Stormy Weather Blu-ray

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

Directed by Andrew L. Stone
USA 1943

Dancing great Bill 'Williamson' sees his face on the cover of Theatre World magazine and reminisces: just back from World War I, he meets lovely singer Selina Rogers at a soldiers' ball and promises to come back to her when he "gets to be somebody." Years go by, and Bill and Selina's rising careers intersect only briefly, since Selina is unwilling to "settle down." Will she ever change her mind? Concludes with a big all-star show hosted by Cab Calloway.

***

Stormy Weather (1943) is a groundbreaking musical featuring an astounding all-African-American cast, perhaps never matched for sheer brilliance. The film’s slight show biz-based romance is really a pretext for some twenty musical numbers performed by the sterling likes of Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, The Nicholas Brothers, and the Katherine Dunham dance troupe. The outstanding musical score is highlighted by Waller’s performance of his own “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and the classic title tune by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, sung in barn-burning fashion by the inimitable Miss Horne.

***

Perhaps more of a hyper-paced lavish musical revue with a love story embedded but still an awesome celebration of black musical talent of the era including Robinson, Horne, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway.

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 17th, 1943

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Comparison:

20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) 20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	20th Century Fox Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC	Twilight Time Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:17:36	1:17:39.112
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.75 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	Disc Size: 20,713,111,079 bytes Feature Size: 20,682,627,072 bytes Total Bitrate: 29.31 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate: Blu-ray
Audio	English (Mono) , English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1057 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1057 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Isolated Score: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1503 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1503 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1565 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1565 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None	English (SDH), none
Features	Release Information: Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by Todd Boyd • 6-page liner notes essay with essay by Sylvia Stoddard • Envelope with 5 Lobby Card reprints DVD Release Date: January 10th, 2006 Keep Case inside cardboard slipcase Chapters: 28	Release Information: Studio: Twilight Time Disc Size: 20,713,111,079 bytes Feature Size: 20,682,627,072 bytes Total Bitrate: 29.31 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC Edition Details: • Isolated Music & Effects Track • Audio Commentary by Dr. Todd Boyd, Professor of Critical Studies, USC • 8-page liner notes by Julie Kirgo Limited to 3,000 units Blu-ray Release Date: February, 2015 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters 24

Comments:

ADDITION: Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray February 15': The new Twilight Time 1080P is a massive improvement over the 2006 Fox DVD. Wow! The visuals substantially tighten, contrast layers impressively and there is significantly more information in the frame. Single-layered with a very high bitrate - very smart looking and miles beyond the old SD!

Twilight Time stay faithful with a DTS-HD Master monaural track at 1057 kbps. The score is by Cyril J. Mockridge's (The Gang's All Here, Desk Set, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Dark Corner, My Darling Clementine, Nightmare Alley) but the film is noted for the amazing musical numbers, orchestrals, Bill Robinson with The Tramp Band, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and His Band capped by Lena Horne's memorable Stormy Weather. It all sounds flat but crisp and brilliantly clean - again, way beyond the old DVD. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is region FREE.

Twilight Time include their usual Isolated Music & Effects Track - this one worth exploring repeatedly - and the same informative audio commentary by Dr. Todd Boyd, Professor of Critical Studies, USC - as found on the DVD. There is a linear notes booklet with an essay by Julie Kirgo and this Blu-ray disc is limited to 3,000 units.

Magnificent - I cherish this Blu-ray. I loved the film on DVD and the 1080P and lossless audio have dramatically increased that opinion. Step into a time - long since past - fun, lively and mood-inducing. Our highest recommendation!

***

ON THE DVD: Contrast may be a notch below standard for Fox with muddled grey tones, but aside from some lapses of haziness the image is acceptable. Like Pinky, both a mono and stereo track are offered - I only listed to the mono but sampled the stereo leaning towards the latter with a subsequent viewing. Extras include a Todd Boyd commentary which was informative and his deep baritone voice added to the atmospheric and historical charm . Its nice to see a real effort in the packaging - cardboard slipcase, liner notes and lobby cards etc. This film and DVD have huge appeal capturing a rare time and feeling that may never surface in the same form again.