The Vanishing Shadow Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Lew Landers (as Louis Friedlander)
USA 1934

VCI is pleased to present this classic cliffhanger from Universal Pictures, which has never had an official video release on any format, now available for the first time on Blu-ray and produced from the original studio film elements! A 12-episode Universal serial in which a son avenges the death of his father at the hands of corrupt politicians. He develops a wide variety of complex devices in his crusade . . . ray guns, robots and a 'vanishing belt.' Note: The serial features what is believed to be the first appearance of a hand held ray gun in film.

***

An electrical engineer, Stanley Stanfield , brings his newest invention to the famous electrical wizard, Carl Van Dorn --- a vest-like apparatus that enables the wearer to vanish, leaving only a shadow. Van Dorn is vastly impressed and, with the aid of the machine, the pair set out to bring about the downfall of power-crazed, money-mad Wade Barnett and his crony Dorgan, whose political-group activities, through a vicious smear campaign, had hounded Stanfield's father to death. Stanfield's efforts are complicated by the fact that his girlfriend, known to him as Gloria Grant is really Barnett's daughter, who has rejected her father and goes by an alias.

Excerpt from IMDb located HERE

Posters and one Album Cover (that uses the robot)

Theatrical Release: April 23rd, 1934

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Review: VCI - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Coming to the UK, on Blu-ray from VCI, in March 2020:
Distribution	VCI - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	0:21:01.343 X 12
Video	1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,009,959,852 bytes Episode X 12: 4,052,471,808 bytes Video Bitrate: 24.05 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate (Serial sample) Blu-ray:
Audio	Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: VCI 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,009,959,852 bytes Episode X 12: 4,052,471,808 bytes Video Bitrate: 24.05 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Photo Gallery (4:54) • Trailer (3:14) Blu-ray Release Date: August 26th, 2019 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 5 X 12

Serials on disc reviewed by DVDBeaver

Comments:

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

ADDITION: VCI Blu-ray (August 2019): VCI have transferred the 1934, 12-part serial, The Vanishing Shadow to Blu-ray. VCI have the distribution right to 48 serials from Universal Pictures. This can be somewhat inconsistent with some very dark sequences (see last capture) but very little damage and the image can fluctuate from chapter-to-chapter on its contrast level - sometime appearing dull and faded. We presume this reflects the compromised density of the source. Overall, the image is very acceptable - at times looking exceptionally strong but faint. It is on one dual-layered Blu-ray disc and supported with a reasonable bitrate.

On their Blu-ray, VCI, unfortunately, only transfer in a lossy Dolby track. It is in the original English language. We miss the advancement of uncompressed audio with its superior depth. The score is uncredited to Edward Ward (Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Night Must Fall, The Women, Boys Town) and is quite standard with plenty of dramatic shifts from high to low. VCI offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The VCI Blu-ray has a 5-minute 'photo gallery', as an extra, with stills and one poster plus a lengthy trailer (that seems to have been pieced together.) There are some liner notes through the transparent case that describe VCI and review excerpts.

I just love stuff like The Vanishing Shadow and the over-baked drama of most of the serials. I love the idea of having them on Blu-ray housing an entire series and hope Buster Crabbe "Flash Gordon" serials make it to this format one day soon.