captainsolo

Another in my continuing disc mini reviews:

Moonraker on LD has the same kind of noisy ugly looking video as TSWLM. I don't know why these do, as it's not either of my players, the CRT, or even other discs in the same series. Some look good, some do not. Odd since Moonraker is the most lavishly produced of all.

Side 3 is CAV and improves slightly for the last 16 minutes.

But the color balance is so spot on with browns, yellows, and 70's era beige that even the bluescreen sequences like the cable car fight and the waterfall don't stick out quite so badly. And it does appear filmic on a properly calibrated monitor.

The biggest draw and a very welcome surprise is the audio. I have watched this film since I was a child, and never in any incarnation from hi-fi VHS to DD stereo to the 5.1 remixes have I heard Moonraker sound this good. Sure it's still early matrixed surround, but this time it was officially in Dolby Stereo. Barry's largely forgotten score is incredible in its fidelity. Sounds like listening to the soundtrack CD at points if not better because it doesn't have the same EQ or edits. Effects sound nice and punchy with some decent use of the mono surround channel, odd for a 1979 film that wasn't fully VFX driven. (Check out the centrifuge sequence. Whoosh!!) Dialogue is very clear and mainly centered with a little bit of occasional panning across the front channels. Slight natural hiss is present during quiet moments. This would have been interesting in 70mm.

The print source utilized is largely clear with the occasional speckle every once and a while. There's the rare damage mark scattered throughout.

I just wish the video was better. Looks like I do indeed need the rare expensive THX version. Grrr. But the audio sounds like a direct transfer off master material. I demoed sequences with mixing headphones and it has a fullness that is brilliant.

Video-5 maybe 6  out of 10 for the format

Audio-10 out of 10 for format and sound system of the era.

Why is it I only see the good in Moonraker? Maybe I watched the film too many times and mentally ignored the Bondola complete with double taking pigeon.

I will return with Octopussy, which when initially demoing had a far better picture than MR and possibly a slightly cropped ratio.

I'm now down to needing only LALD, LTK reissue, GE DTS, TND DTS, NSNA and the Criterions.

And the Goldfinger CAV box.

And the 6 THX editions.

And the supposedly uncut Japanese LTK.

And the recalled LALD.

And the Japanese TWINE.

;)

Tokyo Joe

This is a really interesting forgotten Bogie movie, I've always loved the plot of an ex-GI returning to a foreign country and digging up painful things from his past. (The Yakuza is a masterpiece) One of the first films to shoot in Japan after the war, the setting during the US occupation sets up a wonderfully dark tone that has hints of Kurosawa of the same period (see Drunken Angel, another masterpiece). Bogie returns to find his friend cowed by the war, the Army controlling everything with massive layers of red tape, his wife thought dead alive and well and married with child, the criminal underground desperate to ensnare an American in their plotting and so on.

The best thing is Bogie's performance, it elevates the overall film above the inherent flaws and corniness in some of the plotting. It is his tough guy persona betraying a sense of bitter regret and anger that he would concentrate into Dixon Steele a few months later.

3.5 balls out of 4. I can't believe how enjoyable these lesser B-movies are. Plus it has a judo fight between Bogie and SPECTRE No. 10 Mr. Osato. YES!

Holy...I've always dreamed of collecting 35mm...I'd do it in a heartbeat if at all possible and there's an IB Diamonds Are Forever too!!! Ahh the agony!

Many LD fans have said that the LD audio is superior in the way that most ac3 tracks are because of the lack of compression used. I can see that happening, but to my ears the DVD track is stellar even today and is at the LD bitrate of 384 kbp/s. What would really make this stand out is if we could somehow find the theatrical DTS discs. That would probably be stupefyingly intense...and the BDs only have remixed Dolby TrueHD.

The new film going under the Die Hard moniker is a standard witless teal-stained CGI'ed to absolute hell 90 min potboiler that would be perfect for direct to streaming save for they stuck the franchise name on it.

Pitiful, inane, dull, ingratiating, slow, lumbering. A train wreck. You could fall asleep for a half hour and it would be a better movie. Willis on a smoke break is a better movie. Even the Kevin Smith bits from LFODH are better.

Ballless. It took them 6 years to do this trash. WTF.

