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Directed by Lawrence Huntington, Julio Salvador
UK / Spain 1955

 

Richard Greene stars as an FBI agent hot on the trail of his brother's killer in this thrilling crime drama from the mid '50s. Made concurrently with Greene's phenomenally successful TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood, Contraband Spain also stars Anouk Aimée and Michael Denison. It is is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio.

A member of a smuggling gang is found murdered on the Franco-Spanish border with counterfeit bills in his pocket. Agent Lee Scott the dead smuggler's brother is assigned to investigate.

***

A United States Department of the Treasury agent works against smugglers on the border between Spain and France. He has a personal interest as his brother who was part of the gang was murdered by them. The gang smuggles watches into Spain and brings counterfeit American money into England that is used to buy gold that is melted down and shipped to Continental Europe.

Excerpt from Wikipedia located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 15th, 1955

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Review: Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:
Distribution Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:22:28.000        
Video

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 17,968,703,528 bytes

Feature: 17,371,471,872 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.97 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Network

 

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 17,968,703,528 bytes

Feature: 17,371,471,872 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.97 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Trailer (2:23)
• Image gallery (0:50)
• PDF "Campaign Sheet' and Info Sheet' in disc root folder


 Blu-ray Release Date: February 17th, 2020
 Slim Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Network Blu-ray (February 2020): Network have transferred the low-budget, international crime-drama, Contraband Spain to Blu-ray. It is on a  single-layered disc with a middling bitrate. The image is consistent, colors are fairly dark and rich (notable reds). It is transferred in 1080P and carries a film-like thickness but it also seems dirty although there are no marks and only light speckles. Overall the 1.37:1 HD visuals are adequate, but not stellar - probably in-line with the available print.

Network's Blu-ray has a linear PCM mono track (16-bit) in the original English language (with some Spanish). It is fairly low-key with a score by Edwin Astley (The Giant Behemoth 1962's The Phantom of the Opera, The Naked Prey) that heightens the tension. Some may notice the local flavor of Maria Dolores played - years later done by Al Martino, Joan Baez and even The Gipsy Kings. Network offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Network Blu-ray has only a trailer, image gallery and PDFs, on the disc, of the "Campaign Sheet' and 'Info Sheet' for the film.

Contraband Spain is better than I thought although I found it slow. I like Anouk Aimée although she was still 'blossoming'. Richard Greene was excellent and there is a classy Euro-crime thriller aspect to Contraband Spain. It's probably not something I will revisit but I am glad to have seen it - I think this would have worked as a series of films. The Network Blu-ray is at the usual pleasing standard and the curious may wish to indulge.

Gary Tooze

 

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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:
Distribution Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


 


 

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