Tokyo Joe (1949)

This review is on Tokyo Joe from 1949 which stars: Humphrey Bogart, Alexasnder Knox, Florence Marly, Sessue Hayakawa, Jerome Courtland, Gordon Jones and is directed by Stuart Heisler.

The first American film to be shot on location in Japan since WWII, his gripping thriller finds Bogart as an expatriate American in Tokyo trying to win back his ex-wife (Florence Marly) from lawyer Mark Landis (Alexander Knox) while contending with blackmail and extortion from the former head of the Japanese secret service (Sessue Hayakawa).

This is a TCM Vault release in partnership with SONY and has a great video and audio quality. This is part of a five Bogart film collection from TCM. The film is presented in b&w, Full screen and runs for about 88mins (1hr 28mins).

I would give this film a 7.5/10 and the DVD a 4/5. Overall this is a great DVD release and is a film I recommend.

Love Affair (1932)

Bogart is enterprising, modest and occasionally perplexed as a working class aircraft engineer who is pursued and eventually seduced by a wealthy but jaded socialite (Dorothy Mackaill). Typical of the Pre-Code era, the film is notable for scenes of sexual suggestiveness and moments of refreshingly frank dialogue courtesy of Jo Swerling and Ursula Parrott.

This is a TCM Vault release in partnership with SONY and has a pretty good video and audio. This is part of a five Bogart film collection from TCM. The film is presented in b&w, Full screen and runs for about 68mins (1hr 8mins).

I would give this film a 6/10 and the DVD a 4/5. Overall this is a great DVD release and is a film I might recommend.

The Key (1958)

This review is on The Key from 1958, starring: William Holden, Sophia Loren, Trevor Howard, Kieron Moore, Bernard Lee and directed by Carol Reed.

David Ross (William Holden) is a Canadian sergeant brought to England for a perilous mission: to captain a tugboat responsible for bringing in crippled ships damaged by German torpedoes. Assisted by old friend and fellow captain Chris Ford (Trevor Howard), David is taught the ropes and offered a key to an apartment shared by Stella (Sophia Loren).

This is a SONY Pictures Choice Collection release and has a pretty good video and audio with the no special features. The film is presented in b&w, Widescreen and runs for about 126mins (2hr 6mins).

I would give this film a 7.5/10 and the DVD a 3.5/5. Overall this is a great DVD release and is a film I would recommend.

One Foot in Hell (1960)

This review is on One Foot in Hell from 1960, starring: Alan Ladd, Don Murray, Dan O'Herlihy, Dolores Michaels, Barry Cole, Larry Gates and directed by James B. Clark.

Alan Ladd plays Mitch Barrett, who becomes angry with the town that let his ill wife die by not giving her medicine. Barrett becomes the town Sheriff to set-up an elaborate bank robbery with the help of an artist, pickpocket, a gunslinger and a bar-girl. In conjunction of the robbery, Barrett plans to avenge himself to everyone who hindered his purchase of a single bottle of medicine for his wife years ago.

This film is one of the last films Alan Ladd appeared in before his death in 1964. 

This is a 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives release and has a pretty good video and audio with the no special features. The film is presented in color, Widescreen and runs for about 90mins (1hr 30mins). This is one of a few Fox's Cinema Archives that keeps the original aspect ratio and is not a Pan&Scan.

 I would give this film a 7/10 and the DVD a 4/5. Overall this is a great DVD release and is a film I would recommend.

Above and Beyond (1952)

This review is on Above and Beyond from 1952 starring: Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, James Whitmore, Larry Keating, Larry Gates, Marilyn Erskine and is directed by Melvin Frank.

Above and Beyond tells the story of, Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets Jr. of the Army Air Corps who is the command of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Which also includes newsreels shots of the bombing.

This is a Warner Archive release and has a good video and audio with the only special feature included is the theatrical trailer. The film is presented in b&w, Full screen and runs for about 122mins (2hr 2mins).

I would give this film a 7/10 and the DVD a 4/5. Overall this is a great DVD release and is a film I would recommend.

Flat Top (1952)

Here is my first post of a short review of Flat Top from 1952. This film stars: Sterling Hayden, Richard Carlson, Keith Larsen, Bill Phipps, Phyllis Coates, John Broomfield with William Schallert and is directed by Lesley Selander.

Sterling Hayden plays Commander Dan Collier who trains Navy Carrier Pilots during the Second World War while battling the kind Lieutenant Joe Rodgers (Richard Carlson), who is more concerned with being popular with his men then a leader. The film uses actual newsreel footage.

This film was distributed by Olive Films and provides a good video and audio quality for the DVD version. The film is presented in color, Full screen and runs for about 85mins (1hr 25mins). There isn't any special features included on this release.

I would give this film a 6/10 and the DVD a 3.5/5. Overall this is a decent DVD release and is a film I would recommend.