It's Bad. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Painfully bad. You'll be wincing within the first 5 minutes. The camerawork is beyond terrible when you can make out what's going on between all the CGI, shakycam, and computer assisted quick pans and quick zooms.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

One of the best films ever made by anyone. 50 years or more ahead of its time. A bold uncompromising film that had to have inspired Peckinpah. Arguably Bogie's best performance. The three leads are perfection and play off of each other beautifully. The definitive John Huston picture.

A film from the 40's with no women, no songs, no romance, unlikable characters, real barren and remote locations, the story is all about greed, the star descends into madness and the film remains firmly grounded in reality.

Ultimate balls.

Any truth to this about the Region 4 DVD original release being superior? http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/the-matrix-visual-comparison.html

Why has the thread gone italic crazy?

zombie84 said:

A Better Tomorrow I and II

After having re-watched The Killer for the first time in about 5 years I decided to give these a spin. I owned part II on VHS back in the day so I have more nostalgia for it, and it's also much more entertaining because it's the first real "John Woo Film" and has some pretty great action. The first film I have only seen once or twice and it's really something: it's not much of an action film. It's more of a crime drama, with some pretty good acting and directing, with operatic flourishes of violence that give it a slightly comic-book edge. That's on full display in the much hackier--though in some ways more entertaining, in that over-the-top 80s way--sequel, but the original film is a pretty important landmark in Hong Kong action cinema and it's easy to see why. Much like it's American counterpart, Terminator, it's an action film that doesn't quite think of itself as an action film but an honest drama with lots of shooting and chases.

Very well said and accurately sums up these two films. I can't help but love them both. And the fried rice which is like my family. ;)

Just never mention III. Bad on top of bad layered with bad peppered with bad consumed by bad in the fires of supreme mediocrity.

zombie84 said:

I should also say that I really, really miss the days when John Woo was taken seriously as a filmmaker. Even on Face/Off there was still a reverance for him.

I hated hated hated Face/Off before I knew who Woo was. I loathed MI:2 and wondered, who exactly is this guy who can make all this fantastic stylization in terrible scripts? Then came everything prior, and I realized...oh dear god can someone please get poor Mr. Woo back to Hong Kong immediately??

Bullet in the Head was damn good. Heck, even Once a Thief is extremely enjoyable. All the classic JW films had such rounded characters amidst the action and never once did anything ever leave reality. Ok, maybe a bit in ABT II but even then you still felt it assault your consciousness.

Nobody can ever touch the pinnacle he reached with The Killer and Hard Boiled. If he did Expendables III I might actually even see it. (The thought of  Chow amidst the corpses of all the others is beyond appealing.)

The Big Sleep (1945/1946)

A classic Howard Hawks experience that absolutely destroys Chandler's debut novel and somehow still works. Bogie gives one his best performances chock full of nuance and likely the closest we ever get to his off-screen true persona. The Bogie-Bacall romance is central to the film and the primary reason for it being held up for re-shoots and additional sequences. The eventual '46 theatrical release adds in more of the spark between the couple while tightening up a few of the more mundane aspects of being a detective. The '45 pre-release version isn't without merit as some of its sequences are more revealing of the plot which is helpful for 99% of people who claim the movie to be beyond confusing. Then again, I adore Chandler so much that I accept the confusion. ;)

4 balls out of 4. Masterpiece.

Dead Reckoning (1947)-lower grade noir that is weakened by its innumerable plot developments. However, there is a first-rate Bogie performance in a sort of nastier turn on his Phillip Marlowe characterization in The Big Sleep and most of the film takes place in narrated flashback. I like Bogie's films for Columbia. They have a grittier honesty to them.

Bogie doing 1st person noir narration....heaven. "Maybe she was all right and maybe Christmas comes in July."

Whywhywhwhywhywhywhy couldn't there have been at least one pairing with Mitchum???

3 balls out of 4.

Couldn't they have just given up the show's bad musical numbers and made it a mini-concert? Though I've been a lifelong Oscar watcher and would be freaking out if actually present, that would have been me in the audience calling loudly "MOONRAKER!!!";)

Nobody showed, and I think this may be why the supposed "big" presentation didn't occur. All we got was the pitifully short montage. At the very least I would have loved to see anyone on-stage get some kind of recognition, perhaps in lieu of some decent roles for Pierce, Tim or George.

BTW thank goodness that abomination got the boot. ;)

bkev said:

That was a lot of fun, yeah. Very well done, and the visuals that accompanied it were a pretty good if unoriginal montage.

