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directed by Gerd Oswald
USA 1956

... A Kiss Before Dying was a trouble-free production and featured a solid supporting cast that included Mary Astor, Joanne Woodward, Jeffrey Hunter, George Macready, and Virginia Leith. Astor, in particular, is memorable as the psychopath's mother. It was her first film role since Any Number Can Play in 1949 and in her autobiography, A Life on Film, she reported that an unnamed co-star in the film actually said to her at their introduction, "Mary Astor! I thought you were dead!"

Joanne Woodward, who has the smaller, more unfortunate role of the unwitting victim in the film, was at the beginning of her screen career. A Kiss Before Dying was her second movie and she wasn't at all happy about it. In fact, she once referred to it as her "worst picture." Woodward was very outspoken about her dislike of Hollywood and its emphasis on glamour but she did agree to appear at a New York promotion for A Kiss Before Dying where she struck pin-up poses in a sexy, tight-fitting sleeveless dress.

Excerpt from TMN located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release Date: June 12, 1956


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Comparison:

MGM Home Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

 
Box Covers

 

    

  

Distribution MGM Home Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC  Kino Lorber
Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:34:36  1:34:46.806
Video 2.25:1.00 Letterboxed WideScreen / anamorphic
Average Bitrate: 5.22 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 21,614,946,474 bytes

Feature: 21,434,210,304 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 26.96 Mbps
Bitrate: MGM Home Entertainment

Bitrate: Kino Blu-ray

Audio English, French, Spanish (2.0 Mono) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1577 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1577 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles English, French, Spanish, None None
Features Release Information:
Studio: M G M, Inc

Edition Details:
• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)

• Widescreen anamorphic 2.25:1 aspect ratio

• Letterboxed non-anamorphic trailer (2:15)

• Contains the Pan and Scan version on the opposite side of the DVD

DVD Release Date:  December 3rd, 2002
Keep Case
Chapters: 16

Release Information:
Studio: Kino Lorber

 

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 21,614,946,474 bytes

Feature: 21,434,210,304 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 26.96 Mbps


Edition Details:
• Trailer (2:17)
 

Standard Blu-ray case

Blu-ray Release Date: May 3rd, 2016

 Chapters: 8

 

Comments:

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

 

ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray April 16': This new 1080P is superior - brighter colors - more information in the frame - the film's heaviness now appears as texture and less like haziness. It's 2.35:1 to the DVD's 2.30:1 aspect ratio. IMDb list the films as 2.55:1 original. There are hints of depth but still color speckles. It's no demo but advances quite handily beyond the SD. More detail and very thick. Colors are an attribute.

 

As for the audio, Kino go DTS-HD Master but miss out on the 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints - Westrex Recording System) but it sounds clean and the lossless nails the score by Lionel Newman (Compulsion, The Boston Strangler, The Proud Ones). Crisp all-around and they have no subtitles on Kino's region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

 

The only extra is a trailer. The film has always made me uncomfortable almost removing any melodramatic markers and this makes it a very creepy film - a head of its time. Those keen have this bare-bones BD as the best way to view it in your home theatre.

***

ON THE DVD: Another anamorphic transfer, decent, if not vibrant colors, adequate black levels. The original mono sound is acceptable. I saw some pulsing images in the middle of the film, but nothing untoward. There are no real extras unless you include a non-anamorphic trailer which ends with a huge spoiler for the film. Interesting film with adept performance from Wagner. Nice to see the 2.30 aspect ratio treated well.

Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

 



DVD Menus

MGM - Region 1 - NTSC

 

Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray captures

Box Covers

 

    

  

Distribution MGM Home Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC  Kino Lorber
Region 'A' - Blu-ray

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