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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2022): Kino have transferred George Seaton's The Counterfeit Traitor to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Remastered in HD by Paramount Pictures – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative". It looks pleasing with a few frame-specific damage marks (see sample below.) Overall the 1080P image looks fine - a bit faded in spots - and exporting infrequent depth. It's a 2 hour 20-minute film and has only a few inconsistencies with colors often carrying depth and decent balance. It's on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and I suspect the best it will look without a film-level restoration.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino offer the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump or a dual-mono track (both 24-bit) in the original English language (with some German and Danish.)The Counterfeit Traitor has gunfire (by the Gestapo), bomb explosions etc. and there are modest separations but I stuck with the mono track. The score was by Alfred Newman (The Razor's Edge, The Gunfighter, Yellow Sky, The Diary of Anne Frank, Bus Stop, Blood and Sand, The Bravados, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Panic in the Streets, The Song of Bernadette etc. etc.) - notable Marianna with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The background music adds tension appropriately. The transfer has consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historian and writer Julie Kirgo. She describes The Counterfeit Traitor as part of a cycle of war-related films in the late 50s and 60s citing examples like The Guns of Navarone, The Longest Day and The Great Escape, although this deals with espionage. She discusses Eric Erickson, the real-life spy and Swedish oil executive (although born in Brooklyn), on whom the book and film are based. She identifies the film as a "runaway production" almost entirely shot in Europe. She talks about William Holden describing his characters as the greatest cynics in film history, Lilli Palmer, Hugh Griffith etc., director George Seaton and fills the long-ish film with wonderful details and information. I always enjoy listening to her thoughts and observations. There is also a trailer for The Counterfeit Traitor and a few other trailers. 

George Seaton's The Counterfeit Traitor follows the spy exploits of Eric 'Red' Erickson (Holden) relating information to the Allies on the OSS's German synthetic oil plants and his moral decision influenced by a religious woman, Frau Marianne Möllendorf (played by the beautiful Lilli Palmer.) The Counterfeit Traitor features bit parts by Klaus Kinski (one of his 137 acting credits) and infamous Ingrid van Bergen. She was eventually convicted of the manslaughter of her partner Klaus Knaths at their home in West Germany on February 2nd, 1977. She was released after five years, because of good behavior and was able to continue her acting career. The director George Seaton is most famous for writing the original screenplay, and directing, Miracle on 34th Street, Apartment for Peggy (also with Holden,) and 1970's Airport. He also notably wrote the screenplay for The Song of Bernadette. The Counterfeit Traitor is very highly regarded and has been absent from the cinema conversation for decades. It rightly deserves this Kino Blu-ray - its 4K restoration and thorough Julie Kirgo commentary. A great film very worthy of watching and owning, imo. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze