FBI Code 98 - Jack Kelly

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

directed by Leslie H. Martinson
USA 1963

Robert Cannon (Jack Kelly), Fred Vitale (Ray Danton) and Alan Nichols (Andrew Duggan), three men vital to America’s missile program, are en route to Cape Canaveral when a bomb is discovered in a suitcase. Defused by Vitale, the device is turned over to the FBI, which takes charge of the investigation. Assigned to determine if it’s a case of sabotage or attempted murder, Inspector Leroy Gifford (Philip Carey) and his squad race to track down the bomber before he can strike again. Originally shot as a TV pilot, FBI Code 98 was based on a book by the film’s writer/producer, former police reporter Stanley Niss. Produced with the cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Code 98 was released in theaters instead, making its U.S. debut one year before Warner Bros. revisited the premise with the long-running TV series The F.B.I., which aired on ABC from 1965 to 1974.

Posters

Theatrical Release: 4 January 1963 (France)

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

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Warner Home Video Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:44:20
Video	1:78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.44 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 Mono (English)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1:78:1 Edition Details: • None DVD Release Date: April 16th, 2013 Keep Case Chapters 22

Comments

FBI Code 98 is an exciting action thriller from Warner Brothers that has very little to do with Film Noir despite being released under a Film Noir Archive Collection imprint. The movie was actually shot as a TV pilot, but later turned into a theatrical feature. The procedural stars Philip Carey and William Reynolds as FBI men investigating a bomb on a jet plane with three men "vital to America’s missile program" (Jack Kelly, Ray Danton and Andrew Duggan. Peggy McCay, Kathleen Crowley and Merry Anders are wives and love interests of the men of the story and an excellent Vaughn Taylor is the main suspect.

The made-on-demand disc from Warner Archives is progressive and anamorphic and transfer looks excellent. There is a question on an aspect ratio, but the film looks fine as it was released to the theaters. The mono soundtrack is fine with no distortions and narration by William Woodson (who provided narration to many of this type of noirs in 1950's) comes loud and clear. There are no extras available, but we still can recommend this release.

- Gregory Meshman

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