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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (October 2023): Indicator have transferred to Blu-ray another Universal Noir #2 Blu-ray boxset has 1945's Lady on a Train, Siodmak)'s 1947 Time Out of Mind, Singapore with MacMurray and Gardner, Korda's 1948 A Woman’s Vengeance and the set finishes with two late 40s films by director Michael Gordon; An Act of Murder with Fredric March and The Lady Gambles with Barbara Stanwyck. Five of the six films have been released on Kino Blu-ray and we have reviewed each of them previously. We compared the DVDs of Lady on a Train with Deanna Durbin that we reviewed HERE. Kino's individual Blu-ray of Time Out of Mind HERE, Singapore as part of Kino's Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VI Blu-ray, reviewed HERE, A Woman’s Vengeance as part of Kino's Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XI Blu-ray HERE, An Act of Murder as part of Kino's Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema IV Blu-ray, reviewed HERE and The Lady Gambles as part of Kino's Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema III Blu-ray, reviewed HERE.

We have reviewed Indicator's Universal Noir Volume #1 Blu-ray Boxset HERE with The Web (Michael Gordon, 1947), Larceny (George Sherman, 1948), Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (Norman Foster, 1948), Abandoned (Joseph M Newman, 1949), Deported (Robert Siodmak, 1950) and Naked Alibi (Jerry Hopper, 1954.)

Lady on a Train has a '2022 restoration from a 2K scan' and carries some inherent softness and the contrast appears slightly muddy. Simply via the 1080P resolution (4-5 X the bitrate) alone though a visible improvement over the SDs is obvious on my system. We don't have much to say beyond what we stated about the Kino 1080P transfers because they are extremely similar to these new Indicator HD presentations. Here is an overview:

Time Out of Mind is also cited as being from a "2022 restoration from a 2K scan". The 1080P image has some inherent softness and a few speckles but is generally consistent with decent contrast. I was pleased with the HD presentation. Regal-looking period art direction by John DeCuir (Cleopatra) and Bernard Herzbrun (Creature from the Black Lagoon.)

Like the Kino 1080P, the Indicator Singapore (from a '2021 restoration from a 2K scan') looks very pleasing with rich texture - few speckles and the contrast is on the impressive-side. Singapore and often shows depth. I really didn't have any big concerns.

Including a few speckles and surface scratches the A Woman’s Vengeance image ('2021 restoration from a 4K scan') quality has parity with the 2002 Kino Blu-ray. Quite pleasing.

The single-layered transfer ('2013 restoration from a 2K scan') of An Act of Murder has a supportive bitrate but the source has weaknesses - frequently looking impaired by damage (prominent vertical scratches still exist) in the Frederic March in jail scenes. It can look heavy and clunky with modest contrast, but is entirely watchable.

The Lady Gambles is transferred to a dual-layered disc and the 1080P is gorgeous with beautifully consistent grain, greatly improved detail and some depth. It still shows the same marks and speckles as the Kino Blu-ray but the overall HD presentation is quite an improvement over DVDs.

NOTE: We have not produced any Patron Bonus Captures as the image quality is indistinguishable from the Kino Blu-ray editions. We do have BONUS CAPTURES for Patrons HERE, HERE, and HERE on three of these titles.

On their Blu-rays, Indicator linear PCM mono tracks (24-bit) in the original English language - for all six films. They export an authentically flat expression.

For Lady on a Train the iconic Miklós Rózsa did the score (The Killers, The Lost Weekend, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Double Indemnity) but most will remember Deanna Durbin beautifully singing Cole Porter's Night and Day.