Yep. 50 years, only two awards and...we get some film clips sporadically cut together cropped and re-scored and remixed. At least they decided to do something worthwhile and invite Dame Shirley. ;) The rumor was that the producers had wanted to have all 5 original actors and that other guy onstage but obviously they have no idea how much a certain Scot still has reservations.

edit: Seriously, what is up with all the Williams cues tonight? I mean I love him but... is it like this every year?

Yes, but there were less than usual. The usage of the Jaws theme as the playing off music for winners was both too obvious and rather distasteful.

I don't know if this year was good or bad to be honest. Seth was good to a point but the majority of the jokes were not the greatest. He was at his best when making off the cuff asides. BUT ENOUGH WITH THE MUSICAL NUMBERS!!! Musicals being great this decade? What were they smoking? If they dropped all the bad musical numbers the show would have been way under time and far more enjoyable.

I didn't think there was much of a clear winner tonight. Argo got Best Picture but it wasn't the greatest movie to begin with. Lincoln's many nods were as safe as the film itself. The only tough races to call were the ones with no clear winners-Supporting Actor, Director, and many of the technical production categories.

Still...19/24....heh. My prediction ratio is still pretty good. I thought with all the Armour nods that there might be a major award somewhere.

Warner is prepping a trilogy BD set for later this year. Likely just a repackaging of MGM/Fox's BD of the first film with the WB Road Warrior and a simple no frills BD of Thunderdome. Probably will tie in with the new prequel/sequel whatever it is.

SilverWook said:

Does Ms. Galore have a portrait in her attic, or what?

I take issue with Jill Masterson being labelled an actual enemy of Bond though.

Exactly. And in the novel their time on the train is quite touching despite the obvious.

SilverWook said:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/02/17/looks-like-james-bond-is-finally-going-3d-this-year-and-dr-no-imax-re-release-planned/

Well, this was unexpected. I'm not sure if I could survive seeing Ursula Andress in 3D Imax.;)

Love or hate the idea, this might rid us of the Lowry transfers in the long term.

That's it. That tears it. What. The. Fuck. Unbelievable. Desecration.

Psycho time.

THIS IS A 1962 FILM SHOT FLAT WITH A VERY LOW BUDGET AND IS ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ATMOSPHERE BECAUSE OF IT. THE SOUND IS MONO. YOU HAVE ALREADY RUINED THE ORIGINAL GRAIN STRUCTURE, COLOR TIMING, SOUND MIX, AND NOW THIS PUTRID GRAB FOR MORE MONEY. HAVEN'T YOU ALREADY MILKED US ENOUGH? YOU SHOULD BE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO PAY DAMAGES TO THE ESTATES OF TERRENCE YOUNG, TED MOORE, PETER HUNT AND ALL OTHERS WHO PUT THEIR BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS INTO THE MAKING OF THIS FILM.

Though I don't use the phrase, though I disagree with it's connotation entirely, this would be the only time I would use the "raped my childhood" argument. It's that bad. After all these years of cropped presentations we finally got 1.66 primarily restored...only to now lose it again. Even that's gone. This will destroy the film. Completely.

Fuck.

What kills Octopussy is the inane mixing of script directions. There's the great plot with the mad Orlov that we care about shoved into the inane Indian adventure B-movie script. The whole thing becomes tired and it is only by the talent of the crew and Moore that we can endure it with any sort of affection. That said it is good for what it is and Shakespeare compared to NSNA.

Passage to Marseille

A beyond stupidly put together war propaganda film that somehow still manages to work with a flashback in a flashback in a flashback in smaller flashbacks structure. And who in their right minds thought Bogie could play a disenchanted French patriot?? But Claude Rains has an eyepatch and there is some brilliant photography.

3 balls out of 4.

To Have and Have Not

When you look closely there is little to nothing in this film. The story is so slim that anything could wreck the single plot thread. But that isn't why people watch this film. This is little more than Howard Hawks making a hit picture out of nothing by retaining successful elements from Casablanca. But the reason why the film is timeless is simply that Bogie met Bacall. It is STILL sizzling nearly 70 years later.

4 balls out of 4.

But this one is a satellite mirror laser beam not a diamond powered laser satellite!! We swear it's different!! ;)

See here's the thing...when I was younger I thought DAF was the worst in the series. Never have I thought MR is a bad film, though it really does lose itself in places.

