Fritz Lang's 1945 noir Scarlet Street has been in the public domain since 1973, which means that most people have seen it via murky 16mm dupes transferred to VHS or DVD.
While still very much PD, Kino Lorber ups the ante by accessing a Library of Congress 35mm element, which as transferred beautifully to Blu-ray.
Based upon a nitrate print, you'll see occasional, but not terribly problematic emulsion scratches on the con side of things. But on the pro, a very nice blacks, with far better gray scale levels than one might presume from a dupe. If this is derived from a dupe neg, the LoC is doing something very right -- but they usually do. Sync has occasional problems -- I don't know why -- on two different players, but nothing that's a deal killer.
One must wonder, however, why this release has a list of $30 and a street price of $19, when The English Patient can be had for $12.
Scarlet Street is a very good film that deserves to be seen. Edward G. Robinson, cast against former type, as a milk toast who becomes involved with Joan Bennett, playing what one would assume to be a lady of the night c. 1934. But the real player here is Dan Duryea, as a probable pimp or whatever. Talk about someone you'd love to hate. Great acting.
If there was a way for Kino bring PD titles out at even just a bit lower cost, I believe they'd find a real audience.
And for the uninitiated...
Yes. This was directed by the Fritz Lang of Metropolis and M fame.
Recommended.
RAH
