Blu-ray Review He Walked by Night: Special Edition Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Matt Hough

He Walked by Night: Special Edition Blu-ray Review

He Walked by Night brings a slightly modified true crime story to the screen with a mesmerizing lead performance and action so fascinatingly taut and realistically mounted that it’s impossible not to get caught up in the action from its first violent act until its last inevitable gunshot.

[review]

 

[Robin9]

Thanks for that review.

I'm no fan of screen caps but I have to admit the one posted looks a lot sharper than the images I recall from the DVD. As this disc comes for the same people who gave us T-Men on Blu-ray, I'm buying.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm looking forward to receiving my disc this week. I had little doubt that ClassicFlix would do an excellent job with this title based on their previous releases.

 

[Rodney]

I will be watching this the day I receive it! I cannot wait to see what ClassicFlix has done with one of my favorite films.

a BIG THANKS Matt for a review that whets my appetite for this disc!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Matt Hough

He Walked by Night: Special Edition Blu-ray Review

He Walked by Night brings a slightly modified true crime story to the screen with a mesmerizing lead performance and action so fascinatingly taut and realistically mounted that it’s impossible not to get caught up in the action from its first violent act until its last inevitable gunshot.

[review]

I might just listen to the audio commentary first thing. Thanks for the excellent review.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I'm happy to hear that that they did as fine a job with They Walked by Night as they did with T-Men. I'm now confident that Raw Deal will be just as good!

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm happy to hear that that they did as fine a job with They Walked by Night as they did with T-Men. I'm now confident that Raw Deal will be just as good!

They certainly did! The care and affection this company has for their product is very obvious.

 

[ClassicFlix]

They certainly did! The care and affection this company has for their product is very obvious.

Thanks Matt for the great review. And we're glad our care and treatment of these very special Mann/Alton films doesn't go unnoticed.

RAW DEAL will complete the trifecta and you won't be disappointed.

- David

 

[Robert Crawford]

My copy will finally arrive tomorrow. Also, Amazon is now selling this release for $24.99. I doubt it gets much cheaper than that.

 

[PMF]

It's reviews like these that make it difficult to catch up on my other BD purchases that were inspired by reviews like yours;
which, come to think of it, are one and the same.
Nice to know that we are far from ever running out of choices.
In other words, I'll be adding this one to the list.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I watched my disc this afternoon. Great audio commentary as both the audio and video presentations were excellent.

 

[John Morgan]

Classic Flix has done some great work on PD and neglected films. However, I was a disappointed in HE WALKED BY NIGHT. UCLA restored the film about a year ago and it played at their last screening series. I realize UCLA require a fee for licensing their work out, but I thought the new Blu Ray didn't look as good, and certainly didn't sound as good as the UCLA restoration. The sound seemed noise gated much too much. The few music underscore cues were sort of fading in and out at such a low volume, and many scenes just have dialog without hearing any of the subtle foley or background sound. I suspect they did an automatic de-noising process. If they had used the UCLA restoration, a required credit would have stated that at the head of the film.

 

[ClassicFlix]

Hi John,

Sorry that was your impression, but we did our research and looked into the restoration done by UCLA. We even sent a test of our scan to them to see if what we had was superior. They concluded our material, licensed from MGM, was indeed superior and that their's was inferior. Had it been the reverse we would have opted for their material.

As far as the sound, it was restored, but like film material itself, options are limited here too.

Bottom line, we used be best available materials and did a lot of work just to get it where it is, and barring any new materials being unearthed, the film will never look or sound better than it does.

David Kawas
ClassicFlix Founder/Producer

 

[John Morgan]

Hi John,

Sorry that was your impression, but we did our research and looked into the restoration done by UCLA. We even sent a test of our scan to them to see if what we had was superior. They concluded our material, licensed from MGM, was indeed superior and that their's was inferior. Had it been the reverse we would have opted for their material.

As far as the sound, it was restored, but like film material itself, options are limited here too.

Bottom line, we used be best available materials and did a lot of work just to get it where it is, and barring any new materials being unearthed, the film will never look or sound better than it does.

David Kawas
ClassicFlix Founder/Producer

I accept your explanation. I didn't have the UCLA restoration at hand, only my memory, and so I commented on memory alone. All your recent restorations are superb.

Also, the first film I bought from you was MISS ANNIE ROONEY. What a beautiful restoration and the film was much better than I remembered, thanks to the work you and your team did. I do realize doing restorations with orphan or independent films that are in poor shape and more often than not, no original negative or sound elements survive, your job is very difficult. That we have them looking as best they can is because of companies like you, and there are so few of these companies that would risk the time and money to make these important and neglected films available in versions that comes close to what they looked like when first released theatrically. So, I am a huge fan of Classic Flix, despite stupidly posting comments that are most likely untrue.

And if you are not too angry with me on this, I was wondering if there is a possibility of doing the Bobby Breen films in the late 30s? I have no idea what survives on those, but the availability on DVD is a sad affair. Originally, RKO released them through their deal with Sol Lesser, but I think they were released to television in the 50s through Variety Films, which changed the credits and what we have left is some of the worst looking and sounding films one can imagine. I can only hope that RKO fine grains or even negatives might be collecting dust somewhere in a vault.

In any event, film fans of classic films should support releases such as you do. And I thank you for your catalog and its expansion, including so many of fine films.

John

 

[ClassicFlix]

I accept your explanation. I didn't have the UCLA restoration at hand, only my memory, and so I commented on memory alone. All your recent restorations are superb.

Also, the first film I bought from you was MISS ANNIE ROONEY. What a beautiful restoration and the film was much better than I remembered, thanks to the work you and your team did. I do realize doing restorations with orphan or independent films that are in poor shape and more often than not, no original negative or sound elements survive, your job is very difficult. That we have them looking as best they can is because of companies like you, and there are so few of these companies that would risk the time and money to make these important and neglected films available in versions that comes close to what they looked like when first released theatrically. So, I am a huge fan of Classic Flix, despite stupidly posting comments that are most likely untrue.

And if you are not too angry with me on this, I was wondering if there is a possibility of doing the Bobby Breen films in the late 30s? I have no idea what survives on those, but the availability on DVD is a sad affair. Originally, RKO released them through their deal with Sol Lesser, but I think they were released to television in the 50s through Variety Films, which changed the credits and what we have left is some of the worst looking and sounding films one can imagine. I can only hope that RKO fine grains or even negatives might be collecting dust somewhere in a vault.

In any event, film fans of classic films should support releases such as you do. And I thank you for your catalog and its expansion, including so many of fine films.

John

Hi John,

Not angry in the least bit John, and thank you VERY MUCH for supporting what we're doing by purchasing our films. My purpose in responding was just wanted to make sure the record is straight in terms the quality we are striving to achieve with our label.

Regarding ROONEY, I agree it is a very sharp, good looking restoration that we spent a good amount to restore. I realize that it's Shirley's "awkward teen period" and that many people pan the film, but I think it is charming and very underrated. No Shirley Temple fan, or "Jivin' Jack & Jill" fan should be without it.

Regarding Breen, not sure about those, but I'll keep them in mind. By the way, I haven't checked out any specific Breen releases from Roan Group that I can recall, but Roan always did put out some decent to above average transfers.

David

Just for fun, here's a clip of Peggy Ryan and Roland Dupree cutting a rug from ROONEY:​

​

 

[larryKR]

Hello David Kawas

Amazon Canada doesn't have "He Walked by Night" in stock yet. Do you have any inside information as to when it will be available in Canada. Looking forward to purchasing this title.