Pioneer Offers a Pair of ‘Eileens’ in One Package

Laser disc distributors, anxious to find enticing means of presenting films, continue to experiment with new ways to package old movies. Pioneer’s latest venture is pairing two versions of the same film: “My Sister Eileen,” a classic ‘40s film, with its ‘50s remake (two discs, digital sound, $55).

For those who like to compare and contrast, this duo offers a bonanza. The original 1942 “Eileen” stars Rosalind Russell as aspiring Ohio writer Ruth Sherwood and Janet Blair as her aspiring actress sister Eileen set loose upon the Big Apple.

Brian Aherne is the editor who surprises everyone by falling for sister Ruth rather than sister Eileen. The black-and-white film, based on the Broadway play created from Ruth McKenney’s New Yorker stories, is in the tradition of the screwball comedies of the day, but it’s no “His Girl Friday.” It’s too respectable for that.

In 1955, “Eileen” came back to the screen with a little dressing up: including color and Cinemascope (with the laser version offered in appropriate widescreen), a Jule Styne musical score and Bob Fosse choreography. This “Eileen” features a Blake Edwards-Richard Quine screenplay and starred Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, Betty Garrett and Fosse. Quine, who had a feature role in the ’42 version, directed the ’55 edition.

(In the early ‘50s, “Eileen” also was turned into a Broadway musical: “Wonderful Town” with a Leonard Bernstein score and Betty Comden/Adolph Green lyrics.)

Much of the charm of the first film is lost in the more lavish 1955 production, but what a treat to see the young Fosse dancing to his own choreography across the wide screen (“The Rivalry Dance” is vintage Fosse).

Both film transfers are crisp; there are 13 chapter stops on the first film, 16 on the second.

The 1955 version takes advantage of the laser format capabilities by offering background music without vocal accompaniment on a second audio track, though it’s hard to figure out why anyone would want to listen to the rather bland score without the singers along.