ADDITION- Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray  March 2010:  Firstly, let's look at the Press Release:

"Filled with adventure, drama, humor and romance, the epic and enduring cinematic classic THE AFRICAN QUEEN will finally make its way home when it debuts on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time ever on March 23, 2010 from Paramount Home Entertainment. Meticulously restored using state-of-the-art 4K digital technology, THE AFRICAN QUEEN will now be available for a new generation to appreciate and for long-time fans to see again, as if for the first time. Legendary director John Huston’s treasured romantic adventure stars the incomparable Humphrey Bogart as hard-drinking boat captain Charlie Allnut—a role that won him his only Academy Award® (Best Actor, 1951)—and renowned actress Katharine Hepburn as missionary Rose Sayer in a tale of two disparate people thrown together by fate and drawn together by love.

A six-year journey filled with challenges nearly as difficult as those faced by Rose and Charlie, the restoration process began at the source: Romulus Films—one of the film’s original production companies—provided access to the original three-strip negative at a London facility where the film was carefully scanned and digitized. The separate elements were then transferred to Los Angeles and painstakingly recombined and inspected frame by frame to ensure that every detail aligned and that any dirt and scratches were removed.

To ensure that the restored picture matched the filmmakers’ original vision, Paramount arranged a screening of an MPAA archive print for the film’s original cinematographer, Academy Award® winner Jack Cardiff*, whose comments were recorded live during the screening. That same archival print was later screened alongside the newly restored version so that the restoration team could ensure that all of Cardiff’s notes had been addressed. The result is a vibrant, warm picture that reverentially recreates the film as it was originally meant to be seen."

Bogie has already reached 1080P with Casablanca but I believe it may be a first, in the new format, for Kate Hepburn. This title was head-scratchingly absent from region 1 on DVD and considered once of the most sought-after films in the digital format for many North American cinema fans - even causing many to purchase a region-free DVD player. Well, it's here and restored to the back-teeth making it's debut in the glory of Blu-ray. It's been a long wait for some...

On an initial cursory peek - the image looks to have lived up to expectations. Colors, especially greens, are brilliant - detail takes a significant leap forward from the older PAL DVDs. Grain is limited and I'd like to live with the disc for a week before making any definitive statements. I have a few suspicions that I'll need to investigate but the viewing on my 60" plasma was, at times, breathtaking. This is, obviously, the best I have ever seen The African Queen. In the first run I was quite impressed. I REALLY enjoyed the film as I never have before.

Audio improves - but not as demonstratively as the video with no lossless rendering. It seems strange as it did with It's a Wonderful Life - but while a shade tinny at times - it was relatively cleaner, and more consistent, than the DVDs. There are also optional subtitles and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

I don't know why I was expecting the Cardiff commentary found on the Carlton UK DVD - the press release kind of hinted at it (or I didn't read closely enough), but supplements seem lean in this package as all we do get is Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen. It's a comprehensive hour-long documentary in HD that takes a look back at the production with commentary about the cast, the challenges of the filming locations and how the spectacular cinematography impacted the industry overall. Includes on-camera interviews with notable Hollywood icons, critics and crew members from the film including Martin Scorsese, Tony Huston, Richard Schickel and more, plus never-before-seen archival images and home movie footage provided by the estate of cinematographer Jack Cardiff. It's very informative with some beautiful still shots - some behind the scenes - and interview tidbits. The "Commemorative" editions offer more (an audio disc with a recording of the Lux Radio Theater broadcast of The African Queen, a reproduction of Katharine Hepburn’s out-of-print memoir "The Making of The African Queen or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind", a Senitype film frame collectible reproduction and postcards featuring reproductions of images related to the film) - but it's a personal choice whether it is worth the higher price at about $11.50 extra for the Blu-ray 'commemorative'). NOTE: the Blu-ray commemorative is, at present, only 1 lonely dollar more than the similar DVD package.

This is a title where I feel I can't do much to influence sales unless I can state something really wrong - and, at this stage, I can't. Like many, I love the film and was owning this Blu-ray come hell-or-high-water. The viewing stirred me and I'm sure it will for most who watch The African Queen in this higher resolution.

***

ON THE DVDs: The Manga DVD is washed out, hazy, saturated, cropped and the colors are off. I don't think you need any other reason to buy the Carlton, but if you do, it has a commentary by Jack Cardiff. The Carlton is the definitive DVD for this film right now. The Manga's Spanish subs are forced when the audio is English. Stay away from the Manga!