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

ADDITION: Studiocanal Blu-ray (November 2025): Studiocanal have transferred Basil Dearden's Cage of Gold to Blu-ray. It features a new 4K restoration sourced from the original camera negative, resulting in a brand new HD master that delivers a crisp, clean, and sharp black-and-white image, enhancing the film's moody cinematography impressing with details in both London and Paris settings. The production design by Jim Morahan (Witchfinder General, The Mind Benders, The Ladykillers, The Night My Number Came Up, The Cruel Sea, The Man in the White Suit, Whisky Galore!) is beautifully executed, infusing the film with authentic postwar period detail that grounds its melodrama in a tangible sense of place, from bustling London locales like Piccadilly Circus and underground tube stations to the seedy streets and nightclubs of Paris. The 1080P has some inherent softness and can look waxy in spots but is it is digitization - it is not egregious. The monochrome photography is superb and moody, utilizing strong expressionist lighting, shadows, and fog-infused scenes - particularly in the second half - to symbolize Judith's labyrinthine moral dilemmas, with her shaky nocturnal trek to Glennan's apartment standing out as spectacular. Overall a, relatively consistent, and pleasing HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 62 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Studiocanal use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It faithfully reproduces the film's original sound design, including Georges Auric's (Bonjour Tristesse, The Wages of Fear, The Queen of Spades, The Mind Benders, The Lavender Hill Mob, Heaven Knows Mr. Allison, It Always Rains on Sunday, Dead of Night, The Innocents, Lola Montes, Rififi, Corridors of Mirrors) understated score and diegetic elements like nightclub performances, ensuring dialogue and effects come through without significant distortion despite the film's age. Dialogue can occasionally appear muffled or too quiet relative to ambient sounds (ex. letter narration in the bedroom.) Music is fitting the film's cross-Channel intrigue and performed by The Philharmonia Orchestra under conductor Ernest Irvingplus performances by singer Madeleine Lebeau and pianist Léo Ferré (who later gained fame as a chanson artist) in the nightclub scenes. Studiocanal offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The extras on the Studiocanal Blu-ray are relatively slim but thoughtfully curated, featuring the new Liz Tregenza (Wholesale Couture: London and Beyond, 1930-70) on dress designer Frederick Starke for over 10 minutes, a insightful featurette where the lecturer from London College of Fashion discusses the film's costumes, emphasizing Jean Simmons' use of her personal wardrobe and the historical context of postwar fashion, alongside a brief 'Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery' that offers a quick visual tour of production photos.

Basil Dearden's Cage of Gold stands as a compelling post-World War II melodrama that explores the complexities of love, betrayal, and moral dilemmas in a society recovering from wartime upheaval. Starring Jean Simmons (Angel Face, Dominique, Home Before Dark, The Egyptian, Rough Night in Jericho, Say Hello to Yesterday, The Clouded Yellow, Hamlet, Footsteps in the Fog, Black Narcissus, Elmer Gantry, The Robe, Spartacus, The Big Country) as the conflicted protagonist Judith Moray, David Farrar (Headline, The Small Back Room, Beat Girl, The Black Shield of Falworth, Black Narcissus) as the charismatic yet villainous Bill Glennan, and James Donald (The Great Escape, The Vikings, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lust for Life, In Which We Serve, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing) as the steadfast Alan Kearn, the film was scripted by Jack Whittingham based on a story co-authored with Paul L. Stein. With a runtime of 84 minutes, it features striking cinematography by Douglas Slocombe (Rollerball, The Music Lovers, Murphy's War, The Italian Job, The Lion in Winter, The Fearless Vampire Killers,) evocative music by Georges Auric, and supporting performances from actors like Herbert Lom (Phantom of the Opera, Mysterious Island, The Ladykillers, Passport to Shame) as a smuggling ringleader and Madeleine Lebeau (Angélique, 8½, Casablanca, Hold Back the Dawn) as a French nightclub singer. Often described as a British take on the "Enoch Arden" narrative - where a presumed-dead spouse returns to disrupt a new life. Cage of Gold blends romance, suspense, and noir elements, marking a departure for Ealing into more emotionally charged territory. Thematically, Cage of Gold delves into betrayal, redemption, and the illusions of love, framing Judith's story as a cautionary tale of choosing passion over security in a postwar era marked by economic instability and shifting gender roles. Basil Dearden's (The Rainbow Jacket, The Blue Lamp, Life for Ruth, Who Done It?, The Gentle Gunman, The Man Who Haunted Himself, Dead of Night, Pool of London, The League of Gentlemen, Victim, The Ship that Died of Shame, The Captive Heart, Woman of Straw, The Assassination Bureau, They Came to a City, The Green Man, The Mind Benders, The Square Ring,) direction is lauded for its taut efficiency and immaculate staging, creating tension through shock cuts, vivid effects, and a blend of melodrama with thriller elements. The StudioCanal Blu-ray of Cage of Gold stands as a solid entry in the Vintage Classics series, offering a worthwhile revival of this underrated Ealing Studios melodrama with strong technical merits in its 4K-restored video and serviceable audio, earning praise for preserving a taut, suspenseful postwar narrative despite minor flaws in presentation and limited supplementary material. It's recommended for enthusiasts of British cinema, providing an accessible way to appreciate Dearden's direction and Jean Simmons' performance in high definition supporting the film's enduring appeal. Recommended.

Gary Tooze