DAF is a product of its time. It is designed to be an audience pleaser for 1971 with a great deal of wink-wink nudging at the audience with the return of Sean. What makes it work is this quality combined with Mankewicz's brilliant knack for black humor. Then it has a very real down to earth quality which stems partially from the lack of big sets, uninspiring locations and realistic budget. So it has its downsides, and though there are heaps of wasted potential, it isn't a bad film and is one of the classics warts and all.

The Peter Hunt-Lazenby version that would have opened with the climax of OHMSS is my no.1 all time lost film.

Thought: Imagine if EON/UA had really done something worthwhile instead of a Goldfinger knockoff. What if they had made a movie that meant something like the other groundbreaking films of the same year? What if they had made a Connery Bond with Sidney Lumet? Now there's a thought.

Skyfall finally succeeds in turning 007 into a mindless, unmotivated, pointless blunt instrument which is what Purvis and Wade were trying to do for 13 years. It could be any film, ultimately it has no identity.

Diamonds are Forever despite being problem-ridden, dated and many other things at least has an identity and a heart. It is a thousand times the film that Skyfail is.

LMS:

Casablanca

If there is a perfect film, this is it. If there is one film to represent Hollywood, this is it. This is an old friend that gains new significance with every single repeated viewing. There is always some new element revealed and the story gains such significance over time. This is the supreme example of the studio system, and what cinematic storytelling is.

Ultimate balls.

Action in the North Atlantic

Surprisingly effective wartime propaganda piece about the Merchant Marines. Literally nonstop sea action with some well photographed miniatures interposed with real battle footage. Some overbearing silliness is felt over the unyielding pro-Allies message, but this is a rather well done 2 hours.

3 balls out of 4 torpedoes.

Hi msycamore!

Don't worry about it, real life (in the desert sun) frequently gets in the way of this stuff.

Just to clarify, where does the project stand? I knew you were doing averages of the captures Silver did and had had some trouble trying to sync audio and IVTC.

The Maltese Falcon

One of the greatest films ever made. The birth of noir, the cementing of Bogie's stardom, Huston's debut, the first pairing of Greenstreet and Lorre, innovative, daring and actually superior to one of the greatest novels ever written.

This film changed my life. That was well over 100 viewings ago.

Ultimate balls. Review up on my blog. http://thehificelluloidmonster.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/the-maltese-falcon-1941/

All Through the Night

A ridiculously entertaining B-picture with Bogie getting mixed up with a ring of Nazi saboteurs and killers led by Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre and Judith Anderson. They don't make 'em like this any more.

3.5 balls out of 4 of Bogie's favorite cheesecakes that you don't mess with.

Black Legion

If you thought the sight of a Heil-ing Bogie was off-putting, try this film. Here Bogie in a rare early starring role is a disenchanted worker who is roped into an anti-foreigner secret society complete with raids, secret oaths, guns and black hooded garb. Not only is this a surprisingly realistic take on what a racist society of the time could do, but it is equally damning to the poor individuals caught in its hate-fueled crossfire. Bogie is outstanding.

3.5 balls out of 4.

Across the Pacific

A stunningly disappointing reuniting of the three leads and director of Maltese Falcon. Here Bogie is a disgraced Army naval officer who decides to sell his services to a foreign navy and thus boards a freighter to the East. Shady dealings ensue with Sydney Greenstreet (what else does the man do?? ;) which relates to the impending conflict with the Japanese. Being an early war propaganda film, it isn't quite as blatant as you would imagine.

But the story is never developed, the scenes start to drag on, and most of all the ending was done by a completely different director and all of a sudden makes little to no sense.

But it is Bogie in his prime, first donning a trench coat. So there are some positives.

3 balls out of 4.

All the 80's transfers, and the Criterions, are very saturated with a lot orangey-yellows. The DC LD is better looking than the 1997 DVD but seems much more in line with the cleaner and less saturated looking releases shown on the Final Cut release.

The difference I believe comes down to:

80's stocks and the transfer equipment used for best quality on older tube sets. The fact that the DC was based off of the US theatrical cut and printed onto early 90's stock, then transferred to video on 90's era equipment with a mastering mentality for 90's playback equipment.

