(aka 'Before the Fact')
USA 1941
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Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) is a seemingly rich, care-free playboy. He conveniently meets and marries Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth, a soon-to-be heiress. Charmed by Johnnie's initially, her suspicions about him grow and grow. Firstly his lack of income is revealed. And why does he have such a keen interest in poisons?
Despite its flawed finale (destroyed by financially apprehensive studio executives) 'Suspicion' is a wonderfully entertaining film. Its weakness doesn't deteriorate from its charm and appeal as a top-notch thriller. Half-speed Hitchcock beats out the best of many other directors.  out of
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Posters
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Theatrical Release: November 14th, 1941 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL vs. Universal - Region 2 - PAL vs. Warner Home Video - Region 1- NTSC
Big thanks to Ole Kofoed and Pavel Borodin for the Region 2 screen captures!
(Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL LEFT vs. Universal - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner -m Region 1- NTSC - RIGHT)
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Also comes in The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection
which includes -
Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition /
North by
Northwest /
Dial M for Murder /
Foreign Correspondent /
Suspicion /
The
Wrong Man /
Stage Fright /
I Confess /
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
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| Distribution |
Kinowelt Region 2- PAL |
Universal Region 2 - PAL |
Warner Home Video Region 1- NTSC |
| Runtime | 1:35:01 (4% PAL speedup) | Color = 1:39:44 (PAL: NTSC sourced) - B/W = 1:35:21 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:39:24 |
| Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.10 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
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:
Kinowelt
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| Bitrate:
Universal (Color)
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| Bitrate:
Universal (b+w)
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| Bitrate:
Warner
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: German (Dolby Digital 2.0) | English (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono) |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby) |
| Subtitles | German, none | None | English, French, Spanish, None |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Kinowelt - Region 2 - PAL
Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: •
Trailer Chapters 21 |
Release Information: Studio: Universal - Region 2 - PAL
Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 12
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Release Information: Edition Details: • Featurette
"Before the Fact: Suspicious Hitchcock" (21:33) |
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ADDITION - Kinowelt -
September 2004 - perhaps slightly superior to the Universal - Region 2
DVD but no where near the image quality of the new Warner. It does have
a long featurette on Cary Grant. Stick with the Warner, but pick up the
Kinowelt if you are a Cary Grant fan as well.
The Region 2, Universal DVD has both the original black and white version and a colorized print version option.
Wow! - the Region 2 DVD is a
mess! The colorized print is cropped (or more likely 'zoomed in') even
more than the black and white PAL version on the same disc. The
Universal was NTSC sourced and loses an immense amount of image on all
sides compared to the stellar Region 1, which, as I have stated- is
Criterion-like. Add to that the abominable Region 2 DVD - NO Extras - NO
subs and an inconsistent soundtrack. Sharpness, contrast - everything...
this choice is too easy - Warner's
magnificent Region 1 DVD all the way! |
DVD Menus
(Kinowelt
- Region 2- PAL LEFT vs. Universal
- Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Warner -m Region 1- NTSC - RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
(Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Universal (Color) - Region 2 - PAL - 2nd vs. Universal (black and white) - Region 2 - PAL - 3rd vs. Warner - Region 1- NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Universal (Color) - Region 2 - PAL - 2nd vs. Universal (black and white) - Region 2 - PAL - 3rd vs. Warner - Region 1- NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Universal (Color) - Region 2 - PAL - 2nd vs. Universal (black and white) - Region 2 - PAL - 3rd vs. Warner - Region 1- NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(Kinowelt - Region 2- PAL TOP vs. Universal (Color) - Region 2 - PAL - 2nd vs. Universal (black and white) - Region 2 - PAL - 3rd vs. Warner - Region 1- NTSC - BOTTOM)
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Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American
Style by Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward |
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Film Noir Reader 4 : The Crucial Films and Themes
(Film Noir Reader) by Alain Silver |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
More Than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts by James Naremore |
Report Card:
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Image: |
Warner |
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Sound: |
Warner |
| Extras: | Kinowelt |
| Menu: | Warner |
| DVD Box Covers |
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Also comes in The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection
which includes -
Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition /
North by
Northwest /
Dial M for Murder /
Foreign Correspondent /
Suspicion /
The
Wrong Man /
Stage Fright /
I Confess /
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
|
||
| Distribution |
Kinowelt Region 2- PAL |
Universal Region 2 - PAL |
Warner Home Video Region 1- NTSC |
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Gary Tooze
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Many Thanks...
