Fox, especially under Darryl Zanuck, seemed unafraid to tackle difficult subjects, as it did just a year previous, with Gentlemen’s Agreement.
The Snake Pit, a 1948 production, directed by Anatole Litvak, concerns mental illness, and Olivia de Havilland shines in the lead.
Photographed in beautiful black & white by Leo Tover, who would also serve in that capacity for The Heiress, the following year, it arrives in very nice form from Twilight Time. Not perfect, as the original negative presumably no longer survives, but far ahead of the previous home video releases.
From the appearance of the imagery, it may have been derived from a duplicate negative, which isn’t a bad thing, just a tiny bit softer than what one might expect from an earlier generation element.
The cast is superb. Those who recall Nurse Ratched in Cuckoo’s Nest, will find Helen Craig’s Nurse Davis, to be even more to love.
Image – 4.25
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – Yes
Recommended
RAH
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.