To be perfectly honest, an original 1982 print if unfaded would look like a cross between the Criterion/Embassy 80's releases and the DC. The photos I've seen of 16 and 35mm prints seem to have some of both editions visual identity.

SilverWook said:

Here's something you don't see every day.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GOLDFINGER-Super-8-color-feature-/190792751325?pt=US_Film&hash=item2c6c2258dd

Not sure if it's a legit release or not. The packaging is similar to some of the Derann Super 8 features I've seen.

Odd indeed. I've never actually seen 007 on 8mm.

Was going through TSWLM on Blu Ray and downright shocked the original stereo is at 448kps. (There's a tiny bit of hiss as well.) Anybody know if the other stereo films are encoded this way? I know it's not PCM, but after seeing everything but the original mixes get a bump in bitrate on the Blu Rays, it's a surprise. Seems like Lowry had nothing to do with this HD video master, either.

Most have the tracks bumped from 192 to 224 kbp/s. Had no idea they actually transferred the original audio...thought they had thrown that out for good in the 90's. Probably just used the source on file, as the '91 WS LD has audio that is a bit hissy. The master wasn't done by Lowry, this one is seemingly a straight job from MGM in-house offices-far better but not perfect.

I finally watched the rest of my recent Bond LD acquisitions. The Dolby Stereo mixes worked with my soundbar a lot better than most 5.1 tracks I've listened to with it. And thankfully, not a defective disc in sight. :)

Always a good feeling!

These stereo surround mixes sound good decoded, in stereo or on headphones.

A reciever will read the 1.0 channel and direct to the center channel. This is when the direct stereo option comes in handy if you want to spread out to your two mains.

Dual mono is the correct term, as there are two identical mono streams encoded for direct playback over both channels in a stereo setup.

The DTS codec is supposedly much more lossless than previous ones, but I don't know if a standard 768 kbp/s version can hold up against PCM even with the 24 vs. 16 bit difference. The biggest difference will likely be post processing work done on the new mono track. The 30th Anniv. DVD sounded pretty good when cranked up, but noticeably hollow because it had no breathing room with the DD codec. The '91 LD may be a remix, but it has greater presence and depth-especially in the natural bass.

http://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/21671/41086/Jaws-%281975%29

It's the early 90's first letterboxed release. The song replaced is in the background of the beach scene with Brody onlooking the death of Alex Kittner. Seems to be Olivia Newton John according to this thread on the HTF. http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/322958/jaws-blu-ray-review-very-highly-recommended/360#post_4019185

I have been able to check the audio (and picture) on four laserdisc releases of Jaws, to confirm that the mono audio on the Blu-ray is in fact the original mono from 1975.

The four laserdiscs I checked are:

1.  The 1995 Signature Laserdisc
2.  The 1991 Letterbox MCA Laserdisc
3.  The 1987 Pan & Scan MCA Laserdisc
4.  The 1981 Pan & Scan Discovision Laserdisc

The 1995 Laser is the only one at CAV, with the movie spread across 5 sides.  The others are CLV, with the movie spread from 2-3 sides.

Listening to Chief Brody's line "Smile you son of a bitch!" on all the mixes, I can hear the "b" just a little bit more clearly on the 1991 & 1987 discs, which matches up with how I hear it on the "Making of Jaws" clip as well.  The 1995 and 1981 discs don't have the "b" that clear.  (And the Discovision disc is muddy in everything, including both picture and sound)  But everything else is identical, down to the subtle bass rumble of the shark closing on Brody just before the blast.  Which tells me they are all the same mix.   I'm certain my neighbors will be happy after more than 30 repetitions never to hear that surge of music and Chief Brody's shout emanating from my living room again...

I note that the 1991 and 1987 lasers have a disclaimer on them reading "Home Video Version.  Some Music Rescored."  Which brings to mind one of the big reasons why I didn't keep my lasers or old VHS tapes when I upgraded to DVDs with identical content.   One of the nice things with DVD was the relicensing of various songs and musical cues that had been replaced in early video editions.  I still remember my shock and delight on hearing Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" on the 1998 DVD for The Thing, where before I had only ever heard a faux disco track on cable or on the pre-Signature laser.   I'm not sure what music on Jaws would have been rescored and maybe somebody hear could fill in the blanks on that.  Is it the pop music heard on the radio at the beach?

