Tokyo Joe Humphrey Bogart

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

Directed by Stuart Heisler
USA 1949

The DVDs of Tokyo Joe are compared to the Columbia Noir #5: Humphrey Bogart Blu-ray HERE

Not every Humphrey Bogart film is a winner, though most are at least watchable. "Tokyo Joe" falls into the latter category. In this 1949 effort from director Stuart Heisler ("The Glass Key") Bogart plays a World War II hero who returns to postwar Japan to reclaim the life and wife he had long believed dead.

This is fairly routine melodrama of the era, but Bogart, as always, raises it a notch, elevating the story with a gritty sense of urgency and emotional credibility. The script isn't much to scream about, but Bogart is wonderful as is future "Bridge on the River Kwai" star Sessue Hayakawa.

Review by BoxOffice.com's Wade Major located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 26th, 1949

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DVD Comparison:

Columbia Tri-Star - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC vs. Sony Pictures, Turner Classic Movies (Humphrey Bogart: The Columbia Pictures Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC

1) Columbia Tri-Star - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Sony Pictures, Turner Classic Movies (Humphrey Bogart: The Columbia Pictures Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT

DVD Box Cover
Distribution	Columbia Tri-Star Home Video - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC	Sony Pictures, Turner Classic Movies Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:28:27	1:28:24
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.18 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.55 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: Columbia
Bitrate: Sony
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	Dolby Digital Mono (English)
Subtitles	English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, None	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Columbia Tri-Star Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Bogart Collection - bio scrolling text screen (4:22) • trailers DVD Release Date: February 10th, 2004 Keep Case Chapters: 16	Release Information: Studio: Sony Pictures Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Introduction by Ben Mankiewicz • Publicity Stills Gallery • Scene Stills Gallery • Behind the Scenes Photos Gallery • Lobby Cards Gallery • Movie Posters Gallery DVD Release Date: 5 Discs in a digipack Chapters 10

NOTE: This exact same disc is offered in the COLUMBIA TRI-STAR FILM NOIR COLLECTION VOL.1 from Japan. It contains

In A Lonely Place 1950 Dead Reckoning 1947 Tokyo Joe 1949 The Harder They Fall 1956, and Knock On Any Door 1949.

Comments:

The DVDs of Tokyo Joe are compared to the Columbia Noir #5: Humphrey Bogart Blu-ray HERE

ADDITION: Bogart - Columbia Collection - December 2011: Picture quality exhibits poorer contrast with a green hue that sometimes represents a fading telecine. There are no subtitles offered but there are some viable extras. The entire Columbia Bogart Collection is reviewed by Gregory Meshman HERE.

***

ON THE 2004 COLUMBIA: Solid image - bare bones single-layered disc. There are minor speckles and some digital noise but otherwise the image has good contrast and is reasonably sharp. Lots of (yellow) subtitle options and coded for regions 1,2,3,4. No extras save a scrolling text blurb on Bogie and some trailers. The sound is clear and all dialogue audible.

NOTE: The is the EXACT same disc found in the Japanese Columbia Tri-Star Film Noir Collection Vol.1 (it was released two weeks later than this individual US edition of Tokyo Joe).

The film is not premium Bogart but still has some appeal. It is listed as a Film Noir in the Japanese Boxset, but is obviously not in that style grouping at all - its only link would be the director Heisler and his exquisite Noir - The Glass Key - and Bogart himself who starred in many. Ohhh, keep your eye out for Noir bit player Hugh Beaumont (a favorite) who is uncredited.

Gary W. Tooze

Columbia DVD Menus