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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (March 2026): Indicator have transferred Sam Wood's "Ivy" to Blu-ray. The dual-layered, 1080P transfer (max'ed out bitrate) showcases Russell Metty’s (The Omega Man, Eye of the Cat, Madigan, The Appaloosa, Madame X, The War Lord, Midnight Lace, Spartacus, Imitation of Life (1959), Monster on the Campus, The Thing That Couldn't Die, A Time to Love and a Time to Die, Touch of Evil, The Female Animal, Written on the Wind, There's Always Tomorrow, All That Heaven Allows, Cult of the Cobra, Man Without a Star, Naked Alibi, Magnificent Obsession, Buccaneer's Girl, The Lady Gambles, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, All My Sons, Arch of Triumph, A Woman's Vengeance, Ride the Pink Horse, The Stranger, Bringing Up Baby) elegant black-and-white cinematography. Ivy drifts through the film in cloud-like white lace gowns, wide-brimmed veiled hats, and floating fabrics that project virginal fragility, even as she commits the most venal acts - creating a deliberate visual irony that underscores her duplicity. The overall aesthetic is polished, high-budget Hollywood fantasy rather than gritty realism: everything feels slightly heightened, with Menzies’ trademark monumental sense of composition turning domestic spaces into stages for moral corruption. Fine detail in lace textures, gaslight shadows, Fontaine’s luminous close-ups, and the dramatic chiaroscuro of stormy night sequences emerges with impressive clarity and depth on large screens, while the inky blacks and subtle mid-tones are rendered naturally without crushing or excessive noise. Minor age-related fluctuations, surface scratches and the inherent softness of 1940s studio photography remain, but overall contrast, sharpness, and stability are excellent, making this the best the film has ever looked on home video and a worthy celebration of its stylish gaslight-noir aesthetic.

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The sound of the film is equally distinctive and contributes powerfully to its mood of mounting dread. Daniele Amfitheatrof (The Desperate Hours, The Capture, An Act of Murder, The Last Hunt, I'll Be Seeing You, Edge of Eternity, The Lost Moment, The Desperate Hours, Human Desire, Letter From An Unknown Woman,) provides a haunting, “creepy” orchestral score tinged with chills - romantic strings that turn sinister, underscoring Ivy’s calculated charm and the growing paranoia of her victims. A recurring harpsichord motif - delicate, antique, and slightly off-kilter - functions almost like a leitmotif of guilt and moral corruption; it often swells or intrudes precisely during Ivy’s poisoning scenes or moments of deception, signaling to the audience that her hands are dirty even when the camera politely averts its gaze. Dialogue is crisp and theatrical in that polished 1940s studio style, with Fontaine’s soft, breathy delivery contrasting sharply against the heavier male voices. Subtle sound effects such as thunder, clinking glassware, and fabric rustle add atmospheric weight without distortion, though the track naturally shows its vintage with a touch of boxiness and limited frequency response; Indicator’s restoration keeps it free of hiss or dropouts, allowing the film’s moody aural tension to shine through effectively. The result is an auditory atmosphere that feels both refined and quietly menacing - much like Ivy herself. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The extras package on the Indicator Blu-ray offers a new audio commentary by academic and film curator Eloise Ross (The Pre-Code Companion, Issue #2: Three on a Match, Female, & Other Men's Women) - recorded 2026 - offers insightful analysis; film historian Neil Sinyard (A Wonderful Heart: The Films of William Wyler) delivers a thoughtful 20-minute visual essay appreciating both the film and director Sam Wood; the 1945 radio adaptation of The Story of Ivy from the Suspense series (1/2 hour, starring Ann Richards) provides fascinating source-material context; the original theatrical trailer and a promotional image gallery round out the on-disc features. Most valuably, the exclusive booklet contains a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, a career overview of production designer William Cameron Menzies (Reign of Terror, It's a Wonderful Life, Rebecca,) an examination of Marie Belloc Lowndes’ novel, and full credits.

Sam Wood's "Ivy" stands as a sleek, under-appreciated period noir (sometimes labeled “gaslight noir”) that transplants the classic femme-fatale archetype into the plush yet stifling world of Edwardian England, circa 1909. Adapted by longtime Hitchcock collaborator Charles Bennett (Foreign Correspondent, Young and Innocent, Sabotage, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), Blackmail) from Marie Belloc Lowndes’ 1927 novel The Story of Ivy, the film follows the ruthlessly ambitious Ivy Lexton (Joan Fontaine - Something to Live For, Rebecca, Born to be Bad, Letter From An Unknown Woman, Suspicion, The Witches,) a beautiful social climber trapped in genteel poverty with her weak, unemployed husband Jervis (Richard Ney - Midnight Lace.) Already conducting a passionate but burdensome affair with the devoted Dr. Roger Gretorex (Patric Knowles - The Big Steal, Monsieur Beaucaire, O.S.S., The Bride Wore Boots, World for Ransom, The Strange Case of Doctor Rx, Mystery of Marie Roget,) Ivy sets her sights on the wealthy, gentlemanly Miles Rushworth (Herbert Marshall - The Enchanted Cottage, Angel Face, Murder!, The Good Fairy, Crack-Up, A Bill of Divorcement, The Letter, Angel, Trouble in Paradise, Blonde Venus, The Fly, Four Frightened People, The Unseen) after a chance meeting. When Miles politely recoils from pursuing a married woman, Ivy embarks on a meticulously calculated campaign of murder by poison, framing, and emotional manipulation to clear her path to luxury -dispensing with both husband and lover while maintaining an impeccable facade of fragile femininity. At its core, Ivy explores themes of class aspiration, gendered entrapment, and the lethal consequences of unchecked ambition in a rigidly patriarchal society. Ivy is no cartoonish villainess; she is a product of her time, a woman whose only currency is her beauty and charm, yet who refuses the limited roles of dutiful wife or discreet mistress. Ivy has aged into a cult favorite among noir enthusiasts for its stylish craftsmanship, Fontaine’s star turn, and its sly subversion of gender expectations. It remains a polished gem of late-1940s studio filmmaking - moody, suspenseful, and wickedly entertaining - that rewards repeated viewings for its visual intelligence and psychological bite. In the crowded field of 1940s femme-fatale cinema, Ivy distinguishes itself by wrapping its poison in layers of lace and propriety, proving that the most dangerous predators can look the most harmless. Indicator’s UK Blu-ray of Ivy delivers a handsome, film-accurate presentation of this under-appreciated period noir gem, supported by intelligent, context-rich supplements and a handsome booklet that deepen appreciation of its visual craftsmanship and cultural roots. For fans of Joan Fontaine, gaslight noir, or high-end studio melodrama, this edition stands as the definitive home-video version - elegant, atmospheric, and thoroughly recommended. I'll watch anything with Miss Fontaine - as either hyper-innocent or scheming gold-digger.

Gary Tooze