Chase a Crooked Sjadow

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Michael Anderson
UK 1958

Chase a Crooked Shadow is a glossy, well-directed drama that has its fair quota of absurdities which occasionally strain credulity to the limit. Nevertheless, there are enough twists and artfully planned kicks to keep most audiences guessing.

The yarn concerns Anne Baxter as an heiress who becomes a frightened lady when Richard Todd arrives at her Costa Brava hangout and claims to be her brother, who Baxter knows was killed in a car crash in South Africa a year before. What is the purpose of his visit? Is he a crook? A fortune hunter? Todd builds up so much evidence that even the local chief cop (Herbert Lom) is convinced that his story is true. There begins a nightmare of terror as she believes the plot is to drive her insane and then murder her. Final twist is a sock climax.

Excerpt of review from Variety located HERE

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Theatrical Release: 21 January 1958 (London)

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DVD Comparison:

Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Optimum Home Entertainment - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman and Gary Tooze for the Screen Caps!

(Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Optimum Home Entertainment - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Warner Home Video Region 0 - NTSC	Optimum Home Entertainment Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:27:12	1:24:03 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.49 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.87 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection)
Bitrate: Optimum Home Entertainment
Audio	Dolby Digital Mono (English)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	None	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: June 17, 2014 Keep case Chapters 23	Release Information: Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: November 5th, 2007 Keep case Chapters 10

Comments

ADDITION: Warner (December 2014): Compared to Region 2 release from 2007, the recent Warner Archive disc presents the film close to its theatrical aspect ratio. The open matte image of Optimum disc looses on the top and the bottom, but gains slightly more on the sides. Also, the progressive Warner disc has better contrast and no PAL speed-up for those sensitive to it. The made-on-demand Warner disc is single layered and has no subtitles or extras. It's a better choice of two releases unless you prefer pressed media.

- Gregory Meshman

On the Optimum: Neat little Noirish thriller with some tight curves. One of my best friends told me about this over 6 years ago. He had fond memories of enjoying it... way back when. I scoured the web for it but came up empty. I'm happy to have this now (finally) and grateful for his recommendation. He shares my tastes.

Optimum's single-layered bare-bones release is progressive and the image is acceptable if not stellar. Perhaps a touch of brightness boosting but not fatal. No subtitles and the English audio quivers a bit. I wasn't expecting much more to be honest. It is coded for region 2 in the PAL standard.

No extras but the film definitely has appeal. Of course, it's not Hitch but I still think it has merit and is certainly worth watching for those keen on the style and era.

Gary W. Tooze

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(Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Optimum Home Entertainment - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)