Back Street Blu-ray - Charles Boyer / Margaret Sullavan

Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential.

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

1) Our weekly Newsletter sent to your Inbox every Monday morning!
2) Patron-only Silent Auctions - so far over 30 Out-of-Print titles have moved to deserved, appreciative, hands!
3) Access to over 20,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much.

Search DVDBeaver

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

directed by Robert Stevenson
USA 1941

Back Street, one of the most popular and endearing romance novels of all time, has been brought to the silver screen several times over the years. This sublime 1941 adaptation stars the luminous Margaret Sullavan (The Good Fairy, The Shop Around the Corner) and the dashing Charles Boyer (When Tomorrow Comes, Gaslight.. Five years after meeting and falling in love with a banker (Boyer), a willful shop girl (Sullavan) decides to become his “back street” woman upon learning he has since gotten married and had a son. This classic story of an illicit love affair from author Fannie Hurst (Imitation of Life) is brought to vivid life by director Robert Stevenson (Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins) with wonderful supporting roles by Richard Carlson (All I Desire), Frank McHugh (Going My Way) and Tim Holt (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre). Featuring an Oscar-nominated score by Frank Skinner (The Tarnished Angels), this elegant tearjerker packs a hefty dramatic punch.

***

Previously filmed in 1932, and remade a third time in 1961, this second film version of Fannie Hurst's novel stars Margaret Sullavan as a fashion designer in love with a married banker (Charles Boyer). Directed by Robert Stevenson, the film also stars Richard Carlson, Tim Holt, Frank McHugh, Esther Dale and Cecil Cunningham.

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 4th, 1941 (Miami, Florida)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Universal Studios (Two Movie Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the DVD screen captures!

Box Cover		Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Universal Studios Region 1 - NTSC	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:28:57	1:29:02.420
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.56 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 22,230,014,370 bytes Feature: 20,555,821,056 bytes Video Bitrate: 26.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: DVD
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1988 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1988 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB
Subtitles	None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Studios Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Galleries DVD Release Date: September 26th, 2011 Keep Case Chapters 13	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 22,230,014,370 bytes Feature: 20,555,821,056 bytes Video Bitrate: 26.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin and Costume Historian Elissa Rose • Theatrical Trailer (Newly Mastered in 2K) (3:11) Blu-ray Release Date: March 22nd, 2022 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 0

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (March 2022): Kino have transferred Robert Stevenson's 1941 Back Street to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 2K Master". It is from the Universal Master and has the same damage marks. In fact, they are more prominent in the higher resolution. Frequent speckles are also seen but both are frame specific and detail and grain textures rise pleasingly. There is slightly more information in the frame on the side edges on the Blu-ray. This 1080P is a wide step above the 2011 SD transfer that shared the package with the 1961 adaptation - reviewed by Gregory HERE. Notice the cue blip markers have been removed.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Back Street has no prominent audio aggression. The score is by Frank Skinner (The Sleeping City, The World in His Arms, Arabian Nights, The Lady Gambles, The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, Thunder Bay, and The Naked City) sounding a bit weak in spots but the lossless does its best - overall another representation of the source limitations. Skinner was nominated for an Academy Award for 'Best Music' for Back Street. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Lee Gambin and Costume Historian Elissa Rose. There is obviously a lot of coverage on the period wardrobe ('gowns by Vera West'.) Margaret Sullavan's gowns were credited to Muriel King, uncredited costume jewelry by Eugene Joseff and the wardrobe mistress was Mrs. Tommy McCoig. They discuss a lot about the film and the performers as well s the other adaptations of Back Street. Sullavan's personal life is quite fantastic. There is also a 'Newly Mastered in 2K' trailer - that is likewise in rough shape plus trailers for other films including Sullavan's The Good Fairy and the 61's version of Back Street.

Robert Stevenson's Back Street is described as a "sympathetic tale of an adulterous couple". It duplicates parts of the 1932 film - scene for scene. Margaret Sullavan wanted Charles Boyer to play Walter Saxel even relinquishing her top billing. The Fannie Hurst novel is highly regarded are all the film adaptations. Debatably, this is the best of the three. I was very happy to be able to see this via the Kino Blu-ray (the DVD was poor) with an edifying commentary as a supplement. Vintage era films fans should pick this up.