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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by William Dieterle
USA 1945

 

Starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten, Love Letters is a romantic mystery about a lovely, trusting young woman who suffers from amnesia after her husband’s violent death. During World War II, Roger Morland (Robert Scully) persuades his friend Alan Quinton (Joseph Cotton) to write passionate love letters to Victoria Remington (Jones). Believing that Roger is the author of the letters, she marries him. Roger’s deception sets in motion a dire chain of events that locks Victoria in a world of fear and clouded memories. So begins a tale of intrigue, love and suspense, as Alan returns home in search of Victoria, the woman he loves. Once he finds her, can he risk driving her over the edge with the knowledge of her past life? Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Actress, this gripping thriller is an unforgettable romance/murder mystery that both touches the heart and teases the mind.

***

Alan (Joseph Cotten), a soldier stationed in Italy during World War II, writes love letters for his ineloquent friend, Roger (Robert Sully), to his romantic interest at home, Victoria. Alan falls for Victoria through their correspondence despite his engagement to another woman. After being wounded, Alan returns home only to learn that Roger and Victoria have died under strange circumstances. However, an amnesiac named Singleton (Jennifer Jones) might hold the key to the mystery of their deaths.

***

A florid romantic melodrama about an amnesiac cured - and cleared of her husband's murder - by the love of a soldier (Cotten) who had earlier dreamed up the letters supposedly written by his buddy (whom she then married). Never mind the dottily contrived plot and the tiresomely fey Jones; the superlative camerawork (Lee Garmes) and Dieterle's brooding direction make it a really rather ravishing experience.

Excerpt from the TimeOut located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 25th, 1945

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 1:41:15.666        
Video

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,836,970,295 bytes

Feature: 19,914,055,680 bytes

Video Bitrate: 22.95 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 1583 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1583 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

 

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,836,970,295 bytes

Feature: 19,914,055,680 bytes

Video Bitrate: 22.95 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Entertainment Journalists/Authors Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
• Theatrical Trailer (2:49)


 Blu-ray Release Date: March 14th, 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 (May 2023): Kino have transferred William Dieterle's Love Letters to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New HD Master – From a 2K Scan of the 35mm Fine Grain". In 2014 we reviewed the Universal Vault MoD (Made on Demand) DVD of Love Letters HERE. It was bare-bones and interlaced with Chroma. This single-layered 1080P is superior but not the height of the format. Contrast greatly improves with deeper black levels and there is, generally, more information in the frame. The Blu-ray doesn't have the compression issues of the SD transfer with 5X the bitrate. Visible cue-blips have been removed but light damage marks were still apparent (see samples below.) Overall a significant leap over the poor DVD image.

NOTE: We have added 62 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. Love Letters has no aggressive moments - well, one, but the film is carried well by the  Victor Young score (No Time For Love, Arise My Love, Union Pacific, The Accused, Strategic Air Command, The Sun Shines Bright, Johnny Guitar, China Gate etc.) with a melodic love theme - reused by David Lynch in Blue Velvet. Strings and gentle woodwinds establish idyllic countryside thatched-roof cottages. It also ads to the film's brooding mystery / thriller of Victoria Morland aka Singleton's (Jen Jones) awakening. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by entertainment journalists / authors Bryan Reesman (Bon Jovi: The Story) and Max Evry (A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune. An Oral History.) I don't know if they were the best choice for this film but I labored through it and appreciated their research. They make connection to the modern process of 'Catfishing' (disguising your online identity in communication), share information about the leads, David O. Selznick, other films with both Joseph Cotten and Jennifer Jones (Since You Went Away, Portrait of Jennie, Duel in the Sun) and comparisons with a modern cast plus much more. There is also a trailer for Love Letters and a dozen other films with Jones and/or Cotten. 

William Dieterle's Love Letters followed an Ayn Rand screenplay that was adapted from the novel Pity My Simplicity by Christopher Massie converting his story into an adaptation of Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac. Strong themes of identity, amnesia, dual personalities, suppressed memories, permeate this wonderful melodramatic romance with dialogue like this:

Allen Quinton (Cotten): "I couldn't possibly say what I'd like to say right now."
Singleton (Jones): "What?"
Allen Quinton: "I'd like to say that you're lovely."
Singleton: "Go ahead, say it. I'd like to hear it."
Allen Quinton: "You're lovely."

There is a distant relationship of Love Letters to the Film Noir cycle but it is less fitting. Regardless, I am a big fan of Love Letters and am pleased with the Kino Blu-ray and its advancement over the MoD DVD. I throw this on twice a year. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Universal 'Vault Series' - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

Visible Cue Blip markers on the DVD

 

Light Damage examples on the Blu-ray image

 

(CLICK to ENLARGE)

 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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