The 4K UHD of High Noon is reviewed / compared HERE

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

ADDITION: Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - August 19': The Masters of Cinema transfer is also cited as being a "4K Digital Restoration" and I can make no strong determinations in video quality differences between the UK and the Olive Signature 1080P editions. They look exactly the same on dual-layered discs with max'ed out bitrate. I am extremely impressed with the Masters of Cinema in-motion - grain support is marvelous and contrast exceptional.

Masters of Cinema go linear PCM 2.0 channel (24-bit) and my ears can detect very little difference but it might have a crisper high end - forgoing a bit of flat bass. One of the highlights is the memorable score of the iconic Dimitri Tiomkin (Angel Face, Strangers on a  Train, The Men, Dial M For Murder, The Thing From Another World etc. etc.) with Tex Ritter crooning Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin. It sounds delightful in the uncompressed. MoC also add optional English subtitles - in hard-of-hearing - on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

It is in the supplements that Masters of Cinema vault definitively ahead of the US counterpart. We get two brand new and exclusive audio commentaries - the first by historian Glenn Frankel, author of High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic. He makes some highly interesting analysis about the narrative references key points discussed in the film. Her narrates a bit - but it is often a fresh take and this commentary has incredible value broaching the McCarthyism blacklist details. The second audio commentary by western authority Stephen Prince (author of Movies and Meaning: An Introduction to Film) who details production information on the individual performers, Zinnemann and much more. He's great to listen to. For 1 1/4 hours, playing to the film, we get a1969 audio interview with writer Carl Foreman from the National Film Theatre in London - the volume is a bit 'hushed' but his views on cinemas in the era are revealing and highly interesting about the exhaustion he suffered in producing and writing High Noon, his politics and more taking questions. He was an American screenwriter and film producer who was blacklisted in Hollywood in the 1950s because of their suspected communist sympathy or membership in the Communist Party. I also enjoyed Neil Sinyard, author of Fred Zinnemann: Films of Character and Conscience who also shares some insights in High Noon and the director. There are the previous, vintage, featurettes; The Making of High Noon, Inside High Noon and Behind High Noon that run, together, over an hour. Lastly is a theatrical trailer and the package has a limited edition 100-page collector s book featuring new writing on the film; the original short story The Tin Star by John W. Cunningham; excerpts from writings and interviews with director Fred Zinnemann; archival articles and materials relating to the film.

Easily the best Blu-ray version of High Noon to own. It handily beats the Olive Signature with the new commentaries, 1/2 hour of Neil Sinyard, 1 1/4 hour of Carl Foreman and the 100-page booklet! Brilliant stuff from Masters of Cinema - this Blu-ray will be strongly represented in our year-end poll. Our highest recommendation!

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ADDITION: Olive Films (Signature) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - September 16': Like Olive's Johnny Guitar Signature Blu-ray, 4K restoration, High Noon also improves upon the previous release. Being black and white - it may not look as prominent in the smaller images, but you can see the improved sharpness in the larger screen captures. Like Johnny Guitar 4K it is darker and black levels are richer. Framing has shifted somewhat showing less information on the top and right side of the frame but more on the left and the bottom edges. This made exact frame capturing difficult but there are many to choose and some appear to have found the same frame. This is now on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. It can't look much better and in-motion is dynamic and impressive.

The audio is likewise upgraded with a more robust DTS-HD Master at a higher 1795 kbps and in 24-bit as opposed to 16-bit.  This time around Olive include optional English subtitles - but in a gaudy yellow font (see sample) and their Blu-ray disc is no longer 'FREE' but region 'A'-locked.

Olive's Signature release also, vastly improves in the supplements department. We get four strong video pieces; A Ticking Clock runs 6-minutes and has Academy Award nominee Mark Goldblatt discussing the editing of High Noon. A Stanley Kramer Production is 14-minutes and has Michael Schlesinger providing discussion on the eminent producer of High Noon. Imitation of Life: The Blacklist History of High Noon shares information from historian Larry Ceplair and blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein running shy of 10-minutes. Ulcers and Oscars: The Production History of High Noon - is an interesting visual essay with rarely seen archival elements, narrated by, the late actor, Anton Yelchin. It runs a dozen minutes. Uncitizened Kane is an original essay by Sight and Sound editor Nick James and is text-on-screen allowing you to click through 10-pages. There is also a theatrical trailer and an eight-page liner notes leaflet with photos and Nick James' same essay.

- Gary W. Tooze