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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (June 2025): Kino has transferred another three films for their twenty-fifth edition of 'Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema' series to three, single-layered Blu-rays. The films are The Flame (1947,) City That Never Sleeps (1953) and Hell's Half Acre from 1954. They are cited as a "2017, 2024 & 2017 HD Masters by Paramount Pictures - From 4K Scans". We compared the Olive Films and Imprint Blu-rays of City That Never Sleeps in 2021 HERE and matched a few captures below. We also reviewed Olive Films 2013 (bare-bones) Blu-ray of Hell's Half Acre HERE. Each film in the Kino Blu-ray set is on a single-layered disc with a high bitrate and has lossless dual-mono audio. The Kino transfer is improved over the past ones, darker than the Imprint, but brighter than the Olive for City That Never Sleeps. The Kino is also brighter than the Olive Blu-ray (in 1.66:1 aspect ratio rather than 133:1) for Hell's Half Acre. Grain is more consistent, and contrast is better layered. They are both sharper to a degree. The Flame looks very pleasing (e.g., great shadow detail and depth is present.) 

The look and sound of John H. Auer’s noir  trilogy - The Flame (1947), City That Never Sleeps (1953), and Hell’s Half Acre (1954) - create distinct yet cohesive atmospheres that amplify their shared noir sensibilities with each film’s cinematography and score enhancing themes of moral ambiguity and urban grit. In The Flame, cinematographer Reggie Lanning (Hoodlum Empire, Sands of Iwo Jima, Wake of the Red Witch) crafts a claustrophobic, shadow-laden visual palette, using tight framing and high-contrast lighting to mirror George MacAllister’s entrapment by Carlotta’s schemes with stark interiors and foggy streets evoking post-war disillusionment.  Composer Heinz Roemheld’s (The Roaring Twenties, The Scarlet Letter, O.S.S., Four Frightened People, Ruby Gentry, I, Jane Doe, Dangerous, The Monster that Challenged The World, The Land Unknown, The Mole People, 1933's The Invisible Man) score, rich with brooding strings and melancholic motifs, underscores the psychological tension, punctuating moments of betrayal with sharp, dissonant cues that heighten the film’s fatalistic tone. In contrast, City That Never Sleeps benefits from cinematographer John L. Russell’s (Psycho, Indestructible Man, Tobor the Great, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Moonrise) dynamic, almost documentary-style approach, capturing Chicago’s nocturnal pulse through wide shots of bustling streets and neon-lit clubs, juxtaposed with intimate, low-angle close-ups of Johnny Kelly’s (Gig Young) moral turmoil. Russell’s chiaroscuro lighting amplifies the city’s duality as both vibrant and sinister, while R. Dale Butts’ (The Crooked Circle, City of Shadows, The Catman of Paris, Too Late For Tears, No Man's Woman, The Shanghai Story, Stranger at My Door) jazzy, pulsating score (infused with brassy flourishes and restless rhythms) embodies the urban energy and existential unease, complemented by the eerie, ethereal tones tied to the “Voice of Chicago” narration. Hell’s Half Acre (also shot by Russell and scored by Butts) merges exoticism with noir ’s grit, as Russell’s on-location cinematography (in Honolulu’s slums) employs deep-focus shots and textured shadows to transform the tropical setting into a menacing labyrinth with bustling marketplaces and dingy bars bathed in a humid, oppressive glow that subverts Hawaii’s paradisiacal image. Butts’ score blends noir ’s ominous strings with subtle Hawaiian instrumentation, like slack-key guitar undertones, creating a unique “tiki-noir ” soundscape that oscillates between seductive and threatening, mirroring Chet Chester’s (Wendell Corey) precarious existence. Across the trilogy, Russell’s work in the latter two films showcases a versatility absent in Lanning’s more conventional approach, while Butts’ scores for City and Hell’s Half Acre evolve Roemheld’s traditional orchestration into something more atmospheric and place-specific. Together, the films’ visual and auditory elements (Lanning and Russell’s stark contrasts and Butts and Roemheld’s evocative compositions) forge immersive worlds where urban decay, moral conflict, and the allure of transgression are vividly realized, uniting the trilogy under noir’s shadowy aesthetic while allowing each film’s distinct setting and mood to shine. There are no egregious flaws in the lossless audio transfers. Kino offers optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

NOTE: We have added 136 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

Extras: The Kino Lorber Blu-ray set includes valuable extras, exclusively audio commentaries that enrich the viewing experience. The Flame features a new commentary by Heath Holland, host of the Cereal at Midnight Podcast, who provides engaging insights into the cast, including Vera Ralston’s polarizing career, Republic Pictures’ production context, etc. City That Never Sleeps offers a standout commentary by our favorite film historian Imogen Sara Smith (In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City,) previously featured on the Imprint release, where she incisively dissects the film’s lighting, John H. Auer’s direction, and its noir innovations, balancing scholarly depth with accessibility. Hell’s Half Acre includes another new Holland commentary, which dives into Hawaii’s cinematic history, the film’s tiki-noir aesthetic, and its cast, offering useful trivia. A featurette on the director, John H. Auer, may have been appropriate.

John H. Auer’s (S.O.S. Tidal Wave, I, Jane Doe) trifecta of film noir dramas - The Flame (1947,) City That Never Sleeps (1953) and Hell’s Half Acre (1954) - weave a tapestry of moral decay, betrayal, and the seductive pull of vice, each set against distinct yet gritty urban backdrops that amplify their shared themes of desperation and redemption. Stylistically, Auer employs noir’s hallmarks (low-key lighting, stark contrasts, and morally ambiguous characters) while infusing unique elements: The Flame’s psychological intensity, City That Never Sleeps’ documentary-like realism and supernatural undertones, and Hell’s Half Acre’s tiki-noir fusion of tropical and criminal aesthetics. Shared themes of identity and reinvention emerge as characters attempt to escape their pasts (Chet’s assumed identity, Johnny’s desire to break from police life, George’s abandonment of his fiancée) yet find themselves ensnared by their own weaknesses. The films also critique societal undercurrents: post-war disillusionment in The Flame, urban corruption in City That Never Sleeps, and colonial tensions in Hell’s Half Acre’s portrayal of Hawaii’s marginalized spaces. While each film varies in tone and setting, their protagonists’ struggles against temptation (coupled with Auer’s atmospheric direction) underscore a universal noir truth: the pursuit of fleeting desires in a morally complex world often leads to tragic, inescapable consequences. The Kino Blu-ray set is a package tailored for noir enthusiasts. For dark cinema diehards seeking deep cuts, this set’s high-quality transfers and insightful commentaries make it a worthwhile investment with City and Hell’s Half Acre standing out as surprisingly strong entries in the genre. I'm Gary Tooze and I'm keeping it - absolutely recommended.

Gary Tooze