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(aka "Crosstown" )
directed by Phil Karlson
USA 1953
Ernie Driscoll (John Payne) is an ex-fighter
who came within seconds of winning the world championship. He's
now forced to eke out a living driving a cab. A basically decent
guy, he has lots of people who care about him, including Linda
James (Evelyn Keyes), a slightly ditsy actress friend -- but
Ernie also has a short fuse, especially where his wife Pauline (Peggie
Castle) is concerned. His rage boils over when he spots her
kissing another man, but her unfaithfulness turns out to be the
least of his worries. The man she's seeing, Vic Rawlins (Brad
Dexter), is a career criminal with both the police and his
former partners after him, and he sees Ernie as the perfect
fall-guy. The law and Rawlins' criminal associates are soon
closing in on Ernie, while he tries desperately -- with Linda's
help -- to buy the time he needs to unravel this nightmare. *** In this classic film noir, a down-on-his-luck former boxing contender (John Payne, The Crooked Way, Hidden Fear), turned cab driver has to hide from the police when he s accused of murdering his badgering wife when her lifeless body turns up in the back of his cab. On the run and out of time, he needs to bring the real killer to justice before the cops and the thugs responsible for the set-up get their hands on him. Top-notch direction by the great Phil Karlson (Kansas City Confidential) and featuring a great cast that includes Evelyn Keyes (The Prowler), Brad Dexter (The Magnificent Seven), Frank Faylen (Riot in Cell Block 11), Peggie Castle (I, the Jury) and Jay Adler (The Killing). |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: 2 October 1953 (New York)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
MGM (MGM Limited Edition Collection) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!
1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT
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Box Cover |
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Distribution |
MGM Region 0 - NTSC |
Kino Lorber Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:23:03 | 1:23:22.038 |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 18,936,721,707 bytesFeature: 17,014,904,832 bytesCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 23.88 Mbps |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate |
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Bitrate: Blu-ray |
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Audio | Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English) |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1563 kbps
2.0 / 48 kHz / 1563 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509
kbps / 16-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 256 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 256 kbps |
Subtitles | None | None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 9 |
Release Information: Studio: Kino Lorber
1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 18,936,721,707 bytesFeature: 17,014,904,832 bytesCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 23.88 Mbps
• 99 River Street Trailer (2:13) -
Trailers for
Hidden Fear
(2:03),
Shield For Murder
(1:45),
He Ran All the Way
(2:13) Standard Blu-ray case Blu-ray Release Date: June 21st, 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 June 16': The 2011 DVD was horribly green and looks slightly vertically stretched beside Kino Lorber new 1080P transfer which shows some texture and a pleasing film-like heaviness. It's single-layered with a decent, but not stellar, bitrate for the 1 hour 23-minute film. It's imperfect but fairly consistent and a giant leap beyond the SD.
Immense value for Noir fans in the new audio commentary by film historian Eddie Muller giving essential detail and background on this highly-regarded gem. Full marks for its inclusion. There are also trailers for 99 River Street, Hidden Fear, Shield For Murder, and He Ran All the Way.
The Blu-ray gets our highest recommendation - both for the film, it's improved digital presentation and especially the Muller commentary. Don't hesitate for a minute! *** ON THE DVD: 99 River Street is an excellent, but little seen thriller from United Artists from 1953. It became the first classic film noir released in MGM's made-on-demand service and our first review from MGM Limited Edition Collection line. The disc starts with a disclaimer that "the best source materials available" were used, but overall the transfer looks excellent - good contrast and very minimal damage on the print. Unfortunately, the disc is interlaced. The audio is without any distortion and is clean. Per usual standards for these MOD releases, there are no subtitles and chapters are fixed at every 10 minutes, making 9 total for this 83-minute film. There are no extras, but we still highly recommend this release just on the quality of the film itself. |
DVD Menus
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Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Screen Captures
1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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Interlacing (Bartender's hands)
1) MGM - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP 2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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More Blu-ray Captures
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Box Cover |
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Distribution |
MGM Region 0 - NTSC |
Kino Lorber Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
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