The Big Sleep Humphrey Bogart

directed by Howard Hawks
USA 1946

L.A. private eye Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) takes on a blackmail case...and follows a trail peopled with murderers, pornographers, nightclub rogues, the spoiled rich and more. But Raymond Chandler's legendary gumshoe solves it in hard-boiled style - and style is what The Big Sleep is all about. Director Howard Hawks serves up snappy character encounters, brisk pace and atmosphere galore. Classic Noir !

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Theatrical Release: 31 August 1946

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The Third Man
by Graham Greene

The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir

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Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City

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The Third Man (BFI Film Classics (Paperback))
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The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the Classic Era of Film Noir
by Eddie Muller

The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir: Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's
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Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era, 1940-1959
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DVD Review: Warner Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Vincent Lacomme for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Warner Home Video Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:53:51
Video	1.33 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4,21 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 (2.0 mono)
Subtitles	English, French, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33 Edition Details: • Cast & Crew • 1945/1946 comparison (16:31) (no subtitles) • Behind the scenes - Production notes (8 pages) • Theatrical trailer (1:52) (no subtitles) DVD Release Date: 15 February 2000 Snap Case Chapters 32

Comments

Image quality of this DVD is acceptable. 1946 theatrical version (Side A) is included with the less-familiar 1945 prerelease version (Side B). Shadow detail and black levels are strong. Sharpness is adequate and there is visible film grain. Subtitles are well done. Bravo to Warner to include both releases. If we are looking for a re-release- perhaps a commentary and a slight tightening of the image would be in order. No likely to see anytime before HD DVD though.

- Gary Tooze

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