I have to say that the PQ of these laserdiscs, viewed on a 65" screen is pretty bad in comparison to what we have today, not only from the Blu-ray but from the 30th Anniversary DVD.  The PQ on the Discovision disc is particularly horrible.  Of course, for it's day....  Also, the Discovision disc has a very cloudy physical appearance, which is either from the design of the laserdisc or more likely a sign of its 31 years of age.

Also, the Discovision chaptering is shall we say unique.  The whole first side is a single chapter, titled "Hooper arrives at Amity Island."  Side Three opens with "Quint shares his experiences aboard the Indiana."

Interesting on the climactic line. I thought it used to be more audible when I was a kid, but put that down to false memories. I recently got the '91 CLV disc and will watch it soon.

Nice that they did the BD mono in DTS, but it would have been better at a higher bitrate. (Not to mention outdo all the pointless work done on a surround remix) Universal has been doing DTS mono tracks.

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

How in the heck did it take me so long to see this?

This.

Takes.

Everything.

Stupid.

Out.

Of.

The.

1980 issue.

What results is an overwhelmingly superior movie; a tighter, more focused, more enjoyable experience that belies the original intent of Donner and actually feels like a true sequel to the first film. The editing is better, the performances are better, there aren't any gaping plot holes, there isn't the unnecessary bit in France, there isn't the completely out of place humor, the duller Lester scenes are gone and you don't have to defend yourself anymore for liking things in Superman II.

It isn't perfect, but neither was the first film. But it sure does fix virtually everything wrong with the theatrical release.

3.5 balls out of 4. Wow!

Chomping at the bit! Thanks for updating!

67 - Superman Cartoons Of Max & Dave Fleischer, The (Full Screen - Mono)

I've wanted to get this for ages to check the sources used, as I'm almost positive it is the same master that was cleaned up for Image's DVD release and the later Diamond Anniversary Collection released via Bosko Video. This latter is what I finally tracked down and is the best release to-date not to mention being complete without errors or edits. The Warner version has numerous errors, incorrect cues, soundtrack edits (the line on the new disc is: never ending battle for truth-justice). Plus despite all the work done, it doesn't quite always feel like film or traditional animation anymore. The Bosko release has some artifacts, but dammit it looks stupendous. The audio has some print noise which led me to believe that the LD release may serve for a better source.

The only problems with the Bosko source are that one short is severely deteriorated (Terror on the Midway, as on everything pre-Warner), and that the original release date is superimposed over the beginning over every short.

As far as I can tell it is important to preserve nearly every Disney animated classic LD for edits, color timing, or original audio. Those later 90's era DTS versions must be very nice, but it's still unknown as to how to transfer the stream off of the LD.

They Drive By Night

Irresistible little movie, even if it abruptly loses steam and becomes another film entirely half way through, while basically losing its two strongest characters.

3.5 balls out of 4.

TheBoost said:

Watched The African Queen. Great movie.

Hard to believe it's so epic, and only and hour forty five long.

Agreed.

I now have the same feeling for High Sierra. This is now one of the greats in my eyes. It may be a bit rough around the edges, but it is the film that gave us Bogart as we know him. It is the film that finally broke him out of being backroom gangster underboss, or Gangster No. 2 who must always die in the end, and revealed that same startling depth of characterization that defined The Petrified Forest. This is the tough Bogart, the rough no-nonsense gangster...but now with the outer armored shell so full of cracks after serving 8 years in a life sentence that you can drive a Packard through them to find the big softie underneath. This is a gangster who knows the days of glory are long gone and that everything else quickly becomes worthless. He could easily be a Peckinpah character.

John Huston wrote the drafts and shape the story closer to its roots with the original author, thus beginning his long friendship with Bogie. Ida Lupino plays a far better and less annoying character than in They Drive By Night, Raoul Walsh tightens the pace to a brisk, brisk 100 minutes and was able to convince the studio to shoot a majority of the film, including the entire climax on location.

But it is Bogart that sticks most in the mind. Robinson couldn't do this part, nor Cagney, and especially not George Raft either. They didn't have the same combination of rueful cynicism, self-amusement, bitterness and danger that Bogie did. After years, years and years of getting the scraps thrown to him-he explodes into every last sinew of this worn out old convict; greyed at the temples, completely out of his element, remorseful at the loss of his life's innocence, absolutely embittered by the hand dealt to him by Fate, and having to start a job with a dame and a dog.

4 balls out of 4. Classic.