There is a dramatic score on Time Out of Mind by the trifecta of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Zombies of Mora Tau, The Return of the Vampire, Night Editor, And Then There Were None,) Miklós Rózsa (The Green Cockatoo, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, The Killers, The Lost Weekend, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Double Indemnity) and Daniele Amfitheatrof (The Damned Don't Cry, Human Desire, The Capture, An Act of Murder, The Last Hunt, I'll Be Seeing You, Edge of Eternity, The Lost Moment, The Desperate Hours, Undercover Girl, Letter From An Unknown Woman) which includes the New England Symphony by Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Rózsa and Time Out of Mind (theme) by 'Jayne Glyde' and Rózsa. The piano music, reminiscent of Debussy, sounded strong in the lossless transfer.

There is sporadic violence throughout Singapore - but it is generally tame with hardly any gunfire - just a lot of pointing it as a threat. There is minor bass response but everything is authentically flat. The wonderful score for Singapore is by Daniele Amfitheatrof (The Capture, An Act of Murder, The Last Hunt, I'll Be Seeing You, Edge of Eternity, The Lost Moment, The Desperate Hours, Human Desire, Letter From An Unknown Woman.) In Singapore there is uncredited music by Nacio Herb Brown - Temptation - used throughout the movie as a leitmotif for Ava Gardner's character Linda Grahame.

The the dramatic score on A Woman's Vengeance is again by the iconic Miklós Rózsa adding significant impact to the film experience.

There are almost no aggressive effects in An Act of Murder (a car crash and amusement park) and an excellent score by Daniele Amfitheatrof (The Last Hunt, I'll Be Seeing You, Edge of Eternity, The Lost Moment, The Desperate Hours, Human Desire, Letter From An Unknown Woman), sounding deep with consistent dialogue.

On The Lady Gambles there is a dramatic score by Frank Skinner (The Sleeping City, The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, Thunder Bay, and The Naked City) that support the film and its Noir conventions well. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-rays.

The Indicator Blu-rays offers commentaries for all six films. Five of which are new (2023.) We get writers Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme (Missing Reels: A Novel) on Lady on a Train. I really enjoyed Adrian Martin on Time Out of Mind (his fifth Siodmak film audio commentary!), and by screenwriter and author Kelly Goodner (Sceneclopedia Action/Adventure: Every Scene of 25 Action/Adventure Films) and filmmaker and film historian Jim Hemphill (The Art and Craft of TV Directing: Conversations with Episodic Television Directors) on Singapore, by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney On A Woman's Vengeance (also found on the 2022 Kino Blu-ray.) He is always informative and offers a rundown of this British-made Noir. He discusses the many changes Aldous Huxley made adapting from his own, famous short story from 1921,“The Gioconda Smile," as well as the battles he fought with Universal over its adaptation, including the, interesting, reason the name was changed to A Woman's Vengeance, where it fits into the history of Universal and the careers of the people who made it, the themes that are woven throughout the story, and how it was received upon its original release There is a new commentary by entertainment journalists Max Evry and Bryan Reesman on An Act of Murder. Lastly, and - also new - one by writer and film historian Pamela Hutchinson on The Lady Gambles - I enjoyed her work on one of my favorite films of the bunch. Stanwyck, Stanwyck, Stanwyck. There are some good video extras; On Time Out of Mind - Windows to the Soul is a new in-depth analysis, including selected scenes audio commentary, by writer and academic José Arroyo. A Woman of the World is also new and has critic and writer Christina Newland examining the unique noir persona of Ava Gardner. Lovely. 25-minutes with Neil Sinyard discusses A Woman’s Vengeance and the film career of author Aldous Huxley in Huxley in Hollywood. An Act of Marriage spends 1/4 hour with writer Jill Blake who discusses the lives and careers of real-life husband and wife Fredric March and Florence Eldridge, who co-starred in seven feature films, including An Act of Murder. There are also a handful of delightful audio-only supplements; Bold Venture: ‘The Phyllis Calvert Murders’ is a 1951 episode from the vintage radio series of crimes thrillers starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. There is an hour long Lux Radio Theatre vintage radio adaptation of ‘Singapore’ from 1947) featuring Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner reprising their roles from the film. Mollé Mystery Theatre: ‘The Gioconda Smile’ is a 1/2 hour radio play from 1945 based on the Huxley short story that was adapted into A Woman’s Vengeance. Indicator include a number of shorts; Library of Congress is a documentary short from 1945, made as part of The American Scene film series, released the same year as Lady on a Train and narrated by its co-star, Ralph Bellamy. Reward Unlimited is a dramatized short film from 1944 about the training of cadet nurses during WWII, directed by Jacques Tourneur and featuring Singapore actor Spring Byington. It runs 11-minutes. With This Ring is a 1954 dramatized promotional film for the Miller Brewing Company, made to celebrate their 100th anniversary, directed by John Brahm and running shy of 3/4s of an hour. French Town... is a 1945 documentary short offering a portrait of a French town following liberation, narrated by A Woman's Vengeance actor Cedric Hardwicke. It runs a dozen minutes. Welcome Home is a 20-minute documentary short from 1945 about returning soldiers following the end of WWII, narrated by An Act of Murder star Fredric March. Lastly, are a few original theatrical trailers and, for each film, an image gallery of promotional and publicity material. Indicator's stacked package includes a limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Ellen Wright, Paul Duane, Philip Kemp, Tara Judah, Imogen Sara Smith, and Iris Veysey, extensive archival articles and interviews, new writing on the various short films, and film credits. Wow.

