directed by John Ford
USA 1940

This classic Ford film eclipses much of the action of John Steinbeck's well-known novel of the Oklahoma farmers' migration from the dustbowl to the California Eden during the Depression years. The Okies were unwelcome in California, of course; they threatened the jobs of the locals. The brutal police hassled and harassed them unmercifully. The migrants formed unions in self-defence and struck for decent fruit-picking wages. This inevitably multiplied the official violence. Ford's film, shot by Gregg Toland with magnificent, lyrical simplicity, captures the stark plainness of the migrants, stripped to a few possessions, left with innumerable relations and little hope.

Excerpt from TimeOut Fiolm Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 15th, 1940 - USA

Reviews    More Reviews  DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison: 

20th Century Fox (Studio Classics) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. 20th Century Fox (Ford at Fox) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Nick Wrigley for the Review!

DVD Box Cover

Distribution

20th Century Fox (Studio Classics) - Region 1 - NTSC

 20th Century Fox (Fox at Ford) - Region 1 - NTSC
Also available in The Essential John Ford Collection (The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath / Becoming John Ford)

     

or The complete Ford at Fox Collection (DETAILS HERE)
Runtime 2:09:36 2:09:36
Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.93 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

 1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate:7.93  mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

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

Studio Classics
Bitrate:

Ford at Fox

 
Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles English, Spanish, none English, Spanish, none
Features Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by scholars Joseph McBride and Susan Shillinglaw
• U.K. prologue
• Roosevelt Lauds Motion Pictures at Academy Fete
• Movietone news: three drought reports from 1934
• Outtakes
• Restoration comparison
• Still gallery

DVD Release Date: April 6, 2004
Keep case

Chapters 32

 Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by scholars Joseph McBride and Susan Shillinglaw
• U.K. prologue
• Roosevelt Lauds Motion Pictures at Academy Fete
• Movietone news: three drought reports from 1934
• Outtakes
• Restoration comparison
• Still gallery

DVD Release Date: December 4th, 2007
Keep case

Chapters 32

 

Comments:
ADDITION: Ford at Fox- Dec. 07': This is just to confirm that the dual-sides disc from the Studio Classics (#17) in 2004 is the exact same as offered in the new Ford at Fox Collection. This includes the duplicate transfer and digital supplements.

We should again reiterate at this time that our comparison is utilizing the disc from the actual Ford at Fox Collection - hence we are unaware if the single-edition includes any liner accoutrements. It is also available in the Essential John Ford Collection with The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath and Becoming John Ford.

***

This long-awaited disc is an absolute beauty. A DVD14 flipper (entire film and commentary on one side (a DVD9) and the rest of the extras on the flipside (a DVD5). The restoration details are worth repeating here:

ABOUT THE RESTORATION: "This restoration was a collaboration between 20th Century Fox and the Museum of Modern Art, NY. Unfortunately, the original camera negative no longer exists. Various secondary sources were tested, including the two primary picture sources for the restoration - an incomplete nitrate composite dupe negative from the MoMA collection and a composite fine grain master positive belonging to Fox.

The nitrate dupe negative, whilst vastly superior in overall picture quality, contained a significant amount of damage including missing footage. This dupe negative became the primary picture source for this restoration. The fine grain master positive was inferior to the dupe negative in terms of sharpness and contrast but was more complete and was utilized to replace the missing and severely damaged sections in the nitrate dupe negative. As a final step, archival film elements were made of both the restored picture and audio elements, assuring the highest possible quality representation of this film for future generations."

 - Nick Wrigley of Masters of Cinema


DVD Menus (same for both)

 

 

Screen Captures - PICTURE QUALITY IS EXACTLY THE SAME!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DVD Box Cover

Distribution

20th Century Fox (Studio Classics) - Region 1 - NTSC

 20th Century Fox (Fox at Ford) - Region 1 - NTSC
Also available in The Essential John Ford Collection (The Frontier Marshall / My Darling Clementine / Drums Along the Mohawk / How Green Was My Valley / The Grapes of Wrath / Becoming John Ford)

     

or The complete Ford at Fox Collection (DETAILS HERE)




 

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