to remove his name and use the pseudonym “William Gage” instead. The movie still bears the hallmarks of Inge’s involvement, from the dysfunctional relationship between Parks and Ann-Margret, to Bus’ evolving character and realization that a more positive way forward – both socially and emotionally – is right in front of him.
This is one of those stories where much of the appeal lies in watching our protagonist’s growth throughout the drama, and while there are no huge surprises in-store, there are lots of interesting characters and performances sprinkled throughout the briskly-paced picture. In addition to then-newcomer Parks (whose starring role was given a heavy amount of emphasis in the movie’s original ad campaign) and Ann-Margret, the movie includes a lovely performance from Margolin, whose relationship with Riley proves to be the movie’s most appealing element; comedic support from future “Match Game” panelist Brett Somers; early turns from Doohan and David Carradine; and even character actors like Larry Storch and Brad Dexter.
There are some goofy and odd elements in “Bus Riley” – including a credits sequence, backed by a chirpy Richard Markowitz score, that seems like it’s right out of a Don Knotts comedy! Maybe that’s what irritated Inge enough to take his name off the credits, but the movie, once it settles in after the first reel, is still very appealing as a “coming of age” picture with some components that were ahead of its time. Its main issue seems to simply be the fact that it’s a product of the era in which it was produced, which holds the material back a bit. (Allegedly the movie also underwent a number of reshoots which Ann-Margret said changed her character around – something that might well explain the film’s unevenness as well).
Seldom shown on TV and last released on VHS, “Bus Riley” has been dusted off and remastered with a new 2K scan (1.85, mono) from the Universal vaults by Imprint. The print looks a little “speckly” here and there but this is a perfectly respectable, overall strong transfer for a long-forgotten mid ‘60s catalog film. Extras are light – just a commentary from the duo of Lee Peiffer/Paul Scrabo and a half-hour dissertation on Ann-Margret from film professor Lucy Bolton – but there’s sufficient entertainment to be found here for buffs nevertheless.