The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One (1946) (NTSC)

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     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One includes films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951, a period when Ladd was at the height of his popularity as a leading man; there is adventure, action, exotic settings, love and a western! The last film in the set is interesting as it was the second last film Ladd made before his untimely death in 1964. There is really nothing in this collection that might be considered to be one of Ladd’s most memorable roles, but it is nevertheless an interesting collection for fans especially as most, if not all of these films, have not been released on home video here.

     All the films have artefacts but nothing serious or distracting; in fact they look pretty good! The audio is the original mono. The only extra is a theatrical trailer for one of the films.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Two Years Before the Mast (1946) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Action Adventure	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1946
Running Time	97:13
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	John Farrow
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Alan Ladd Brian Donlevy William Bendix Barry Fitzgerald Howard Da Silva Albert Dekker Darryl Hickman Luis Van Rooten Esther Fernandez
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Victor Young

     1843, Boston. Charles Stewart (Alan Ladd), playboy son of a wealthy shipping owner, is shanghaied aboard one of his father’s brigs, the Pilgrim, commanded by ex-US Navy Captain Francis Thompson (Howard Da Silva), for a voyage to California. The Pilgrim, and Thompson, have a reputation for making record fast runs between Boston and California, putting profit well above the welfare, and even the lives, of the crew thus men have to be shanghaied before each voyage and forced to sail on her. Indeed, this time only two crewmen go on board willingly; young boy Sam (Darryl Hickman), who stows away, and Richard Dana (Brian Donlevy). Dana’s brother had died on an earlier voyage on the Pilgrim and Dana has signed on in order to gather information to write a book about the mistreatment of merchant sailors. Crew members shanghaied include ship’s cook Terence O’Feenaghty (Barry Fitzgerald) and seaman Brown (Albert Dekker). Order on board the Pilgrim is maintained by First Mate Amazeen (William Bendix), a fair man but under the spell of his captain, and the shifty and cowardly Second Mate Foster (Luis Van Rooten).

     Thompson drives the ship and his crew relentlessly, the crew on meagre and almost inedible rations. Discipline is maintained by flogging; one crewman is flogged, put in chains below and slowly starved to death. After briefly stopping to pick up a special Spanish passenger, Maria Dominguez (Esther Fernandez) and her maid, the Brig rounds Cape Horn. Thompson refuses to stop anywhere to pick up fresh food and men start to die from scurvy and malnutrition. As the Pilgrim sails up the west coast of South America towards Monterey, Charles and Maria start to become attracted to each other but conditions on the Pilgrim become so appalling that mutiny is almost inevitable. Charles, as well as the other officers and crew, must decide what to do.

     Two Years Before the Mast was directed by John Farrow based on the best-selling novel by Richard Henry Dana Jr., whom Donlevy plays in the film. I have not read the book, but others have noted that the film is not very faithful to the novel and certainly the film, released in 1946, shows a rather sanitized view of life at sea in the mid-19th century, which is probably to be expected. Handsome leading man Alan Ladd, whose career spanned three decades and 100 credits, is charismatic as the playboy fop turned sailor, learning about putting others above himself, while the rest of the cast are solid. Brian Donlevy has the sympathetic role; he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Sergeant Markoff in Beau Geste (1939) and had appeared with Ladd previously in The Glass Key (1942), in which William Bendix, Oscar nominated for Wake Island (1942), also appeared. Indeed, Bendix and Ladd were close friends and appeared in a number of films together including The Blue Dahlia and Calcutta (both 1946) and, over a decade later, in The Deep Six (1958). With players contracted under the old studio system, this interconnection is not unexpected however. To round things out I should add that Howard Da Silva was also in The Blue Dahlia.

     Two Years Before the Mast is a solid adventure, even with the brutality toned down and the ending never in doubt. While the addition of a love interest for Ladd is perfunctory, scenes of a two masted Brig at sea under full sail and this impressive cast make the film always worth watching.

Video

     Two Years Before the Mast is presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, in NTSC and is not16x9 enhanced.

