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Robert Harris

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I would surmise, that most people today, don't think of "gas light," or "gaslight," as a noun, but rather a verb.

Not to get political, but the best example probably has been used most notably in the recent past, referencing political means of creating and disseminating either corrupt, incorrect, or misleading truths and facts to the public, many of whom take the words as gospel.

The noun goes back to the 1816 - our story occurs in 1875 - when street lamps were fed gas through a network of underground pipes - lit as darkness arrived manually - by men walking the streets, and setting them aglow, one by one.

The verb that we're discussing involves working toward a psychological goal, long and hard enough, and with enough believable bits and pieces of random facts and occurrences, that may not truly fit together - so that the victim either begins to believe the incorrect information / data / events, or to believe that they may be slightly insane.

The wonderful film in question is the 1944 Gaslight (the 1938 play on which it was based, by Patrick Hamilton, is Gas Light.)

The play itself, had an interesting history. After opening in London, it opened in Los Angeles in 1941, under the title Five Chelsea Lane. Rights were acquired for Broadway by Vincent Price, which opened in December of that year with Price playing opposite, Judith Evelyn, who most readers will know as Miss Loneyhearts, in a 1954 thriller.

Directed by one of M-G-M's star filmmakers, George Cukor, and starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten, with a host of studio supporting players, it is not only an extraordinarily produced and beautiful film, but one that stands the test of time - in spades.

I've always admired this film, and once saw it projected via a 35mm safety print.

But Warner Archive's new Blu-ray (to the best of my recall) betters that experience.

The image harvest appears to be taken from the original negative, but that was lost in the Eastman House fire, so a fine grain master, it is.

The imagery looks fully luminous at times, nitrate-like, and fully film-like, with gorgeous black blacks, abundant shadow detail, and velvety grain.

It's that good.

The film was shot by Joseph Ruttenberg (Mrs. Miniver, Gigi), with a score by Bronislau Kaper.

Nominated for five Academy Awards in 1945 - Actress in a Leading Role, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Art Direction (B&W), Screenplay, and Actor in a Leading Role.

It won awards for Ingrid Bergman and Art Direction.

For those who complain about Warner Archive not releasing the classics, here's one to fully appreciate. The expense to get this correct is extreme, but worth it.

It should go without saying that your support of this wonderful release, will not only bring more classics to the fore, but support preservation and restoration.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from DVD - No question about it!

Very Highly Recommended

RAH







 
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warnerbro

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That's good to know. The 1940 version is outstanding. It sticks more closely to the original play and is very suspenseful. It's not nearly as glossy or expensive-looking as the MGM version.
 
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I saw Gaslight several times at the theater I worked at in the late 70s and 80s. The 35mm theatrical prints always looked good. As a matter of fact, and this isn't nearly as pathetic as it sounds, but a group of friends and I skipped our senior prom and saw a double bill of Gaslight and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
 

Robin9

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Those with sharp eyes will spot a 14 year old Terry Moore (Come Back Little Sheba, Beneath The 12 Mile Reef) playing the young Ingrid Bergman at the very beginning of the film.
Hey, thanks. I didn't know that. I'll keep my - sadly, no longer sharp - eyes peeled!
 

DaveF

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My wife made me watch this two years ago. I was impressed: a good movie that explained a popular idiom.
 
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Garysb

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I was able to preorder this from Barnes and Noble going to store and using ship to home . They are having a 40% off sales through today June 16. With membership I get an additional 10% off and free shipping. Coupons are not valid on preorders. $11.87 plus tax.
 

Randy_M

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I wonder why Amazon says this title ships in one to two months! - I wonder what gives. Didn't I read someplace that Amazon is quarreling with Warner?
 

David Norman

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I wonder why Amazon says this title ships in one to two months! - I wonder what gives. Didn't I read someplace that Amazon is quarreling with Warner?

Don't know if it's Warner specifically though I think they are in on the group.

All the Allied Vaughn titles have issues through Amazon. They are most often late and some are even cancelled (rare). The items go OOS early/immediately after release (like almost every retailer) and take much longer than other stores to restock. Part of this could be an argument, but I think a lot of it is the MOD/A-V distribution network which doesn't mesh well with Amazon's distribution/warehouse system.

That said the 1-2 month is a massive pessimistic estimate and usually 5-14 days is more typical though some high volume titles can take longer for not only the 2nd restock, but the 3rd/4th/;5th so the titles come and go OOS frequently.

My advice for the last 2-3 years is to avoid AmazonUS for movie orders in general, but esp Disney, any 3D, Kino, Shout, and especially WAC/Sony/Universal MOD titles from Allied Vaughn, They aren't cheaper, they aren't faster, they basically ignore release day guarantees for most studios I;m interested in, they aren't more reliable than Best Buy/WM/DeepDiscount/B&N/Bullmoose and any but the bottom of the barrel retailers, they have no post purchase price protection, and they package things abominably.
 

Matt Hough

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The last two items I bought from Amazon, The Glass Bottom Boat and Summer Stock, didn't come until exactly a month after their street date, but I did not pre-order them. I have pre-ordered Footlight Parade and The Thin Man, so I'll see if pre-ordering makes any difference in my case.
 

Robert Crawford

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The last two items I bought from Amazon, The Glass Bottom Boat and Summer Stock, didn't come until exactly a month after their street date, but I did not pre-order them. I have pre-ordered Footlight Parade and The Thin Man, so I'll see if pre-ordering makes any difference in my case.
You could've pre-ordered Footlight Parade and The Thin Man from Best Buy and have them delivered to you before or on release date for $17.99 per title and free shipping. I'm done with Amazon when it comes to Warner Archive and Disney titles unless they're already in-stock.
 

cda1143

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You could've pre-ordered Footlight Parade and The Thin Man from Best Buy and have them delivered to you before or on release date for $17.99 per title and free shipping. I'm done with Amazon when it comes to Warner Archive and Disney titles unless they're already in-stock.


Thanks Robert! Just pre-ordered Thin Man from Best Buy. It's not even available
on Amazon.
 

Dick

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I believe that's in 480 not 1080p.

The 1080p Blu of the 1940 British version is available in the UK and looks excellent. Further, it is a far superior version of the story (imo) because the villain (Anton Walbrook of THE RED SHOES) is just so much more threatening than the suave Charles Boyer could hope to be, given his star-quality veneer. The protagonist, Diana Wynyard, is relatively unknown to us and therefore seems to be in genuine jeopardy when compared to the 1944 heroine played by Ingrid Bergman, who we know will absolutely survive, as she did in NOTORIOUS. Also, the earlier version is anything but the slick Hollywood production that the 1944 MGM is, and for this kind of material, that can only be a good thing. The foggy London atmosphere seethes in the early version, and there is a terrifying sense of dread that one (at least subconsciously) can put aside while watching the glossy remake. I highly recommend obtaining the British version!

I expect many will disagree with my assessment, but, hey, what are forums for?
 

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