Man in the Dark 3D (1953)
Blu-ray Company Review: Twilight Time
Starring: Ted De Corsia, Edmond O'Brien, Audrey Totter, Ruth Warren
Starring: Ted De Corsia, Edmond O'Brien, Audrey Totter, Ruth Warren
Plot: Steve Rawley who, while in jail on a robbery charge, undergoes an experimental brain operation designed to eradicate his criminal tendencies. He loses his memory and is kidnapped by his old cronies who want to get their hands on the hidden loot for which he has been serving time.
My Review and Thoughts:
My Review and Thoughts:
Film (4/5)
A true Old-school crime drama brought out in all its wonderful black and white glory for today's film generation. Excellent classic of the golden era of film noir cinema.
A great dark atmosphere of a thriller. A thick story of crime and the ideas of a criminal nature.
This is actually a 3-D film directed by the one and only cinema god Lew Landers. He started directing films in the 1930's one being the ultimate horror classic The Raven starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
Landers was a master at capturing the persona of characters and also building the ultimate climax and conclusion to thrillers. His career lasted for many, many years and brought forth ultimate classic films of crime, B-movies, horror, western, comedy and of many varieties of genres. He has given the Cinema world a spark of genius. What's so amazing is that he worked for all the major studios and even the independent lower budget film studios. He was a talented director that knew what he wanted. He knew what he wanted to capture. He knew what he wanted and created what he wanted for the viewer.
He directed over 173 projects. From big screen to lower budget, to TV series, he was able to capture something thought-provoking in all of his pieces. And this 1953 film Man in the Dark is no exception. He crafted his talent and his over all atmosphere for a dark thriller crime noir situation, that the viewers can hold onto and remember.
This was brought out by Twilight Time Special Edition Blu-ray limited to 3,000 units. Masterfully crafted and brought out for this generation.
This is a wild and unique and brilliant plot that only the 1950's could create. Your main character is Steve Rawley. He is a criminal, a thug, a robber. While in jail he is given a second chance through an experiment that will alter his brain. Its purpose is to take away his criminal persona.
It works, but what happens is he looses his total memory. When kidnapped from the hospital by Steve's old criminal buddies, Steve is shocked and does not remember them. They want the money stash from the robbery but Steve can't remember what he did with it. Now Steve has dreams and has flashes of memory. The thugs want there money, Steve wants his memory.
What's interesting about this movie is it was actually the very first 3-D film ever released by a major studio, there had been others but the first big release was this 11 day shoot for Columbia Pictures. They rushed production to beat Warner Brother's House of Wax.
This stars the one and only Edmond O'Brien the iconic Film actor who graced the cinema world throughout many genres of film. He was a true classic golden actor playing many parts from drama, action, western to Film Noir gangster.
His two performances that will stand out the most is his Oscar winning performance in 1954's The Barefoot Contessa and his Oscar nomination for his work in 1964's Seven Days in May. Many will remember him in 1969's masterpiece The Wild Bunch. I'll always personally remember him in the 1950's Film Noir D.O.A. as Frank and also as Jim in 1946's The Killers which introduced us to the master actor Burt Lancaster.
Edmond was a master at anything he did from TV to feature film from small to large parts he gave it his all. His performances stand out above and beyond the art of acting.
This has everything a Film Noir should have, gangsters, car chases, shootouts, dark camerawork, fist fights, a beauty female bombshell and so much more. This will always be remembered for the ultimate climactic roller coaster moment. The final showdown way before it's time leaving watchers stunned and breathless and amazed at the accomplishment of cinema for its time. An ultimate 3-D experience even if you're watching it in 2-D it's still an amazing accomplishment for its time, sending the viewer running wild on the roller coaster that will always be a true landmark in cinema history.
Now as the wonderful female bombshell Peg, this stars the amazing beautiful stunning Audrey Totter. She starred in many, many films and many genres of film. She started on radio in the 1930s and moved on to feature films in the 40s. She will be best known for her many, many roles as the bombshells in Film Noir cinema.
One of my Favorite things I did in life was walking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California. If you're ever their pay respect to Edmond O'Brien and walk up to his star at 6523 Hollywood Blvd, I did and felt a sense of true classic Hollywood. Sadly we lost this wonderful actor at a very young age of only 69 years. His talent was not over, he could've acted many more years and graced cinema many more times, but he will always be remembered throughout Hollywood cinema history.
Audio/Video (5/5)
It has been cleaned, cleared and created in a wonderful setting. It looks fresh. It looks new. It looks like it was filmed today. Twilight Time did a fantastic job in refreshing this old piece of cinema.
Audio comes in two choices English 1.0 DTS-Master Audio and also comes with an Isolated Score Track.
Extras: (2/5)
Theatrical Trailer and also an Essay insert on the films history written by Julia Kirgo.
Overall Product Review: (5/5)
This is a classic piece of cinema done in a fantastic B-movie style with, yes it has its flaws from a plastic spider, silly dialogue and noticeable dummies but with that said, it is a forgotten form of cinema beauty restored for this generation.
Twilight Time releases these 3,000 unit movies that they so lovingly remaster and give it the treatment they deserve. Twilight Time are true masters in respecting cinema of yesteryear and today. They accomplish and honor the beauty of film and it shows with Man in the Dark.
INFO:
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