ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray August 17': Firstly, the Kino have transferred the 'Roadshow' version complete with Prelude / Overture / Exit music screens although the latter is essentially a black scene after "The End" appears. The full running time is just over 2-hours and 24-minutes. It is transferred on a dual-layered disc with a reasonable bitrate. It has the most information in the frame, on all 4 edges, as compared to the other digital releases. The image doesn't look particularly dynamic and has some, film-like, heaviness. It can appear soft, even a bit waxy, but actually looks quite appealing in-motion. When I zoom-in extensively I can see some minor artifacts but I don't think this has had DNR-level digitization. The colors are rich, with more authentic flesh tones, but the visuals are flat. I was hoping it would be crisper but, without another 1080P to compare to, this may be the best the film looks on Blu-ray. It does look better than the DVDs and has no marks or damage, but isn't as tight as fans may have been anticipating. I'd probably be more negative if it didn't look so decent, and improved over SD, in-motion.

Kino provide a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit). Effects are supported with depth - mostly western-related, horses etc. The highlight would be the dramatic 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.) that plays brilliantly in uncompressed.  There are optional English subtitles (see sample) and has been identified as being a region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

Kino add some great extras - an audio commentary by film historian Gaylen Studlar, author of Precocious Charms: Stars Performing Girlhood in Classical Hollywood Cinema. She brings up topics of the film's over-erotized sexual and racial undertones, its melodrama, use of shadow-play etc. and generally gives solid information in her, often Freudian, analysis. There are some gaps where the film runs without commentary. There is also a 10-minute interview with Cecilia Peck, Carey Peck and Anthony Peck that was filmed at the same time as the one on The Night People, but is more related to Dual in the Sun and Selznick. Like the other releases there are trailers; full-length, coming soon, teaser, popular tag (1947) and the widescreen tag (1954). The package has reversible art (see bottom.)

I'd love to compare the Blu-ray image quality on day, but I LOVED seeing the film again, especially with Gaylen Studlar's commentary. I now remember how much I enjoyed Dual in the Sun - they do NOT make them like this. Rich, sexy Hollywood western epics are too few and far between. Even with the debate open on the 1080P image - this is a must-own, imo.

***

NOTE: the MGM is reported as having numerous audio problems. Because of this and the cropping, we immediately switch our recommendation to the OOP Anchor Bay (Roadshow) version. MGM really dropped the ball on this one.

ADDITION: MGM (May 2004) - The image on the MGM is very slightly sharper although I am not overly impressed with the colors which still seem a little too red to me as well as dull. It is the most cropped of the 4 editions - mostly on the left edge. No Extras, but it is the only addition with subtitles. The sound is also flawed on the MGM. Frankly I was hoping for a lot more, although it is dual layered (like the Anchor Bay Roadshow, but there are only 16 chapter stops for a film of almost 2.5 hours which is sloppy by MGM. Stick with the Anchor Bay Roadshow edition (which is way OOP). Find it and keep it - it is the definitive version!

There are some quite striking differences in the initial release from Anchor Bay to the two "Roadshow" edition that directly followed in Region 2 and by Anchor Bay again in Region 1. It is plain to see the initial Anchor Bay release was sloppy and fit on a single layered disc quite easily without using the longer "Roadshow" print. Anchor Bay's initial release is garbage - contrast boosted, color manipulated with No Extras Features although it possibly is the least cropped of the three editions. Anchor Bay's "Roadshow" version is the sharpest of the three and the duplicated colors in the Region 2 PT Video DVD prove the colors are accurate. I see minor cropping in all editions and the most, it seems, in the Anchor Bay "Roadshow". Overall the PT Video version is quite strong. Both Region 1 releases are Out of Print (due, no doubt to Jennifer Jones) which bodes well for the sale of MGM's release in March. Lets hope they rise to the occasion with a sterling image, solid audio and some decent Extras Features.

 - Gary W. Tooze