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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

directed by Nathan Juran
USA 1955

 

[Frank Lovejoy] plays the owner of a curbside hamburger joint in The Crooked Web, and Mari Blanchard is the carhop he's engaged to. It's established early on that Stan (he's the man) is willing to take a gamble or two, so when Joanie's brother (Richard Denning) comes through town with a secret deal in the works, he (Stan) is more than willing to cut himself in.

Of course, as is always the case in low budget crime films like this one, things do not go exactly as Stan has planned, and here is where my warning comes in, and let me repeat: Do not read another review of this film. You might not even want to read the writing on the poster.

Excerpt of review from Steve Lewis for Mystery*File located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 30 November 1955 (USA)

Reviews                                          More Reviews                                 DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Sony Pictures (Choice Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!

 Box Cover

 

 

Also available in the 5 disc Sony Film Noir Collection Volume 1 which contains (already reviewed) The Case Against Brooklyn, Criminal Lawyer, The Crooked Web, Escape from San Quentin and The Shadow on the Window

 

Distribution

Sony Pictures

Region 0 - NTSC

Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:16:54 1:17:02.159
Video

1:87:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.79 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,813,861,592 bytes

Feature: 15,714,484,224 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate

Bitrate Blu-ray

Audio Dolby Digital Mono (English) DTS-HD Master Audio English 826 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 826 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles None English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Sony Pictures

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1:87:1

Edition Details:
• None

DVD Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Keep case

Chapters 8

Release Information:
Studio:
Kit Parker

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,813,861,592 bytes

Feature: 15,714,484,224 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• No extras - shares the disc with Bait and Cell 2455, Death Row


Blu-ray Release Date:
July 16th, 2019
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 13

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kit Parker Blu-ray (August 2019): Kit Parker Films in association with Millcreek Entertainment have released the second (of three announced) of these 3 Blu-ray / 9 Film Noir features Boxsets. Volume Two is has:

Bait (1954), The Crooked Web (1955), The Night Holds Terror (1955), Footsteps in the Fog (1955), Cell 2455, Death Row (1955), 5 Against the House (1955), New Orleans Uncensored (1955), Spin a Dark Web (1955), and Rumble on the Docks (1956)

Volume One was described as "Stalwart noir directors and casts highlight these hard to find features Address Unknown (1944) dir/William Cameron Menzies, cast/Paul Lukas, Carl Esmond, Peter Van Eyck; Escape in the Fog (1945) dir/Oscar (Budd) Boetticher cast/Otto Kruger, Nina Foch, William Wright; The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947) dir/Henry Levin cast/Rosalind Russell, Melvyn Douglas, Sid Caesar; The Black Book (aka The Reign of Terror) (1949) dir/Anthony Mann cast/Robert Cummings, Richard Basehart, Arlene Dahl; Johnny Allegro (1949) dir/Ted Tetzlaff cast/George Raft, Nina Foch, George Macready; 711 Ocean Drive (1950) dir/Joseph M. Newman cast/Edmond O'Brien, Joanne Dru, Otto Kruger; The Killer That Stalked New York (1950) dir/Earl McEvoy cast/Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, William Bishop; Assignment Paris (1952) dir/Earl McEvoy cast/Dana Andrews, Marta Toren, George Sanders; The Miami Story (1954) dir/Fred F. Sears cast/Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler, John Baer - all in high definition presented in their original aspect ratios."

So, 3 films on a dual-layered Blu-ray, with a decent bitrate in 1080P and this is in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This has the same damage as the Sony DVD - but is brighter with more detail, and the higher resolution shows more texture. The differences will be notable dependant on how large your system is.

The audio is 24-bit lossless (DTS-HD Master mono) exporting the score from Mischa Bakaleinikoff (Cell 2455 Death Row, Comanche Station, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Giant Claw, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The 27th Day, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Lady for a Day) which sounds richer and deeper than on the DVD. The Blu-ray offers optional English subtitles (see sample) on this Region FREE Blu-ray package.

No supplements - but the disc is shared with Bait and Cell 2455, Death Row. Crime-Drama fans get to revisit these delights in a far more film-like presentation with optional subtitles. This has sexy Mari Blanchard and the very cool Drive-in restaurant location. Calling it Noir may be a stretch for some but it has all the 50's charm.

Gary Tooze

***

ON THE DVD: Sony Pictures continue to impress us with their exceptionally good picture quality on all their made-on-demand releases we review. This is a B crime drama from 1955, a bit far-fetched and we never get to see beautiful Mari Blanchard stretched out on a bed like she does on many posters for this film.

The progressive transfer with nearly no damage is anamorphically enhanced in proper 1:87:1 aspect ratio on a single-layered disc. Audio is, likewise, very good quality. Unfortunately, there is no trailer and not even a menu when the disc is inserted, but the excellent presentation of the main feature makes it an easy recommendation for the right price.

- Gregory Meshman

 

 


Subtitle Sample - Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 Box Cover

 

 

Also available in the 5 disc Sony Film Noir Collection Volume 1 which contains (already reviewed) The Case Against Brooklyn, Criminal Lawyer, The Crooked Web, Escape from San Quentin and The Shadow on the Window

 

Distribution

Sony Pictures

Region 0 - NTSC

Kit Parker Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

DVD Box Cover

 

 

 

Distribution

Sony Pictures

Region 0 - NTSC




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Gary Tooze

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