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

ADDITION: Kit Parker Blu-ray (May 2020): Kit Parker Films in association with Millcreek Entertainment have brought a "William Castle Double Feature" to Blu-ray. It has New Orleans Uncensored which was already released in 1080P in their Noir Archive Volume 2 with Bait (1954), The Crooked Web (1955), The Night Holds Terror (1955), Footsteps in the Fog (1955), Cell 2455, Death Row (1955), 5 Against the House (1955), New Orleans Uncensored (1955), Spin a Dark Web (1955), and Rumble on the Docks (1956) which had 3 films on 3 dual-layered Blu-rays. But the "William Castle Double Feature" package is actually two discs with 1951's Hollywood Story - both films having their own single-layered Blu-ray. So, while this is a new transfer - it is the same D1 and is superior with a max'ed out bitrate - looking marginally better in-motion with more consistent grain.

For the audio it is also 24-bit lossless (DTS-HD Master) but more robustly transferred notable in the score by Mischa Bakaleinikoff (The Crooked Web, Cell 2455 Death Row, Comanche Station, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Giant Claw, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The 27th Day, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Lady for a Day.) It sounds clean with atmospheric depth in the score. The Blu-ray also offers optional English subtitles (see sample) but the Blu-ray is now Region 'A'-locked as opposed to Region FREE like the Noir Archive collections.

No extras - which is a shame that some form of supplements weren't included - a commentary or the like.

So, I was initially bothered that I had to double-dip on New Orleans Uncensored to get Hollywood Story in 1080P. I was pleased that this is a new transfers with a max'ed out bitrate. It makes me feel less ripped-off, anyway.

***

ADDITION: Kit Parker Blu-ray (August 2019): Kit Parker Films in association with Millcreek Entertainment have released the first (of three announced) of these 3 Blu-ray / 9 Film Noir features Boxsets. Volume Two is has:

Bait (1954), The Crooked Web (1955), The Night Holds Terror (1955), Footsteps in the Fog (1955), Cell 2455, Death Row (1955), 5 Against the House (1955), New Orleans Uncensored (1955), Spin a Dark Web (1955), and Rumble on the Docks (1956)

Volume One was described as "Stalwart noir directors and casts highlight these hard to find features Address Unknown (1944) dir/William Cameron Menzies, cast/Paul Lukas, Carl Esmond, Peter Van Eyck; Escape in the Fog (1945) dir/Oscar (Budd) Boetticher cast/Otto Kruger, Nina Foch, William Wright; The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947) dir/Henry Levin cast/Rosalind Russell, Melvyn Douglas, Sid Caesar; The Black Book (aka The Reign of Terror) (1949) dir/Anthony Mann cast/Robert Cummings, Richard Basehart, Arlene Dahl; Johnny Allegro (1949) dir/Ted Tetzlaff cast/George Raft, Nina Foch, George Macready; 711 Ocean Drive (1950) dir/Joseph M. Newman cast/Edmond O'Brien, Joanne Dru, Otto Kruger; The Killer That Stalked New York (1950) dir/Earl McEvoy cast/Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin, William Bishop; Assignment Paris (1952) dir/Earl McEvoy cast/Dana Andrews, Marta Toren, George Sanders; The Miami Story (1954) dir/Fred F. Sears cast/Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler, John Baer - all in high definition presented in their original aspect ratios."

So, Volume 2 is also 3 films on 3 dual-layered Blu-rays, with a decent bitrate in 1080P and this is in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This has the same speckles as the Sony DVD - but we lose that horrible green cast of the SD transfer (part of Film Noir Classic 1 reviewed HERE.) This is a remarkable improvement and fans should welcomes in the end 1080P image - texture is lush and exports very film-like visuals.

The audio is 24-bit lossless (DTS-HD Master mono) exporting the score by Mischa Bakaleinikoff (The Crooked Web, Cell 2455 Death Row, Comanche Station, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Giant Claw, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, The 27th Day, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Lady for a Day.) It sounds clean with minor depth. The Blu-ray offers optional English subtitles (see sample) on this Region FREE Blu-ray package.

No supplements - but the disc is shared with The Night Hold Terror and 5 Against the Bank. 'Dark Cinema' aficionados get to revisit this notable crime-dramas in a far more superior film-like presentation with optional subtitles.

Gary Tooze

Senate hearings on organized crimes, also known as Kefauver hearings named after the senator heading them, was a big hit on American TVs in 1950. Hollywood took notice and number of films, so called city exposé, appeared on movie screens across America starting with independently produced The Captive City in 1952. At least 6 films were released by Columbia Pictures from 1954 until 1957, with a city name in its title, exposing named city's corruption and connection to organized crime. All of them were directed by either Fred F. Sears or William Castle. So far, only one such title was released on DVD - William Castle's New Orleans Uncensored. Based on a true story, this time the organized crime is being found on a dock and the film even cast some local city officials who help our lone hero, played by Arthur Franz, get the bad guys. Beverly Garland gets a second billing, but the hottie on the posters is actually Helene Stanton (noir aficionados will remember her as brunette Rita in The Big Combo.

As usual for Sony's MOD discs, the image quality for this single-layered disc is excellent, with no visible damage and no compression issues. The progressive transfer has deep blacks and grain is kept in check. The audio is decent, but there are no extras provided. The menus are not there as well, so the film starts right after all the FBI warnings. The film has some decent action scenes and is mildly recommended, but Sony should be commended on their top quality releases even for a lesser film like this one.

  - Gregory Meshman