     This is a reasonable black and white print for a film this vintage. Wide establishing shots of the ship at sea are quite soft while close-ups and interiors, such as below decks, have improved detail although one could never say they were razor sharp. Blacks are more grey and shadow detail in the darkness below decks can be very indistinct with a grey screen; see 68:34 for one example. There were frequent small speckles on the print plus reel change markings, but nothing serious. Pleasing grain is evident.

     No subtitles are provided.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 192 Kbps.

     Dialogue is clean. The effects are fine for a mono audio; the sound of the wind and the waves, the groan of ship’s timbers, and gunshots and cannon shots are good. The score by twelve times Oscar nominated Victor Young, winner for Around the World in 80 Days (1956), can be shrill at times.

     There was slight crackle in one scene that did not have music, effects or dialogue.

     The lip synchronisation was fine except in one scene when Ladd was talking but his lips did not seem to move!

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     Nothing. The menu is silent and offers only “Play Feature”.

     I can find advertised US and Italian released standalone DVDs of Two Years Before the Mast plus the film is included in various movie collections. Two Years Before the Mast here in Australia is released as part of 5 disc / 5 film The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One, a collection which does not seem to have been released elsewhere. See the summary section below for details.

     Two Years Before the Mast was one of over 700 Paramount productions filmed between 1929 and 1949 which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution and was considered important enough to launch the MCA / Paramount series on many television stations around the US. For most people, if they have seen the film at all, it would be on black and white television. Two Years Before the Mast is a decent adventure with a good cast, including the handsome Alan Ladd, and it is great to see the film get a release as part of this Alan Ladd collection so we can all enjoy it again.

     The video and audio are reasonable, no extras.

     Two Years Before the Mast is included in the 5 disc / 5 film set The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One of films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. There is nothing included here that would be up there with his most memorable roles, but it is an interesting collection for fans nonetheless. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951, a period when Ladd was at the height of his popularity as a leading man: Two Years Before the Mast, Calcutta (1947), Red Mountain (1951) and Thunder in the East (1951); the other, 13 West Street, from 1961, is the second last film Ladd made before his death.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Calcutta (1947) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1947
Running Time	82:48
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5	Directed By	John Farrow
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Alan Ladd Gail Russell William Bendix June Duprey Lowell Gilmore Edith King Paul Singh John Whitney
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Victor Young

     Neale Gordon (Alan Ladd), Pedro Blake (William Bendix) and Bill Cunningham (John Whitney) are close friends, pilots flying freight and passengers over “The Hump” in DC-3s between Calcutta in India and Chungking in China. Bill, to the surprise of his friends, tells them that he is getting married, but when he is murdered the next night Neale and Pedro are determined to find his killer. Neale looks up Bill’s beautiful fiancée Virginia Moore (Gail Russell), and starts to become attracted to her although he suspects that she has something to hide. Their investigation leads Neale and Pedro to a racket smuggling jewels between India and China, hidden on the DC-3s; but who could be involved: nightclub and gambling den owner Eric Lasser (Lowell Gilmore), where Neale’s girlfriend Maria (June Duprez) sings, jewellery shop owner Mrs Smith (Edith King) or Indian importer / exporter Malik (Paul Singh)? For Neale, getting close to the truth could easily get him killed.

     Calcutta was directed by John Farrow soon after directing Ladd in Two Years Before the Mast (1946) although Calcutta was not released until 1947. Calcutta is a crime noir thriller in the ilk of The Maltese Falcon (1941), with some wry dialogue, red herrings, murder, nefarious larger than life shady characters, hidden jewels and dangerous women. Alan Ladd, whose career spanned three decades and 100 credits, is charismatic as the tough guy, a role he can do easily, although Ladd’s close friend William Bendix, who appeared with Ladd in a number of films including Two Years Before the Mast and The Blue Dahlia (both 1946) and, over a decade later, in The Deep Six (1958), does not have a lot to do.