I suppose we could debate the "is it Noir or not" labeling of the films in this Universal Noir #2 Blu-ray boxset. Yeah... there are a few questionable 'dark cinema' entries.

Lady on a Train is sweet. A cute vehicle for advancing Miss Durbin - showcasing some of her talent, and lovable qualities. The film works well in that respect, but is hardly a serious Noir. It's the pleasant diversion of the set.

Robert Siodmak's Time Out of Mind is  cited as a noir but I don't see it that way. The only real link is 'the director' (The Spiral Staircase, The Killers, Cry of the City, Criss Cross etc.). It was based on the best-selling novel Time Out of Mind by Rachel Field. It revolves around the dynamics of family, love and power but it can flow... awkwardly. Siodmak later admitted that he and cinematographer Maury Gertsman (Invisible Invaders, The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake, How to Make a Monster) "had a great time loading the film with every crazy effect we could think of." It is regarded as the lauded director's one dud in a series of memorable studio films. Time Out of Mind is a lesser-seen film, with a notable cast - British star actress Phyllis Calvert, Robert Hutton, Ella Raines, Eddie Albert, Leo G. Carroll even Lilian Fontaine (mother of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine!)

Singapore with MacMurray and Gardner is more of a mysterious romance in an exotic locale and less 'dark cinema' themes although does incorporate amnesia, unrequited love etc.

A Woman's Vengeance standout from the rest and is notable for the screenplay by Aldous Huxley - which was based on his 1922 novelette "The Gioconda Smile". Suspicions arise involving a murder via poisoning and a looming death sentence. Premium stuff.

The Noir classification is, again, debatable on An Act of Murder with its inclusion partly based on the, fairly misrepresented, title. There is comfort seeing Fredric March and Edmond O'Brien with excellent casting in Florence Eldridge and Geraldine Brooks. It's a good film especially for those who love vintage work from this period and the performers... a refreshing and rarely addressed topic too.

The Lady Gambles is all Stanwyck, stepping outside her typically strong character to portray a sly, vulnerable and restrained Joan Boothe as part of the 'addiction' cinema or 'society message' genre. More a melodrama than a Noir but still highly enjoyable.

It's Indicator doing their thing - effective a/v transfers, stacked with commentaries, analysis, shorts, radio plays, galleries, a 120-page book... While not all strict Noir. - they are valued pieces of vintage cinema with stars like Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, Ava Gardner, stoic Fredric March, cute Deanna Durbin, Phyllis Calvert, Ann Blyth, Jessica Tandy etc.. Indicator's Blu-ray boxsets are all keepsakes. This is another... like you require my endorsement. 

Gary Tooze