One of the great names among film noir directors has to be Robert Siodmak, a man who made a series of hugely impressive pieces of dark cinema throughout the 1940s. The first of those stylish and influential works was Phantom Lady, which I wrote about here some years ago. It’s satisfying to see this film now getting a very attractive release on Blu-ray in the UK via Arrow Academy.
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation transferred from original film elements
- Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Dark and Deadly: 50 Years of Film Noir, an insightful archival documentary featuring contributions from Robert Wise, Edward Dmytryk, Dennis Hopper and more
- Rare, hour-long 1944 radio dramatization of Phantom Lady by the Lux Radio Theatre, starring Alan Curtis and Ella Raines
- Gallery of original stills and promotional materials
- Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Alan K. Rode
Riding the High Country 
Great! Thanks for news.Have just ordered it.
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You’re welcome! It’s a super movie from one of the finest directors to work in noir.
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Really looking forward to it. Shame there is no commentary though!
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True. Mind you, that booklet featuring Alan Rode, a man whose opinions I have a lot of time for, sounds very attractive.
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Colin – I couldn’t agree more – Siodmak was first rate when it came to noir stories. But why did Burt Lancaster and Harold Hecht tap him to direct “The Crimson Pirate”? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved that movie since I first saw it on TV as a little kid. But it sure doesn’t seem like a Siodmak picture. Maybe Burt just liked the guy after making “The Killers” and “Criss Cross” with him.
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Yes, the bright, colorful look/tone of The Crimson Pirate is virtually the polar opposite of the work which had made his name in the preceding decade. I’ve always enjoyed the film too but I really don’t know enough about the making to offer any comment on its departure from what might be thought of as the Siodmak formula beyond speculating that the director may have felt he’d gone as far as he could with noir and was ready for something different.
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Phantom Lady was my introduction to film noir. In retrospect it was a pretty good place to start. It got me hooked immediately.
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