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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Directed by Anatole Litvak
USA 1948
Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster star in one of the greatest and most engrossing film noir thrillers ever put to celluloid. Young, rich, bedridden Leona Stevenson (Stanwyck) dials a telephone number one night and overhears two men plotting the murder of an unidentified woman. She becomes frantic. Her terror is intensified by mysterious calls from an old college rival and a friend of her father. With time running out, Leona pieces evidence together that leads her to suspect that it is her husband (Lancaster) who wants her murdered. Sorry, Wrong Number is a classic, extraordinary example of cumulative suspense and sheer terror. Barbara Stanwyck received an Oscar nomination for her magnificent performance. ***
Leona Stevenson is a wealthy invalid confined to her bed. It would be easier for
people to feel sorry for her if she weren't such a caustic, demanding woman. One
night she tries to call her husband Henry at his office and accidentally
overhears two men planning a murder on the telephone. As her suspicions mount,
Leona becomes more hysterical and paralyzed with fear, convinced that the
murderers she has overheard may be coming for her. Left alone on the third floor
of her enormous house, Leona's only connection with the outside world is her
telephone, which also becomes the source of her growing panic and paralysis. Excerpt from TCM located HERE |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: September 1st, 1948
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison
:Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
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Reissued in February 2021 on Blu-ray without the slipcase: Bonus Captures: |
Bonus Captures:
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Distribution | Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray | Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:28:40.940 | 1:28:44.235 |
Video |
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 41,776,422,592 bytesFeature: 25,891,977,216 bytesVideo Bitrate: 33.63 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1. 37:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 44,419,456,271 bytesFeature: 27,719,927,808 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.00 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Imprint Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Shout! Factory Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio English
1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit |
DTS-HD Master
Audio English 1781 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1781 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1645 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1645 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) |
Subtitles | English (SDH), None | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Imprint
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 41,776,422,592 bytesFeature: 25,891,977,216 bytesVideo Bitrate: 33.63 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• NEW Audio commentary by noir expert and Film Noir Foundation board
member Alan K. Rode
Transparent Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 13 |
Release Information: Studio: Shout! Factory
1. 33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 41,776,422,592 bytesFeature: 25,891,977,216 bytesVideo Bitrate: 33.63 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• NEW Audio Commentary By Film And Pop Culture Podcasters Sam Hurley And
Emily Higgins
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 13 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
ADDITION: Shout!
Factory
Blu-ray
(March 2023): Whether you like the 1080P image quality or not - the
Shout! Factory is far closer to how the film should look - by that we mean
'film like' or more akin to its theatrical roots. The thickness, 1.37:1
aspect ratio (the Imprint is 1.33:1 and has some slight stretching issues),
heavy grain and lack of compression artifacts signifies that our suspicions
on the Imprint were, indeed, correct. The Shout! Factory is darker (as it
was shot), generally showing more information in the frame and has different
(and, briefly prominent) vertical scratches and marks that identity it as
being a different source than the glossy Australian counterpart.
NOTE: We have added 58 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Shout! use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (but 24-bit as opposed to 16-bit) in the
original English language. I wouldn't say the audio is perfect - it
sounds weak at times with certain dialogue being unnaturally hollow. I still
give the edge to the US transfer. The score is by
Franz Waxman (Untamed,
Rebecca,
Dark
Passage, Bride
of Frankenstein,
Rear Window,
Sunset Boulevard)
with some classical; Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner.
Shout! also offer optional English (SDH) subtitles but their
Blu-ray
is Region 'A'-locked.
Supplements duplicate the Imprint with one new addition. We
still get the wonderful
Alan K. Rode commentary,
Eddie Muller intro, 1950 Lux Radio audio
radio play with Stanwyck and Lancaster and a 1/2 hour 2009 “Sorry Wrong Number”
radio play filmed performance, plus the 1/2 hour Hold The Phone:
The Making Of “Sorry Wrong Number", trailer and a gallery of stills.
What is new is a commentary by Film and Pop Culture Podcasters Sam Hurley
And Emily Higgins. I rarely criticize a commentary -- understanding the work
that goes into it... but I didn't like this one. I suggest re-listening to
Rode as he exports so much information.
So there you have it. We love having choices and some,
less-concerned with the best representation, may still lean to the Imprint -
that we did not endorse 3 years ago. We recommend the Shout! Factory
Blu-ray
with its more authentic image... and warts (scratches, minor audio
inconsistencies) - and the matched extras with a new addition, even if we
don't advocate - and the extensive supplements with the Rode commentary.
Oscar nominated for the role,
Barbara Stanwyck plays Leona Stevenson - an the invalid who
intercepts a murder plot on the phone - from
Lucille Fletcher's
play that was reprised seven different times. Orson Welles called Sorry,
Wrong Number "the greatest single radio script ever written".
Clips were used in
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. There are plenty of shadows, flashbacks
and a twist finale to delight
Noir aficionados. Imperfect but absolutely we recommend the Shout!
Factory
Blu-ray.
***
ADDITION: Imprint
Blu-ray
(June 2020): Newcomer 'Imprint' out of Australia (the disc starts with a ViaVision
logo) have transferred Anatole Litvak's 1948 Sorry, Wrong Number
to Blu-ray. Initial reports were
that the transfer had DNR (Digital Noise Removal.) Looking closely, you can
see that the grain is not smeared away leaving a waxy, un-textured look, but
instead is very clunky, uneven and visible by its lack of consistency. This
looks to me like an SD bump, either that or a low-grade print. Regardless,
whether it is any of the above - the image is marred by these artifacts (see
samples below.) Now, I am not defending this image quality but depending on
how forgiving your system is - you may not see it to the same degree. It was
occasionally noticeable on my system but other may not find it unwatchable.
I imagine if this Blu-ray was projected
- the digitization would be far more prevalent in the viewing experience.
Better than SD? - I think so, but again it would depend on your system and
how discerning your eyes are. Bottom line is that stringent home theater
aficionados won't be pleased.
NOTE: We have added 66 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their
Blu-ray,
Imprint use a linear PCM dual-mono track (16-bit) in the
original English language. It is another advancement in the film's audio
in telephone-related effects
and the score by
Franz Waxman (Untamed,
Rebecca,
Dark
Passage, Bride
of Frankenstein,
Rear Window,
Sunset Boulevard)
that also has come classical music
incorporated; Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner - all sounding deeper
exporting a more dramatic tone. Imprint offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on
their Region FREE
Blu-ray.
The Imprint
Blu-ray
Classic
Noir still not given rightful justice on digital. Dammit. I have
always suspected the elements to be compromised but hopefully one day we
will be able to compare this to a new 1080P transfer worthy of the film.
As for now we can't endorse the |
Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray Package
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Menus / Extras
Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Digitization / Bump samples on Imprint:
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)
1) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP2 ) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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Scratches on Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)
1) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP2 ) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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Box Cover |
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Reissued in February 2021 on Blu-ray without the slipcase: Bonus Captures: |
Bonus Captures:
|
|
Distribution | Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray | Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |