NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (June 2024): Imprint have transferred Walter Colmes' Woman Who Came Back to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "from a NEW 2023 4K restoration of the original nitrate negative". Aside from two weaker spots (see samples below) the 1080P is serviceable on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. Contrast is adept with decent black levels but there are minor inconsistencies with warping shown at the last frame of some scenes. It is damage-free with minor speckles and some pleasing texture. Overall a enjoyable HD presentation if not pristine. 

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Imprint use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Woman Who Came Back has very little aggression (a bus crash and a menacingly barking dog.) There is some whistling wind and an atmospheric score by Edward H. Plumb (who orchestrated or composed the scores for a number of Disney films and others including The Phantom Speaks, Valley of the Zombies, Monsieur Beaucaire, Calcutta, The Accused) sounding clean with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Imprint offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Imprint Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film scholar Kelly Robinson (Films First Lycanthrope: 1913 The Werewolf - Scary Monsters Magazine #114.) She's talks about the double meaning of the title - and the missing "The", persecution of women back in the day, a gay subtext, uncredited Scottish actress Elspeth Dudgeon (Old Woman in Bus / Jezebel Trister) who was involved in 67 films, only 14 of which included her name in the credits. She played the gypsy mother in Bride of Frankenstein. Kelly talks about Halloween, and much more. Her voice was clear - venturing to 'woke' territory every once in a while. I'd give her another listen. Also new is the 1/2 hour Portraits of the Past - where David Huckvale talks about Woman Who Came Back; its artistic cinematography and the score by Edward H. Plumb bringing imagination to the story. There is also a 1/4 hour video essay by author Joseph Dwyer (Shubian's Rift.) He discusses the film as a horror, as a women's film, mentioning I Married a Witch, differentiating between the two. It's quite astute and observant.  

Walter Colmes' Woman Who Came Back is a modest, enjoyable, horror much in the vein of atmospheric and poetic Val Lewton (Republic Studios - which also picked up this independent title for distribution.) It has Nancy Kelly (Fonda's love interest in Jesse James) as Lorna Webster, who, after being the lone survivor of a bus crash, believes that she is possessed by the spirit of a vengeful witch, Jezebel Trister, from 300-years before. The actress' younger brother was Jack Kelly of Maverick brothers fame and she was married for a time to film noir mainstay Edmond O'Brien (D.O.A., The Web, An Act of Murder, The Turning Point.) Woman Who Came Back also stars John Loder (Hitchcock's Sabotage) - as an insensitive Dr. - I can see why Lorna left him at the alter two years before. Bringing balance is Otto Kruger (The Jungle Captive, The Colossus of New York, High Noon) as the local, fairly modern, Reverend. Walter Colmes directed Accomplice which was a mystery thriller with minor noir elements from PRC starring Richard Arlen (Island of Lost Souls.) Colmes produced and directed a handful of, mostly genre, films in the 1940s. Woman Who Came Back is set in the town of Eben Rock recalling Salem and its puritanical witch-hunting past. Lewton-esque are the opening scenes on the bus with the cackling witch boarding, Halloween children wearing macabre masks, the black veil mirror doppelganging sequence... The suspicious locals also get briefly 'bewitched' and devolve to the town's burn-happy ancestors. Woman Who Came Back is short but quite entertaining and well-made. Imprint's Blu-ray offers the appealing vintage horror in 1080P with a new commentary, video essay plus David Huckvale input. Yes, we absolutely recommend to the appropriate crowd. I'm keeping it.

Gary Tooze