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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "East of Shanghai")

 

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/hitchcock.htm
UK 1931

 

Rich and Strange, also known as East of Shanghai, is the splendid seafaring comedy from legendary director Alfred Hitchcock’s early years in the British film industry. Fred Hill (Henry Kendall) and his wife Emily (Joan Barry) lead a boring existence in the London suburbs. When the Hills come into an inheritance from a wealthy uncle, Fred quits his mundane job and they embark on a world cruise to get a taste of the high life. But all does not go as planned as the couple’s voyage becomes fraught with treacherous romantic duplicities. Money does not buy happiness when Hitchcock steers the ship! A visually dazzling and slyly hilarious portrait of a marriage in crisis, Rich and Strange is a one-of-a-kind classic from the Master of Suspense!

***

Hitchcock's career is full of unexpected patterns and internal correspondences, but none are more bizarre than the comparison between this modestly ambitious drama of 1932 and his Cold War spy movie Torn Curtain of 1966. Both are about couples abroad (in this case, middle class suburbanites who come into money and take a disastrous world cruise), and both are extraordinarily scathing about the timidity and emotional reserve of their central characters: innocence, of the most banal and compromised kind confronts experience in the form of exotic strangers and risks, and responds by retreating further into its shell. It wasn't well received at the time, but Hitchcock himself retained enthusiasm for it.

Excerpt from TimeOut located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 10th, 1931

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:23:29.462     
Video

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 29,463,533,890 bytes

Feature: 27,318,724,608 bytes

Video Bitrate: 39.27 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1993 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1993 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

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 29,463,533,890 bytes

Feature: 27,318,724,608 bytes

Video Bitrate: 39.27 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Troy Howarth
• Hitchcock/Truffaut: Icon interviews Icon (Audio) (5:39)
• Introduction by Noël Simsolo (3:46)
• Trailers (0:54)


Blu-ray Release Date:
January 4th, 2022
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 10

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (January 2022): Kino have transferred Alfred Hitchcock's Rich and Strange to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "4K Restoration by Studio Canal". The 1080P transfer has moments of impressive clarity, consistent rich grain support and pleasing, if occasionally faded (pale), contrast. The image is damage-free and provides an enjoyable HD presentation. Considering the film's 90-year age, the video quality is remarkable.

NOTE: We have added 70 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. Rich and Strange is an early-talkie and has typically less-crisp audio and dialogue. But it was audible infused with occasional title-cards. The drama-filled score by Adolph Hallis - as 'Hal Dolphe' (his only film composure credit with the following year's Number Seventeen directed by Hitchcock,) sounding clean with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

NOTE: HERE is a YouTube video of a fan identifying a problem (repeated sound for a scene...) with the audio on the Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historian Troy Howarth. He is always a pleasure to listen to adding bits of humor and filling the film's running time with anecdotes of The Master's sense of humor, Hitch's opening credit of adaptation, details on performers Henry Kendall, Joan Barry, Betty Amann etc. I don't think I've heard a Howarth commentary that I wasn't both entertained by and learned from. This is no exception. There is also five minutes of audio from the 'Hitchcock / Truffaut: Icon' interviews and four minutes of an introduction by French actor and writer Noël Simsolo. Lastly is a trailer for the film and a handful of other early Hitchcock efforts.

Alfred Hitchcock's Rich and Strange is interesting - essentially a comedy with some themes of martial conflict + dissatisfaction, privilege, deception and value-centering. I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. It's fun with amusing characters and high-level adventure seeping into the story. Vintage film fans, and Hitch-completists, will appreciate the Kino Blu-ray for a lesser-seen Master effort and the edifying commentary. There is more here than you might think. Recommended!

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

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Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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