Lucky Jordan Blu-ray

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3) Access to over 50,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!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

(aka "Lucky Gordon" or "Prelude to Glory")

Directed by Frank Tuttle
USA 1942

Screen great Alan Ladd (China, O.S.S., Calcutta, Shane) stars as a wise guy who finds himself in one predicament after another in Lucky Jordan. When he discovers that he can no longer avoid the draft, a self-serving New York racketeer (Ladd) fails at his half-hearted attempt at military life. He goes AWOL, stealing a car that happens to contain a briefcase full of valuable military plans. What follows is an escapade filled with Nazi spies, espionage, assassins, saboteurs…and a beautiful member of the WAC determined to reform the gangster. Directed by Frank Tuttle (This Gun for Hire) and co-starring Helen Walker (Murder, He Says), Lucky Jordan is tough…trigger mad…and terrific!

***

Lucky Jordan is a gangster living in New York City and when he's drafted into the army, he tries to escape duty by using an old con woman named Annie to convince the draft board he's needed at home. When that fails, Jordan is sent to boot camp, but he doesn't stay there long. He takes a beautiful USO worker hostage and flees back to New York. There, he learns that a rival gangster is plotting against America.

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 16th, 1942

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

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

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:23:37.416
Video	1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,246,600,026 bytes Feature: 19,709,239,296 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1592 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1592 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 (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,246,600,026 bytes Feature: 19,709,239,296 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.93 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Samm Deighan • Theatrical Trailer (1:36) Reversible Cover Art Blu-ray Release Date: March 21st, 2023 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 8

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (April 2023): Kino have transferred Frank Tuttle's Lucky Jordan to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New HD Master – From a 2K Scan of the 35mm Fine Grain". The image is clean with decently layered contrast - it's quite thick and textured. There are instances of depth and I would say the single-layered transfer with supportive bitrate is a positive one.

NOTE: We have added 46 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. Lucky Jordan's track is clean and has few aggressive moments (rifle fire, physical conflicts etc.) that come through with effective depth. There is a score by Adolph Deutsch (The Maltese Falcon, High Sierra, Ramrod, The Apartment, Across the Pacific) adding marginally to the drama 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 Samm Deighan. She talks about this being Ladd's first real leading role, the overlaps and collaborations with Tuttle and Ladd, and how Lucky Jordan has been out of the conversation for a while. She observes noir and spy tropes as well as WW2 propaganda. Samm's always good and has researched the film well and make astute comments on Alan Ladd and his career. There is also a trailer for Lucky Jordan and a few other Ladd films. There is a reversible sleeve (see below.)

Frank Tuttle's Lucky Jordan was based on Charles Leonard's original screenplay, Prelude to Glory, about a gangster serving in the army. Lucky Jordan was the first film role of Helen Walker (also in two favorite dark cinema gems; Impact, and Nightmare Alley.) The briefcase carried by 'Lucky' was also used by Alan Ladd when he played Raven in This Gun for Hire (where Ladd received fourth billing - however his performance made him a star.) Ladd reportedly, considered the briefcase prop a good luck charm. Fans always enjoy seeing Ladd in a crime melodrama as a gangster taking on spies. Lucky Jordan is not at the height of his Lake-Ladd Noirs but full of his tough-guy charisma. The Kino Blu-ray offers a pleasing 1080P presentation with a worthwhile optional commentary by Deighan. It is 28% OFF at the writing of this review.