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

ADDITION: Warner Archive Blu-ray (January 2020): Warner Archive have transferred Jacques Tourneur's Great Day in the Morning to Blu-ray. It looks stunning. This Technicolor is in the 2.00 : 1 (SuperScope) aspect ratio. Colors are very bright, vibrant with rich deep hues. The contrast is exquisite. The source must have been in strong condition - and this dual-layered transfer with a max'ed out bitrate is a treat to behold in 1080P. There were a few instances of, what I suspect is misalignment (see capture below) when colors bleed and halos appear to be created. These are few and far between and I was really impressed with this HD presentation otherwise.  

NOTE: We have added 16 more large resolution Blu-ray captures for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Warner Archive use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. It immediately exports some genre gunfire effects with minor lunch and horses etc. carry some weight. The score is by Leith Stevens (The Gun Runners, Syncopation, World Without End, The Night of the Grizzly, I Married a Monster From Outer Space, 20 Million Miles to Earth, The Garment Jungle) sounding reasonably supportive playing alongside the open vistas and galloping. Warner Archive offer optional English subtitles (see sample below) on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

I thought the supplements were cool - four Jacques Tourneur short films - running about 10-minutes each. The Ship That Died from 1938 is described on IMDb as "John Nesbitt's "Passing Parade" series, the "Mary Celeste" sails from New York on November 7, 1872, with a full crew, including the captain's wife, which was cause for uneasiness among the superstitious sailors. Fourteen days later the ship is found by the "Barkentine Dia Gratia" with sails set, but not a sign of life. Food is still warm in the galley, there is no evidence of a mutiny or struggle, the cargo is intact and one longboat is still lashed to the deck. A Maritime Court advances several theories, but none that stand up when examined closely." Strange Glory is from the same year which involves General Ulysses Grant carrying out the 'Tennessee Plan' in the American Civil War. Also from 38' is The Face Behind the Mask - is based on Dumas' The Man in the Iron Mask that investigates three possibilities for the identity of France's King Louis XIV. Made in 1942 is The Magic Alphabet - which is about Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman, who searched for a cure for beri-beri on the island of Java in the 1890's. Worthwhile additions.

Chris Fujiwara, wrote about Great Day in the Morning in his book Jacques Tourneur: The Cinema of Nightfall, seeing it as a complex oddball in the director's brilliant oeuvre. It's has some deep moral themes, some superficial romance and an enigmatic protagonist in Stock. I liked it and the Blu-ray presentation is exceptional. The director's growing fan-base will appreciate the visuals qualities of the western feature and the inclusion of four extra shorts. Recommended!

Gary Tooze