     Instead, this is a film in which women shine. The most prominently credited is the beautiful Gail Russell the year before she was cast with John Wayne in Angel and the Badman (1947). Her later career tragically blighted by a struggle with alcohol leading to her early death in 1961, some critics think she is miscast in Calcutta but I disagree as her dark ethereal beauty and constantly jittery gestures are very effective; a tortured soul, but can she be trusted? The other female love interest is English actress June Duprez who shot to fame after appearing in Zoltan Korda’s The Four Feathers (1939) and The Thief of Bagdad (1940) in England before moving to America where her career, unfortunately, did not flourish. Finally, Edith King, in her first screen role, effortlessly steals every scene as the larger than life cigar smoking Mrs Smith.

     Calcutta is a fun and entertaining crime noir thriller. The sets look exotic, although constructed in Hollywood of course, or what Hollywood thought India looked like, as well as in Arizona, while the aircraft model work and scenes of DC-3s above the Himalayas add to the fun of watching

Video

     Calcutta is presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, in NTSC and is not16x9 enhanced.

     This is a decent black and white print for a film this age. The cinematographer was John F. Seitz who in his career received seven Oscar nominations, including for The Lost Weekend (1945) and the magnificent Sunset Blvd. (1951) without winning. For Calcutta wide establishing shots of the DC-3s over the mountains are, not surprisingly, softish but close-ups and sets, including the “Indian” streets and hotel interiors, show good detail. Blacks are mostly solid, grey scales good and shadow detail acceptable in the scene when Neale investigates in a dark hanger. There were small speckles on the print plus reel change markings, but nothing serious. Pleasing grain is evident.

     No subtitles are provide

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 384 Kbps.

     Dialogue is clean. The effects are good for a mono audio; the sound of the DC-3 engines, car engines, crowd voices in the bazaar. The score by twelve times Oscar nominated Victor Young, winner for Around the World in 80 Days (1956) is good, avoiding the shrillness of scores that often happened in the 1940s.

     There was no hiss or crackle discernible.

     The lip synchronisation was fine except in one scene when Duprez is singing in the nightclub.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     Nothing. The menu is silent and offers only “Play Feature”.

     I can only find an Italian released standalone DVD of Calcutta. In Australia Calcutta is released as part of the 5 disc / 5 film The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One, a collection which does not seem to have been released elsewhere. See the summary section below for details.

     Calcutta was another of the over 700 Paramount productions filmed between 1929 and 1949 which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution so most people, if they have seen the film at all, saw it on black and white television for, as far as I can tell, it has never been released here on home video. Calcutta is a heap of fun; an entertaining crime noir thriller with a good cast, exotic settings, mystery and femme fatales. Fans of Ladd or of films like The Maltese Falcon should enjoy Calcutta and it is great to see it get a release as part of this Alan Ladd collection.

     The video and audio are fine, no extras.

     Calcutta is included in the 5 disc / 5 film set The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One of films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. There is nothing included here that would be up there with his most memorable roles, but it is an interesting collection for fans nonetheless. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951, a period when Ladd was at the height of his popularity as a leading man: Two Years Before the Mast (1946), Calcutta, Red Mountain (1951) and Thunder in the East (1951); the other, 13 West Street, from 1961, is the second last film Ladd made before his death.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Red Mountain (1951) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Western	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1951
Running Time	83:42
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	William Dieterie
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Alan Ladd Lizbeth Scott Arthur Kennedy John Ireland
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Franz Waxman

     1865; the end of Confederacy is near, the South ravaged by Union Armies. But in the west in Colorado Territory regular Confederate officer Captain Brett Sherwood (Alan Ladd) travels to join up with General William Quantrill (John Ireland) hoping to keep the South alive. On the way Brett saves Lane Waldron (Arthur Kennedy) from being lynched for a killing that Brett himself had done. Lane, despite being saved from a hanging, intends to take Brett into town to clear his name but Brett ties up Lane and rides off. Lane is found by his fiancé Chris (Lizbeth Scott) and the pair set off after Brett. When they catch up with him at Red Mountain, things do not go to plan and Lane, in a fight, becomes incapacitated with a badly fractured leg.

