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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Intrigues en Orient" )

 

directed by Raoul Walsh
USA 1943

 

The studio that put Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca also sent fellow film tough guy George Raft to Ankara for a World War II thriller featuring intrigue, romance and Casablanca’s Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. The danger starts when a beautiful brunette hands American Joe Barton (Raft) some securities for safekeeping. The brunette turns up dead, the securities turn out to be explosive intel and Joe is #1 on the Most Wanted list of both Nazi henchmen and Soviet spies. Director Raoul Walsh (High Sierra, White Heat) ratchets up the tension of a gripping screenplay by W. R. Burnett (High Sierra) based on a novel by Eric Ambler, whose other page-turner-to-screen works include Journey into Fear, The Mask of Dimitrios and Topkapi.

****

Maybe not up there with the best of Walsh's action pics, but still an efficient and entertaining WWII spy thriller. Raft is the American agent travelling to Turkey to prevent the country from allying itself with the Nazis, and encountering that colourful pair, Greenstreet (a Nazi) and Lorre (his Turkish opponent) en route. A bit too light to be a really good espionage drama - the genre works best when presenting a bleak world of betrayal and doubt - but Walsh keeps it moving along at a cracking pace, while the script (adapted by WR Burnett from Eric Ambler's novel) is vivid and sharp.

Excerpt of review from Timeout Film Guide located HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release: July2rd, 1943

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DVD Review: Warner Home Video (Warner Archive Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC
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Distribution

Warner Home Video

Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime 1:19:54
Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.51 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate

Audio Dolby Digital 1.0 (English)
Subtitles None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Warner Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Theatrical trailer (2:02)

DVD Release Date: July 13th, 2010
Keep Case

Chapters 18

 

Comments

Background to Danger has wonderful atmosphere and support performances. Along with the bustling pace and international set-pieces this turns out to be a better-than-average WWII intrigue entry.

It's standard single-layered but progressive in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and looks very good. This is labeled under the Warner's new "Re-mastered Edition" marquee and the image is very impressive with only one prominent instance showing damage. Black levels are strong and detail surprisingly good. The disc supports the film with a fine transfer with plenty of shadows and light play. Excellent overall.

 

The mono sound is decent but unremarkable and there are no subtitles offered. The only supplement is the film's trailer - looking a bit rougher.

It's fabulous to see how well this disc performs for this forgotten Raoul Walsh-helmed thriller. I only wish it were longer. The price is high but for fans this appears to be the only outlet for digital home viewing. Lorre, Greenstreet and Raft fans should consider.  

  - Gary Tooze

 


 

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DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Distribution

Warner Home Video

Region 0 - NTSC

 



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