Dick
Senior HTF Member
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- May 22, 1999
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- Rick
There hasn't been much discussion about the Sabu / Joseph Calleia / John Qualen film, which was produced by Alexander Korda and directed by Zoltan Korda. Perhaps this is because not many people remember this version over the numerous Disney iterations, both live-action and animated, and even 3D. Plus, there have been no official domestic Blu-rays released or announced. I sent away for countless DVD's of this from Europe and the States, hoping to find one that even came remotely close to having Technicolor look, only to find one after another of these P.D. copies with faded colors and muffled sound (the music score is by Miklos Rozsa, so one would want it to sound very good), with the sole exception of the DVD issued by Criterion some years back. This movie is apparently in the public domain, but I knew it could look great, because I spent $150.00 in 1970's dollars to buy a feature-length Super 8mm print. While two of the reels looked splendid, the other four looked like precursors to the crumby DVD's I had bought. I finally stumbled upon this Blu-ray on Amazon Germany, believing I was probably going to get just another disappointing transfer.
Amazon product ASIN B00MX1T12W
Wow! What a delightful surprise! Now that's what it should look like! Much of this Region B 1080p Blu-ray (AR is 1.33:1) truly has the Technicolor saturation, with a nicely rendered edition that sports a sharp image, accurate skin tones, good contrast and black levels, and visible grain. The soundtrack is German by default, but it can be switched over to English either on the fly or by using the menu. In addition, as a bonus feature, there is a full-length German animated feature that is in that language and which doesn't feature an option for English subtitles, but by now we all know the story well enough to follow it visually. As you can see from the link, it is still available...cheap! I haven't ever tried posting screen caps, but I assure you, this is the best transfer of the movie you are likely to find for now...and it's Blu-ray!
As for running time, it is the most complete I have seen on any video format, at just shy of 106 minutes. I have read that it was released at 115 minutes in 1942, but Maltin's guide shows a time of 105 min. This feels complete to me, with no abrupt cuts or strangely-dropped characters and sub plots.
Next time you feel like ordering from Europe, and you, like me, have had a hankering for a good copy of this classic, jump right on it before it goes out of print!
Amazon product ASIN B00MX1T12W
Wow! What a delightful surprise! Now that's what it should look like! Much of this Region B 1080p Blu-ray (AR is 1.33:1) truly has the Technicolor saturation, with a nicely rendered edition that sports a sharp image, accurate skin tones, good contrast and black levels, and visible grain. The soundtrack is German by default, but it can be switched over to English either on the fly or by using the menu. In addition, as a bonus feature, there is a full-length German animated feature that is in that language and which doesn't feature an option for English subtitles, but by now we all know the story well enough to follow it visually. As you can see from the link, it is still available...cheap! I haven't ever tried posting screen caps, but I assure you, this is the best transfer of the movie you are likely to find for now...and it's Blu-ray!
As for running time, it is the most complete I have seen on any video format, at just shy of 106 minutes. I have read that it was released at 115 minutes in 1942, but Maltin's guide shows a time of 105 min. This feels complete to me, with no abrupt cuts or strangely-dropped characters and sub plots.
Next time you feel like ordering from Europe, and you, like me, have had a hankering for a good copy of this classic, jump right on it before it goes out of print!
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