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Directed by Phil Karlson
USA 1961

 

Acclaimed filmmaker Phil Karlson (99 River Street, The Silencers, Walking Tall) directed this espionage thriller based on an Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, Ice Station Zebra) novel and starring screen great Richard Widmark (Pickup on South Street, The Alamo, Madigan). Vienna, 1956. After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune Mike Reynolds (Widmark) is hired to help Professor Jancsi (Walter Rilla, Code 7, Victim 5), a Hungarian scientist wanted by the Russians, escape from Budapest. Mike and Julia (Sonja Ziemann, The Bridge at Remagen), the professor’s daughter, cross the border posing as journalists, but encounter a problem—the professor is a staunch freedom fighter and doesn’t want to be rescued! Two of the film’s best features are the terrific black-and-white photography by Mutz Greenbaum (Night and the City) and original music score by legendary composer John Williams (Jaws, Star Wars). Co-starring Senta Berger (Diabolically Yours, The Ambushers).

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Vienna, 1956. After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune Mike Reynolds is hired to help a threatened Hungarian scientist (Prof. Jansci) escape from Budapest. He and Julia, the professor's daughter, cross the boulder posing as journalists, but they encounter a problem. The staunch freedom fighter doesn't want to go...

Posters

Theatrical Release: April 1961

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Compliance Statement: "Gary Tooze is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon."
Runtime 1:52:17.063        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 39,765,060,231 bytes

Feature: 35,190,515,712 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.93 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

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1558 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1558 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Kino

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 39,765,060,231 bytes

Feature: 35,190,515,712 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.93 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell
-Theatrical Trailer (1:05)


 Blu-ray Release Date: October 27th, 2020
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 11

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2020): Kino have transferred Phil Karlson's The Secret Ways to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 2K Master". It looks pretty good on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. Lots of texture - perhaps it's dominant visual feature, decent contrast - it's quite a fetching movie with plenty of shadows and use of darkness and light.

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. There are effects and a score by accomplished composer John Williams (as Johnny Williams) (The Rare Breed, The Missouri Breaks, War Horse, The Fury, Images, Sleepers, The Cowboys, Conrack, 1979's Dracula) sounding strong and supportive of the film viewing. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by, the lads, Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. They drool over Senta Berger (who can blame them), talk about Richard Widmark, the brief Austria and Switzerland location shots but excellent studio Euro-feel, how Widmark replaced Phil Karlson to finish directing the film, Alistair MacLean not writing female characters deeply or sexual relations, Mitchell describes differences from the book, etc. and they provide plenty of good information and analysis. There is also a trailer for the film and a swath of other films. 

The Secret Ways was okay - carried by Widmark. I wasn't overly keen, but I did like the settings - which I think were some of the best attributes of the film along with the light-shadow-play cinematography (Mutz Greenbaum.) The Kino Blu-ray is at their usual excellent standard - strong a/v and a revealing commentary. There is value here, for sure.

Gary Tooze

 

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Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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