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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

directed by Henry Koster
USA 1962

 

Mr. Hobbs (James Stewart) is an overworked business man who seeks a quiet seaside vacation with his wife (Maureen O'Hara) and family, including his grown daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. What he finds is a dilapidated beach house, nosey neighbors, and everything Hobbs does creates further complications...

***

James Stewart stars as Roger Hobbs, a banker who's looking forward to a quiet holiday with wife Peggy (Maureen O'Hara). Mrs. Hobbs, however, has a different idea and hires a holiday home by the sea that will accommodate the whole family. The couple's troubles begin when the abode turns out to be a crumbling gothic edifice rather than a beautiful villa and continue as their miscreant siblings cause havoc.

Excerpt from Channel 4 capsule found HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 15th, 1962

Reviews                                                         More Reviews                                                 DVD Reviews

Comparison:

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray RIGHT

 

Box Cover

Distribution 20th Century Fox Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:56:32  1:56:40.368 1:56:41.035
Video 2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.99 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,134,648,804 bytes

Feature: 21,451,419,648 bytes

Video Bitrate: 17.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,534,654,937 bytes

Feature: 35,048,429,568 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.99 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: Koch Blu-ray

Bitrate: Twilight Time  Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0) English (Mono 1.0) DUBs: Spanish (Mono 1.0), French (Mono 1.0)  LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
LPCM Audio German 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
LPCM Audio Italian 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1086 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1086 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1775 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1775 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles English, Spanish, None English, German, Italian, none English, none
Features

Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 2.35:1

Edition Details:

• Trailer
• MovieTone News
• Fox Flix (more trailers)

DVD Release Date: September 6th, 2005

Keep Case
Chapters: 24

Release Information:
Studio: Koch

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,134,648,804 bytes

Feature: 21,451,419,648 bytes

Video Bitrate: 17.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• Poster Gallery

• Trailer
• MovieTone News
• German trailer

Blu-ray Release Date:
October 21st, 2011
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 12 

Release Information:
Studio:
Twilight Time

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,534,654,937 bytes

Feature: 35,048,429,568 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• Isolated Score

• MovieTone Movie Lot (1:13)

• Trailer (2:58)

Julie Kirgo liner notes



Blu-ray Release Date: April, 2014
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 12 

 

Comments:

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

 

ADDITION: Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray (April 14'): Similar transfer to the Region 'B' 1080P - just a little better with a more robust, dual-layered rendering. Colors are richer (flesh tones warmer), overall a bit darker and grain more consistent. It is the best with a max'ed out bitrate.

 

I didn't notice any difference in the score - the Twilight Time is authentically 1.0 channel mono. The great Henry Mancini (Hatari, Experiment in Terror, Charade) scored the film and it sounds well-supported in lossless. Twilight Time offer this score in an isolated track and there are optional English subtitles. Other than that we have the same MovieTone 'Gopher Gridders' piece and a trailer. The package includes liner notes by Julie Kirgo.

 

Lots of fun when you are in the mood. It's a shame we didn't get some type of sequel with the same cast. The Twilight Time is recommended as the best digital release. Again, limited to 3,000 Blu-ray copies so gets your now or risk paying high auction prices later.

 

***

 

ADDITION: Koch- Region 'B' - Blu-ray (November 11'): This is okay - although single-layered the screen captures can support the superior detail of the 1080P image. There is some depth, colors are tighter but not as bold - and the overall image is brighter. I have no reason to doubt this is from the same source but shows the benefits of the HD resolution. There is some grain and a few artifacts - the image is, generally, pleasing.

 

Audio has linear PCM stereo tracks for original English, and German and Italian DUBs - all clocking in at 1536 kbps. There are also subtitle for all three languages. Mancini's score sounds solid in uncompressed and the film's dialogue is consistent and clear. The Blu-ray disc is region 'B'-locked.

No real extras - the same Gopher Gridders piece on the DVD, there are trailers and a nice Poster Gallery.

I enjoyed the film more than I did on SD - but maybe I was just in the mood for Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation. The house is falling apart ala Green Acres and there are some warm and funny family moments. It's a pretty good film but perhaps targeting Jimmy Stewart and/or Maureen O'Hara fans. The Blu-ray transfer is a considerable step-up.

***

ON THE DVD: Very good quality image, anamorphic, progressively transferred, good colors, original audio (and further options), tight to the frame and impressively maintained widescreen aspect ratio. No extras worth mentioning - the MovieTone News shows the Gopher Gridders (football team?) visiting a movie lot (?).  This is a good DVD of a decent Jimmy Stewart film and the price is right to enjoy a sweet and occasionally humorous family effort.

Gary W. Tooze


Menus

 

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT


 

Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 


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

 

Subtitle Sample

 

1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Screen Captures

 

1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

1) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Box Cover

Distribution 20th Century Fox Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC Koch - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray




 

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