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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by Felix E. Feist
USA 1950
Blinded by love, homicide
lieutenant Ed Cullen (Lee J. Cobb, fresh off originating the
role of Willy Loman on Broadway in Death of a Salesman) goes
to great lengths to cover up a murder. His coquettish
girlfriend Lois (Jane Wyatt, best known as the mother in Father Knows Best) has killed her scheming husband before he
could bump her off. John Dall (Gun Crazy) co-stars as Ed s
kid brother Andy, a rookie on the force who is determined to
break his first big case. These accomplished actors are
nearly eclipsed by the incandescent star power of San
Francisco and especially the world s most photographed
bridge, the Golden Gate. In the hard-boiled film noir tradition, reminiscent of the work of James M. Cain, greed, unstoppable sexual attraction, and betrayal set off a doomed course in which a femme fatale leads a once upstanding citizen down a dark path. The first independent production of Phoenix Films, the company run by Jack M. Warner, son of Warner Bros. Studios mogul Jack L., and a highlight in the lengthy career of director Felix E. Feist (Deluge), The Man Who Cheated Himself goes all the way. *** Police Detective Ed Cullen is running hot and heavy with his clandestine lover, socialite Lois Frazer. Their passion is interrupted when her estranged husband enters the house through a balcony door and Lois "accidently" shoots him twice at close range. Unwilling to put their affair on hold, Ed begins to orchestrate an elaborate cover-up. Dumping the body at the airport, Cullen's car is observed leaving the scene, but when the witnesses cannot identify him, it looks like the murderous couple are in the clear. However, his kid-brother Andy, recently promoted to detective, smells a rat and refuses to let the case stay closed - although he has no idea how close to home and to what tragic consequences his suspicions will lead. Director Felix Feist delivers a fast-paced and under-appreciated film noir gem in The Man Who Cheated Himself. Lee J. Cobb created the iconic roles of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman (1949), and Johnny Friendly, mob boss in the 1954 Academy Award- winning classic, On The Waterfront. Jane Wyatt gained fame playing Ronald Coleman's paramour in the 1937 masterpiece, Lost Horizon but is best known today for her role as Margaret Anderson, the mother on the 1950s TV series, "Father Knows Best," for which she won three Emmys. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: December 26th, 1950 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison
:Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray
1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT
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Distribution |
Alpha Region 0 - NTSC |
Flicker Alley Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:19:36 | 1:21:40.520 |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
Disc Size: 31,293,959,435 bytes Feature Size: 23,949,901,632 bytes Average Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Blu-ray |
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Audio | Dolby Digital 2.0 (English) | LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit |
Subtitles | None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Alpha Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 6 |
Release Information:
Disc Size: 31,293,959,435 bytes Feature Size: 23,949,901,632 bytes Average Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsDual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • DVD Blu-ray Release Date: September 25th, 2018 Transparent Blu-ray case Chapters: 11 |
Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray (September 2018): Praise be to Flicker Alley rescuing another essential Noir from its digital PD purgatory. While there is still some, light to moderate, damage marks sprinkled throughout the 1080P presentation - the high resolution towers about the Alpha DVD from a decade earlier. There is nicely layered contrast for the exquisite Russell Harlan cinematography - and there has been some impressive restoration here using, presumably, the best exiting print and its own a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. It isn't crisp but the image is consistent and the few, naturally lit, outdoor sequences show impressive depth.
Flicker Alley's Blu-ray use a linear PCM 1.0 channel mono (24-bit) audio transfer, in the original English language. There are effects (gunfire) that come across flat but authentic. The score is by Louis Forbes (The Crooked Way, The Bat, Pitfall, Silver Lode, The Man Who Cheated Himself, Escape to Burma, Slightly Scarlet, The River's Edge) and it exemplifies the desperate atmosphere and is augmented by the uncompressed transfer. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles - see sample below - on the Region FREE Blu-ray.
Flicker Alley do an excellent job of describing their own extras; The Man Who Cheated Himself Revisited runs 22-minutes. It was produced by TVP Enterprises and the Film Noir Foundation; this mini-documentary offers a behind-the-scenes examination of the film's original production with Alan K. Rode, the 'Czar of Noir' Eddie Muller and others. The Man Who Cheated Himself Locations Then and Now has City Sleuth (aka Brian Hollins) leading a virtual tour around San Francisco hunting down the many locations used during the production of The Man Who Cheated Himself. It runs shy of 7-minutes and is interesting detective work! There is a restored trailer and the package has a souvenir booklet featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by the Muller plus there is a second disc DVD.
I'm reminded of the fabulous Flicker Alley Noir Blu-ray packages of Woman on the Run and Too Late For Tears. This is right up there with equivalent quality but I'd be looking a gift-horse in the mouth if I pined for a commentary (that both those other releases had.) Fans of the 'Dark Cinema' should consider this Region FREE Blu-ray entry an absolute must-own with a revered place in their library. Thank you Flicker Alley and the Film Noir Foundation - keep'em coming!*** ON THE DVD: Single-layered and interlaced - it actually isn't too bad considering it's Alpha Video who tend to specialize in cheap digital renderings of Public Domain classics. It's muddy - possibly from a 16mm source - but no untoward boosting. Audio seems consistent if not stellar and there are no subtitles offered on this pragmatic disc. Extras consist of Alpha promotion. This is a tremendously effective 'B' Noir with a solid cast - Jane Wyatt is the only question mark (described by Eddie Muller as the “least likely femme fatale”). In one of the quintessential lines in all of the dark cinema copper Cobb matter-of-factly states of Lois Frazer (Wyatt), “She’s no good... but, that’s the way it is.” Pure gold. John Dall of the iconic Gun Crazy plays the unflappable fledgling detective and coincidental younger bro. Great camera work here too - this is premium noir and a solid shame that it has this inferior transfer. I'd like to think the, newer, Synergy Entertainment release HERE is superior but I have my doubts. A must-see Noir but prepare for the lackluster A/V. |
DVD Menus
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Flicker Alley Region FREE - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - Flicker Alley Region FREE - Blu-ray
1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Flicker Alley - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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More Blu-ray Captures
Frame-Specific Damage
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Distribution |
Alpha Region 0 - NTSC |
Flicker Alley Region FREE - Blu-ray |