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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'A Stolen Face')
Directed by
Terence Fisher
USA 1952
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Lizbeth Scott is glowing in this intriguing Noir that appears to be the bridge between Anthony Mann's Strange Impersonation and Hitchcock's Vertigo. Paul Henreid plays Dr. Philip Ritter, a plastic surgeon, who, on his brief vacation, flirts and romantically succumbs to the enchanting Alice Brent (Lizbeth Scott), a concert pianist. The enjoyable affair isn't enough to drag her away from her intended lover and Ritter is heartbroken, bordering on obsession... to such an extent that he surgically duplicates her face onto one of his patients - a sociopathic ex-con whom he promptly weds! Trouble brews as Alice re-enters the scene now ready to commit to the good Doctor, but his criminal-minded new wife stands stalwartly in the way.
Good clean 'Classic Noir' with the insertion of the ex-con as a plot device and hints of an imposing (and once-disfigured) femme fatale as a pivotal stylistic convention. Early Hammer B-films like this are addictive as hell. It never strays too far into the melodramatic and only suggests a foreboding evil of its love-bound protagonists - but just enough to keep you on your toes. P.S. I am pretty sure that Lizbeth's voice was dubbed over for the cockney accent when she played Lilly - but regardless she steals the show with her eyes and smile. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: June 16th, 1952
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
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Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Icon Home Entertainment (as an SD extra) - Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Thanks to Gregory for the VCI screen captures
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL LEFT 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - RIGHT |
| Box Cover |
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Stolen Face is included as an extra on Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy Blu-ray. |
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Also available in VCI's Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set, Vol. 1-3
which includes Bad Blonde (1953) Man Bait (1952) A Stolen Face
(1952) - Blackout (1954) Gambler and the Lady (1952) -
Heat Wave
(1954) but BEWARE the packaging is circumspect - a large case with
three discs stacked immediately on top of one another. It is
advisable, even paying a slight amount more to buy the three Double
Features individually.
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| Distribution | Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL |
VCI Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
Icon Home Entertainment 576i - PAL transfer |
| Runtime | 1:09:39 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:11:30 | 1:09:40 (4% PAL speedup) |
| Video | 1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.9 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.42 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.07 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate: Simply Media |
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| Bitrate: VCI |
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| Bitrate: Odeon from The Mummy Blu-ray |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / DN -4dB |
| Subtitles | None | None | None |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Short:
Danger List (21:44) |
Release Information: Studio: VCI Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Edition
Details: Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Odeon Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Edition
Details: Keepcase Chapters 6 |
| Comments: |
ADDITION: Odeon Entertainment - February 14': On Odeon Entertainment's Blu-ray of the Hammer Studio's 1959 The Mummy (also directed by Terence Fisher) reviewed HERE, they include - as an extra - an SD rendering of Stolen Face. Nothing to extol, I'm afraid. It looks similar to Simply Media's UK PAL - and now out-of-print- DVD transfer. Actually a bit worse with a few more artifacts. It takes up only 3.6 Gig, has a low bitrate and is in 576i (PAL). I was hoping it would have been in HD, but alas - we will have to await further for this mini-gem to be put to a proper digital rendering. ***
ADDITION: VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - Sept 06': Wow, we can now verify that the Dd Entertainment PAL DVD has been zoomed in and horizontally stretched to gain a 4:3 ratio. It looks terrible beside the interlaced VCI. Although the PAL is progressive - both appear to be analog sourced and the ratio manipulation is easily enough to go for the VCI package which includes Blackout. The PAL issue has extras - a short thriller, Danger List with Honor Blackman, and an extensive booklet with photos and an essay by Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby. While the VCI has Blackout - and trailers for Portland Expose, Unholy Four, Bury Me Dead and a short commentary about Hammer Noir and the film by Richard M. Roberts. Short: Go for the VCI's individually and get the superior packaging. |
DVD Menus
(Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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1) Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL TOP 2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Extra in Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy (1959) Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
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| Box Cover |
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Stolen Face is included as an extra on Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy Blu-ray. |
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Also available in VCI's Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set, Vol. 1-3
which includes Bad Blonde (1953) Man Bait (1952) A Stolen Face
(1952) - Blackout (1954) Gambler and the Lady (1952) -
Heat Wave
(1954) but BEWARE the packaging is circumspect - a large case with
three discs stacked immediately on top of one another. It is
advisable, even paying a slight amount more to buy the three Double
Features individually.
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| Distribution | Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL |
VCI Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
Icon Home Entertainment 576i - PAL transfer |
(aka "Murder by Proxy" or "Black Out")
directed by Terence Fisher
UK 1954
| An American in London, down on his luck, runs into a beautiful blonde in a bar who offers him a lot of money to marry her. Broke and unemployed, he takes her up on it. When he wakes up the next day, he finds himself in a strange room that turns out to be an artist's studio, there is blood on his coat, and he discovers that his new "wife's" father had been murdered the night before. |
Poster
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Theatrical Release: 19 March 1954
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: VCI Entertainment (Hammer Film Noir Vol. 2) - Region 0 - NTSC
Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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Also available in VCI's Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set, Vol. 1-3
which includes Bad Blonde (1953) Man Bait (1952) A Stolen Face
(1952) - Blackout (1954) Gambler and the Lady (1952) -
Heat Wave
(1954) but BEWARE the packaging is circumspect - a large case with
three discs stacked immediately on top of one another. It is
advisable, even paying a slight amount more to buy the three Double
Features individually.
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| Distribution |
VCI Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
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| Runtime | 1:27:15 | |
| Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) | |
| Subtitles | None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: VCI Entertainment Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
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| Comments |
Like the other Hammer DVD Noirs released at the same time - this is interlaced but actually looks better than we might have anticipated. There is no restoration but the analog source used is quite steady. Occasional blemishes surface but the digital rendering has brought out decent, even surprising, detail. - Gary Tooze |
DVD Menus
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Screen Captures
NOTE: Visible Combing...
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| Box Cover |
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Stolen Face is included as an extra on Icon Home Entertainment's The Mummy Blu-ray. |
|
|
Also available in VCI's Hammer Film Noir Collector's Set, Vol. 1-3
which includes Bad Blonde (1953) Man Bait (1952) A Stolen Face
(1952) - Blackout (1954) Gambler and the Lady (1952) -
Heat Wave
(1954) but BEWARE the packaging is circumspect - a large case with
three discs stacked immediately on top of one another. It is
advisable, even paying a slight amount more to buy the three Double
Features individually.
|
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| Distribution | Simply Media - Region 2 - PAL |
VCI Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
Icon Home Entertainment 576i - PAL transfer |
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Gary Tooze |
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Thank You!