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( aka "Jenny Lamour" )

directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
 France 1947

 

From Henri-Georges Clouzot, the legendary director of The Wages of Fear, Diabolique, Le Corbeau and La Prisonnière, comes this classic film noir co-written by Clouzot and Jean Ferry (L’Enfer, Manon). Come see the fabulous Jenny Lamour, the singer with stars in her eyes! Ignoring the protest of her covetous husband Maurice (Bernard Blier, Buffet Froid), Jenny (Suzy Delair, Rocco and His Brothers) pursues a meeting with a lecherous movie financier. When Maurice attempts to crash the rendezvous, it’s murder! Enter Inspector Antoine (Louis Jouvet, Hotel du Nord), whose seasoned instincts lead him down a circuitous path of alibis and deceit. Set within the vibrant dancehalls and historic crime corridors of 1940s Paris, Quai des Orfèvres was beautifully shot in stunning black-and-white by Armand Thirard (…And God Created Woman, La Vérité).

***

Blacklisted for his daring “anti-French” masterpiece, Le Corbeau, Henri-Georges Clouzot returned to cinema four years later with the 1947 crime fiction adaptation, Quai des Orfèvres. Set within the vibrant dancehalls and historic crime corridors of 1940s Paris, ambitious performer Jenny Lamour (Suzy Delair), her covetous piano-playing husband Maurice Martineau (Bertrand Blier), and their devoted confidante Dora Monier (Simone Renant) attempt to cover one another’s tracks when a sexually orgreish high-society acquaintance is murdered. Enter Inspector Antoine (Louis Jouvet), whose seasoned instincts lead him down a circuitous path in this classic whodunit murder mystery.

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 9th, 1947 (Venice Film Festival)

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

A UK (Region 'B') Blu-ray came out from Studio Canal in 2018:

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Criterion Collection  Spine # 193
Region 1 - NTSC		 Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:47:00       1:47:33.947 
Video 1.33:1.00 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 8.10 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,722,190,651 bytes

Feature: 33,714,450,432 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio French (Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono)

DTS-HD Master Audio French 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles English, None English, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Edition Details:

  • Interviews with director Henri-Georges Clouzot and actors Bernard Blier, Suzy Delair, and Simone Renant, from the 1971 French television program Au Cinéma Ce Soir (17:01)
  • Original theatrical trailer (3:28)
  • Poster gallery from the film’s international release (8 posters)
  • Essay by author Luc Sante
  • New and improved English subtitle translation

  • Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

DVD Release Date: May 27th, 2003
Keep Case
Chapters: 24

 		Release Information:
Studio: Kino

 

1.37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,722,190,651 bytes

Feature: 33,714,450,432 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton
• Interviews with Director Henri-Georges Clouzot and Actors Bernard Blier, Suzy Delair and Simone Renant, from the 1971 French TV program "Au Cinéma Ce Soir" (17:04 - SD)
• Theatrical Trailer (3:33 in SD)


 Blu-ray Release Date: February 25th, 2020
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 9

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2020): Kino have transferred Henri-Georges Clouzot's Quai des Orfèvres to 1080P Blu-ray. It is from a "4K Restoration". We don't have the Studio Canal to compare but suspect it is from the same restoration. As compared to the 2003 Criterion DVD - the image is darker, shows wonderful grain textures and looks excellent in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The dark look is far more suitable for the film and the image in-motion is consistent, clean and very pleasing.

NOTE: 26 more large resolution Blu-ray captures are for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono track (16-bit) in the original French language. The lossless advances on the Criterion - notable in the musical numbers written by Francis Lopez with his songs Avec son Tralala and Danse avec Moi - both performed by Suzy Delair. They have some resonance and sound authentically flat. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray duplicates the 17-minute interviews with director Henri-Georges Clouzot and actors Bernard Blier, Suzy Delair and Simone Renant, from the 1971 French TV program "Au Cinéma Ce Soir" as found on the 2003 Criterion DVD, but they add a new audio commentary by film critic Nick Pinkerton. He can be a little dry but fills the presentation with knowledge about Clouzot, Quai des Orfèvres and many facets of the production including the locations, the Stanislas-André Steeman novel, Joëlle Bernard's suicide, sexually jealousy in the film and pretty much every piece of minutia you might want to know about Quai des Orfèvres. He provides excellent value for those keen to indulge. There is also an SD trailer for the film and a few other trailers - of mostly Clouzot films. 

Quai des Orfèvres is a crime-thriller masterpiece from one of the greats; Henri-Georges Clouzot. I really enjoyed my viewing in HD. Nothing diminishes upon revisitation - in fact, it tends to improve. The Kino Blu-ray with the Pinkerton commentary has essential value. World cinema fans need to own this. Your collection is weaker without it. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze

 

Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC

 

Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

A UK (Region 'B') Blu-ray came out from Studio Canal in 2018:

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Criterion Collection  Spine # 193
Region 1 - NTSC		 Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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