http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/lang.htm
USA 1953

Thought by many as the film that defined the end of the film-noir genre, Fritz Lang's "The Blue Gardenia" has Anne Baxter as a working girl who believes she has murdered a masher (Raymond Burr). The film contains adept elements of a mild thriller and has an unusually subtle and lasting impact.

 

Even with the film's plot development being slightly flawed in spots, it was manipulated into the narrative so matter-of-factly that it became easily accepted and rarely questioned by the viewer. One example is that May (Celia Lovsky), the blind flower seller who sold a blue gardenia to Harry Prebble (Burr) to give to Norah (Baxter) the night that he was murdered, is questioned by police. Her daughter surmises that the murderess's dress, already identified by her mother as taffeta, must be black simply because "that is the fashion this season." The fact that details like this don't gel into the total scheme of the storyline don't seem to matter to the films overall enjoyment.

 

Eventually Chronicle newspaper columnist Casey Mayo (Richard Conte) attempts to draw the unknown murderess out with a letter in his popular column. Norah's ensuing fear is mildly suspenseful, but the final outcome her arrest is the 'sword of Damocles'. Lang constructed the narrative so smoothly that most viewers do not even consider the obvious ploy that she is innocent. All-in-all a simplified film-noir and a worthwhile film experience. No one aspect of this film is worthy of superlatives, but it doesn't falter either with a meteoric decline. For film-noir fans, it is almost a must-see and for the average film fan a pleasant way to spend 1.5 hours.  out of     

Gary W. Tooze

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Theatrical Release Date: March 23, 1953

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DVD Review: Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC

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Distribution Image Entertainment  Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime 1:28:09 
Video 1.33:1.00 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.25 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
 

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Image Entertainment

 

Ratio:

1.33:1.00 - Original Aspect Ratio

Edition Details:
None

DVD Release Date: April 11, 2000
Keep Case
Chapters: 12 
Comments:
The film doesn't warrant a Criterion-like transfer, and as I doubt anyone will put this out again, I won't be overly critical about the Image Entertainment transfer. It actually looks better on my TV than in the captures below. The contrast level was very sharp, but it was not as defined an image as you might have hoped. The sound quality was very good and it suffers from no extras... not even a 'Menu' start screen. The film launches when you put the DVD in and reverts only to a Chapter menu. Still if you can get this cheap and are a noir fan, I would say pick this up. I liked it.    out of  

- Gary W. Tooze

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Distribution Image Entertainment  Region 0 - NTSC

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Gary Tooze

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Mississauga, Ontario,

L4W 4V3    CANADA

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