The Long Night - Henry Fonda

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Anatole Litvak
USA 1947

An exciting rediscovery from the studio vaults, The Long Night is an emotionally gripping, visually dynamic film noir, in which Henry Fonda, at the peak of his career, delivers an unforgettable performance. Presented in an intricate web of flashbacks, The Long Night follows the fractured thoughts of Joe Adams (Henry Fonda), a factory worker pinned inside his third-floor apartment after gunning down a mysterious, dapper gentleman (Vincent Price). Joe's memories, often containing flashbacks within flashbacks, reconstruct the events leading up to the shooting, revealing his romance with a quiet young girl (Barbara Bel Geddes), his less-romantic involvement with a worn-out showgirl (Ann Dvorak) and the varied twists of fate which drove Joe to murder.

In staging this remake of Marcel Carné's Le Jour Se Leve (France, 1939), the producers of The Long Night imported not only the story, but the look of poetic realism that made the original so haunting. At once dismal and magical, the world of The Long Night was unlike anything Hollywood had yet imagined, and laid the groundwork for the dark and gritty (but highly stylized) imagery that became the trademark of film noir.

Gary W. Tooze

Posters, Lobbycard etc.

Theatrical Release: May 28th, 1947

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DVD Review: Kino Video - Region 0 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
	For an extensive savings Kino are offering the 5-disc Film Noir - The Dark Side of Hollywood boxset with Sudden Fear / *The Long Night* / *Hangmen Also Die* / *Railroaded* and Behind Locked Doors coming out September 12th, 2006.
Distribution	Kino Video - Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:36:54
Video	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.72 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)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • 2 Comparison clips between La Jour Se Leve and The Long Night • Visual essay on the production design • Photo Gallery DVD Release Date: July 18th, 2000 Keep Case Chapters: 16

Comments:

There is this notice on the DVD case:

"*Note: although this Kino on Video exclusive was digitally mastered from the original 35mm nitrate negative, due to its condition there is some fluctuation in the audio levels of the soundtrack. "

Frankly though, aside from not being progressively transferred ('combing' very evident in horizontal pans) this image looks quite good - even stupendous. Granted the film is noted for some amazing cinematography but the Kino image seems to have preserved it very well, with strong contrast and light grain showing through. There are noted fluctuations in the brightness and some minor scratches appearing with one major damage mark appears at the end. I also noted many instances of visible 'cue blips' for reel changes. I was a little hesitant regarding the price of this disc but now I am extremely pleased with this purchase. After watching the film I felt like saying - 'Where have I been?" - I'm shocked that this pure masterpiece had evaded my radar for so many years. Considering when this DVD was released (over 5 years ago) it has some great extras with the comparison clips and extensive digital essay.

I am pretty blown-away by this discovery. A real hidden gem reminding me of Fritz Lang's 'Fury' and one which I strongly recommend. out of