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

ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray (March 2024): Vinegar Syndrome have transferred Henry Hathaway's 5 Card Stud  to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative". The vast majority of the film looks excellent on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There is one short sequence with inordinate softness - at the very beginning card game, see HERE. It may have been taken from an alternate source. Other than that the 1080P presentation is quite pleasing with unembellished colors, texture and depth.

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. 5 Card Stud has less active shootout violence than you might anticipate - although one significant one. We see post-murder bodies and some machismo target shooting, a brawl, western effects (horses etc.) There is depth exported when required. The score was by Maurice Jarre (The Train, The Tin Drum, The Man Who Would Be King, The Damned, The The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds etc.) plus the Hymn "Mercy's Call" and Dean-O crooning the theme for the opening credits and conclusion. It sounds solid and supportive via the lossless transfer. No issues. Vinegar Syndrome offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historian Brian Hannan (author of The Making of The Magnificent Seven: Behind the Scenes of the Pivotal Western, The Magnificent '60s: The 100 Most Popular Films of a Revolutionary Decade, and The Gunslingers of '69: Western Movies' Greatest Year). He tells us how underrated 5 Card Stud is possibly because it was bookended by two notable Henry Hathaway westerns - True Grit and The Sons of Katie Elder. He describes the 'panorama to claustrophobia' opening, motifs, visual symmetry, the 5 Card Stud book (using a rustler instead of card cheat and other changes), the director's efficient over style, extensive use of overhead shots, Inger Stevens moving from TV to film, her career and suicide, Yaphet Kotto, Marguerite Roberts' screenplay and much more. "Jack of All Trades" spends 21-minute with film critic Walter Chaw (author of A Walter Hill Film: Tragedy and Masculinity in the Films of Walter Hill) on the films of Henry Hathaway discussing the director being labeled a journeyman rather than a auteur and providing examples, talks about Allan Dwan, Hathaway's effectiveness of location shooting, Chaw's favorites of the director's 50's films; Niagara, Rawhide and Diplomatic Courier. "A Woman of True Grit" has Lizzie Francke discussing screenwriter Marguerite Roberts’ legacy for 1/4 hour. The package has a 16-page booklet with color photos and an essay by Jim Healy. There is a reversible sleeve with artwork.

Henry Hathaway's 5 Card Stud is regarded as a western / who-done-it mystery. It is hard not to see Charles Laughton's 1955's The Night of the Hunter in 5 Card Stud with Robert Mitchum, again, playing an unconventional, and dangerous, preacher. Dean Martin had worked with Henry Hathaway previously (The Sons of Katie Elder) and 5 Card Stud would sadly be the final appearances of Swedish born Inger Stevens (The World, the Flesh and the Devil) who committed suicide in 1970 at a, far too-young, 35-years of age. 5 Card Stud has olde West saloon gambling, a lynch mob, a blossoming gold rush, a cultured 'Madam', girl-next-door rancher, a fire-brimstone, quick draw, preacher, and a 'ten little Indians' premise with characters methodically murdered. Who? and Why? I really enjoyed it. The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray has this underrated dual-genre film - great cast - strong a/v, commentary, two informative video extras, a booklet. You had me at 'Mitchum as a preacher'. Absolutely recommended.

Gary Tooze