In the 1920 to the 1960s small production companies in Hollywood were given the less than favorable nickname "Poverty Row". But on many occasions the films produced were just as good if at not sometime better than some of the big studio productions.
Now Flicker Alley, Lobster Films and Blackhawk Films have joined forces to bring us the films fans a glorious collection of 4 'Poverty Row' films on a brand new Blu-ray set entitled "In the Shadows of Hollywood: Highlights from Proverty Row"
Let's take a look at the films included in this 2 disc Blu-ray set.
Classic Cinema Plus Rating System:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend an evening.
*=You haven’t missed anything.
Midnight aka Call It Murder (1934): Jury foreman Edward Weldon is caught in a complicated situation when
his daughter, Stella (Fox), admits to having committed a murder. ***
Back Page (1934): A young reporter leaves her job at a big city newspaper for a position as the editor in a small California town. Political complications ensue as she struggles to keep the paper from being forced out of business. ***
Woman in the Dark
(1934): John Bradly, recently released from prison, has his plans
interrupted by a new love interest and a false murder accusation,
causing him to flee the authorities. ***
The Crime of Dr. Crespi
(1935): After operating on another surgeon he believes stole the
affection of the woman he loved, Dr. Crespi invents a serum that will
induce a catatonic state, to bury his enemy alive.
***
This collection of films are a great mix of drama, film noir, horror and mystery. Also found in this collection of films are some amazing actors and actresses, including; Humphrey Bogart, Faye Wray, Erich von Stroheim, Sterling Holloway, Ralph Bellamy, Melvyn Douglas and Sidney Fox among others.
These four films have been lovingly restored by Lobster films from 35mm elements in the collection of Blackhawk films. When watching these films I must say I have never seen these films look better than they do on this Blu-ray set. The picture quality is crisp with very little signs of damage to the prints and the audio is clear with little to no hiss and pops.
Flicker Alley really impressed me with this release and they have added some really nice bonus feature to this 2 Disc Blu-ray set. Take a look at what is included.
* Midnight aka Call It Murder Audio Commentary - By author and film scholar Leah Aldridge
* Back Page Audio Commentary - By author and professor Emily Carman
* Woman in the Dark Audio Commentary - By crime author and film studies instructor Jake Hinkson
* The Crime of Dr. Crespi Audio Commentary - By film historian and scholar Jan-Christopher Horak
* New Booklet Essay "Poverty Row Film Studios in the Early 1930s Written By Jan-Christopher Horak
* English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Everyone does a great job with these audio commentaries giving the listener plenty of information and making the commentary very entertaining as well. And the booklet insert is top notch quality, the essay ion insightful and it is complete with movie stills. You could ask for anything more?
I have had the opportunity to review quite a few Flicker Alley releases and they always impress me! But I think this has to be my favorite so far. They really put together an impressive collection of films. Kudos.
If you are a fan of those Poverty Row Productions or are like me and just enjoy a good classic film, this Flicker Alley release "In the Shadows of Hollywood" is an absolute must add to your collection. You can head over to Amazon.com and get your copy today.
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Flicker Alley's Blu-ray of In The Shadows of Hollywood receives...
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