|
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by Otto Preminger
USA 1945
|
Otto Preminger directed this stylish film noir exercise, intended as a follow-up to his surprise hit Laura. Kicked off a bus traveling cross-country for not being able to come up with the fare, down-and-out press agent Eric Stanton (Dana Andrews) ends up in Walton, a small coastal town in California. Stanton fast-talks Joe Ellis (Olin Howland) into giving him a place to stay for the night in exchange for promoting Professor Madley (John Carradine), a "mentalist" whose show Ellis manages. While in Walton, Stanton makes the acquaintance of June Mills (Alice Faye), a wealthy but reclusive young woman, and has his eye on Stella (Linda Darnell), a good-looking waitress working at the local diner. Stanton hatches a plan: he'll marry June, take her money, divorce her, and then take up with Stella. Stanton and June do in fact marry, but just as he's about to give her the brush-off, Stella turns up dead... |
Posters
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Theatrical Release: October 26th, 1945 - USA (Premiere)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
BFI - Region 2 - PAL vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC vs. BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - RIGHT |
| Box Covers |
|
|
|
|
Distribution |
BFI - Region 2- PAL |
20th Century Fox Region 1- NTSC |
BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
| Runtime | 1:33:06 | 1:37:05 | 1:37:08.000 |
| Video | 1.28:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.44 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 9.11 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 33,690,991,907 bytes Feature: 19,119,940,032 bytes Video Bitrate: 20.32 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
|
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
|||
| Bitrate:
BFI |
|
||
| Bitrate:
FOX |
|
||
| Bitrate:
Blu-ray |
|
||
| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby) | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby), English (mono) |
LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit |
| Subtitles | English, None | English, Spanish, None | English (SDH), None |
|
Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Director
Biography (text screens) |
Release Information: . Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary with Film Noir Historian Eddie Muller and Susan Andrews |
Release Information: Studio: BFI Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 33,690,991,907 bytes Feature: 19,119,940,032 bytes Video Bitrate: 20.32 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• The Guardian
Lecture - Otto Preminger interview by Joan Bakewell (1:16:05 -
audio only)
Blu-ray
Release Date:
September 28th, 2015 Chapters 11 |
| Comments: |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (September 2015): Firstly, this can only be obtained (presently) in the Otto Preminger Film Noir Collection (Limited Edition 3 - disc Blu-ray set,) with Whirlpool and Where the Sidewalk Ends. BFI's new 1080P advances upon the old SD transfers - in particular their own, 2004, DVD which was quite muddy. The new HD transfer more closely resembles the Fox DVD but advances in contrast and detail while there is also a shade more information in the frame. I like the film-like thickness, textures and there are instances of depth. It looks very pleasing in-motion. This is dual-layered due to the 'Lecture' extra and the video bitrate is somewhat modest but I was very happy with the presentation.
Nice to have David Raksin's (Laura, Bigger Than Life, The Big Combo) score in lossless via the, fairly robust, linear PCM track at 2304 kbps. There are optional English subtitles on the region 'B'-locked Blu-ray disc.
BFI add some solid supplements in the boxset starting with a full length commentary by Adrian Martin from April 2009 but it has so much to digest with superb and educational information regarding the production. Excellent. The other extra is a 1 1/4 hour, audio-only (shown with stills from the film), The Guardian Lecture - Otto Preminger interview by Joan Bakewell which is fun and I was also keen on. There is a theatrical trailer and the package contains an illustrated booklet with essays by Edward Buscombe and full film credits.
One of my favorite and most delicious Noirs. I was in heaven watching this in 1080P - and I can't wait to cover the rest of the Limited Edition Blu-ray set. *** ADDITION: Fox - Region 1- February 06': The new Fox Noir release is far superior in every category. Much tighter detail and beside it the older BFI looks soft. Although it varies - the Fox frame tends to show a shade more - mostly on the top and the left edge. Audio-wise the Fox has included both a stereo and original mono track - they offer optional Spanish subtitles as well as English and the Muller commentary is once again excellent.... and the best news of all - its under $10.00. Fox is really treating us! ***
ON THE BFI DVD: A softer
image than in "Where the
Sidewalk Ends", but showing more film grain. I see the image is
almost pillar-boxed at 1.28:1... and I don't know the reason. Similar
Extras to the other recent Preminger BFI releases (except Carmen Jones).
Again good subtitles. No real film blemishes or dirt, but a notch
hazier. Still, great to have this on DVD.
|
out
of
Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American
Style by Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward |
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Film Noir Reader 4 : The Crucial Films and Themes
(Film Noir Reader) by Alain Silver |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Film Noir by Alain Silver |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
More Than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts by James Naremore |
Menus
(BFI - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC RIGHT)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Screen Captures
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
Subtitle Sample
 |
 |
 |
Screen Captures
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
 |
 |
 |
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
 |
 |
 |
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
 |
|
|
 |
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
 |
 |
 |
|
1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - TOP 2) 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC - MIDDLE 3) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM |
 |
 |
 |
More Blu-ray Captures
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Report Card:
|
Image: |
Blu-ray |
|
Sound: |
Blu-ray |
| Extras: | Blu-ray |
