Three Steps North - Lloyd Bridges

Search DVDBeaver

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

(aka "Tre passi a nord" )

directed by W. Lee Wilder
Italy / USA 1951

Although it was filmed in Amalfi with a largely Italian cast, which includes the great Aldo Fabrizi in a distinctly minor role, W. Lee Wilder's melodrama, "Three Steps North," follows the routine pattern of low-budget American crime films. Indeed, its hard-boiled hero, whom Lloyd Bridges arrogantly plays, is a familiar type of American movie criminal, returned to Italy after a trick in jail to dig up some black-market money that he had stashed away there during the war. And his subsequent adventures in Amalfi, as recorded on the Palace's screen, are no different from those of his opposite number in a movie set in Kansas City, say.

Excerpt from Bosley Crowther at the NY Times located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 28 June 1951 (New York City, New York)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Alpha Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:20:42
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.24 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 2.0 Mono (English)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Alpha Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailers for New Alpha Cinema DVD releases • The Tiger's Claw Trailer • Strike Me Deadly Trailer DVD Release Date: September 28, 2010 Keep Case Chapters 7

Comments

No matter how much I tell myself to stay away from Alpha releases, they keep releasing some interesting noir titles unavailable otherwise in region 1 (or any region). Having recently read a great article about noirs directed by W. Lee Wilder (Billy Wilder's younger brother) in a recent Noir City Sentinel, I became immediately interesting in these films and was surprised to see Three Steps North released on DVD. The Italian-American production features Lloyd Bridges as an American traveling back to Italy to get some dough he hid while being involved in the black market. Also featuring some excellent Italian actors including beautiful Lea Padovani (Christ in Concrete) and Aldo Fabrizi (Rome Open City), the film was shot on location in Italy.

The release from Alpha is poor per usual standards for this studio, most likely taken from a 16mm print. Yet, the film is watchable although dark scenes are hard to see. There are lines and scratches all over the print and whites are blown-out. There is especially one sequence that looks like it was taken from partly decomposed print (see the last capture). The audio fares much better, with dialogue clear enough to make out. Except for that decomposed sequence, there were no drops in sounds. There are a couple of trailers to push Alpha's other releases and an outdated catalogue. Hopefully, some Italian studio comes to the rescue of this rare gem, but considering we are unlikely to see this title be released in a better version anytime soon, this release is moderately recommended just for the film and not the quality of Alpha's disc.

- Gregory Meshman

DVD Menus