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

ADDITION: Network Blu-ray (September 2020): Network, out of the UK,  have transferred Leslie Arliss' The Man in Grey to Blu-ray. It is described as "a High Definition remaster from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio" and it appears to be from the same master as the Criterion DVD from their 2012 Eclipse Boxset (Three Wicked Melodramas from Gainsborough Pictures) as it has the exact same marks, scratches and hairs etc. in the gate. The higher resolution amplifies this to some degree. There is more information on the left edge and slightly less on the right edge. The 1080P improvement is readily evident in-motion with a slightly higher level of detail and support of grain. There is also some depth showing through.

On their Blu-ray, Network use a linear PCM dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original English language. It is another advancement in the film's audio and score by Cedric Mallabey (only credits include this and composer for Anthony Asquith's Man of Evil or Fanny By Gaslight), sounding a crisper with more consistent dialogue volume levels. Network, also, offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Network Blu-ray includes Mike Healey's 1984, 38-minute, documentary James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate - a retrospective of the life and work of actor James Mason. It has input from James Mason, Shelley Rohde, Margaret Lockwood etc. There is also a trailer and an image gallery.

The Man in Grey was the first of the Gainsborough melodramas. It has romance, in a hsitorical background and a brutish cad played by James Mason (Lord Rohan). Clarissa (Phyllis Calvert) deserves more and gets the dashing Rokeby (Stewart Granger) while her friend, scheming Hester (Margaret Lockwood), plotting behind the scenes for the conquest prize of Lord Rohan. Very engrossing. It has some twists that elevate suspense. The Man in Grey is a good film by director Leslie Arliss with excellent performances by the cast - notably Mason. It's a film I am very happy to have seen, and own, on Blu-ray. The included documentary adds value. Certainly recommended!

Gary Tooze

ON THE DVD (2013): With Criterion lowering the Eclipse output to only 2 sets a year, it's time to revisit some of the collections we somehow missed reviewing that should get highest recommendations. One such release from 2012 is Three Wicked Melodramas from Gainsborough Pictures. while they omitted one costume melodrama that should have been included (Fanny by Gaslight), the three films included are wicked fun with some noir touches - The Man in Grey, Madonna of the Seven Moons and The Wicked Lady. In fact, three of the four films mentioned in the review are listed in highly recommended book by Michael F. Keaney British Film Noir Guide. The Wicked Lady was not included although you are unlikely to meet more despicable character in any of these films as the title character played wonderfully by Margaret Lockwood.

The Criterion presents these films on three dual-layered discs, each film getting its own disc in a transparent slimcase with a page of informative liner notes by Michael Koresky. The progressive transfers have little damage (the worst offender can be seen in the last capture for Madonna of the Seven Moons), but overall they are minimal and never interfere with the presentation. The contrast is good. The mono audio, while not perfect, is adequate and all films include English subtitles. This is a highly recommended release for any fan of British noir and, particular, of so-called "Gaslight noir".

  - Gregory Meshman