     Shortly afterwards Quantrill and his men arrive at the mountain and Brett is able to join him. But Quantrill’s men are not what Brett expected. Quantrill has recruited ill-disciplined southern trash and, as well, has armed the Indians and intends to create a new Confederacy in the west together with the Plains Indians. Brett quickly becomes disillusioned with both Quantrill’s aims and his methods, his thoughts complicated by his growing love for Chris. And when Quantrill decides that Chris and Lane must die to preserve the secrecy of his location Brett has a choice to make.

     Red Mountain was directed by William Dieterie with uncredited assistance from John Farrow (who had directed Ladd in Two Years Before the Mast (1946) and Calcutta (1947)). Red Mountain is a standard western which is quite slow and talky at times in the middle but with cavalry, Indians, a posse, chases and a large scale shootout at the climax it provides what western fans expect, at least of a western made in 1951. I don’t think that Ladd is as effective as he usually is in the role but part of the interest in watching this film is the familiar faces in the supporting cast and the talent behind the camera.

     Neither John Ireland nor Arthur Kennedy require much introduction. Ireland was a solid supporting actor who ended up with 203 credits on the IMDb, including Howard Hawks’ Red River (1948) and he received an Oscar nomination for All the King’s Men (1949). Arthur Kennedy, on the other hand, received five Oscar nominations including for Peyton Place (1957) but in his career he worked on some classic westerns with some of the best directors and stars such as Raoul Walsh and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941) and Anthony Mann and James Stewart in both Bend of the River (1951) and The Man from Laramie (1955). Both Ireland and Arthur Kennedy know what their parts require and do them well.

     Red Mountain was filmed in Technicolor amid the desert, buffs and ridges of New Mexico by cinematographer Charles Lang who had won an Oscar 20 years previously for A Farewell to Arms (1932) and thereafter was nominated another 16 times in his long career without winning again, which must have been frustrating. The music was provided by another Oscar winner Franz Waxman, who won for Sunset Blvd. (1950) and A Place in the Sun (1951) among eight other nominations.

     There is never any doubt where Red Mountain is going or how it will end up but with this good cast, colourful locations and some rousing action in the climax the film is worth visiting.

Video

     Red Mountain is presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, in NTSC and is not16x9 enhanced.

     This is a decent Technicolor print for a film from the early 1950s. Although presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio (the original ratio was 1.37:1) the location filming in the desert, hills and rugged bluffs of New Mexico and the rich brown, red and yellow colours give the film a feeling of space, well used by cinematographer Charles Lang, especially when horsemen charge across the landscape shooting as they come. Detail is good, blacks are solid and shadow detail decent. Skin tones are somewhat on the reddish side, contrast and brightness consistent. As this is a colour presentation the speckles in many colours are perhaps more noticeable that the specks on a black and white print as are the reel change markers, but nothing is too serious. Pleasing grain is evident.

     The layer change at 46:02 created a pause mid-scene.

     No subtitles are provided.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 384 Kbps.

     Dialogue is clean. The effects are quite good; the thundering hooves, shouts and gunshots are loud while the storm effects are excellent with the boom of thunder and lightning and the cascading rain. The score by Franz Waxman is appropriate, well supporting the visuals.

     There was no hiss or crackle.

     The lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     Nothing. The menu is silent and offers only “Play Feature”.

     I can find US and Spanish released standalone DVDs of Red Mountain. In Australia Red Mountain is released as part of 5 disc / 5 film The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One, a collection which does not seem to have been released elsewhere. See the summary section below for details.

     A Technicolor western from 1951, Red Mountain looks impressive and this, plus a good cast, helps to compensate for the standard and predictable plot. Nevertheless, fans of Ladd or westerns should enjoy Red Mountain and it is great to see it get a release as part of this Alan Ladd collection.

     The video and audio are fine, no extras.

     Red Mountain is included in the 5 disc / 5 film set The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One of films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. There is nothing included here that would be up there with his most memorable roles, but it is an interesting collection for fans nonetheless. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951, a period when Ladd was at the height of his popularity as a leading man: Two Years Before the Mast (1946), Calcutta (1947), Red Mountain and Thunder in the East (1951); the other, 13 West Street, from 1961, is the second last film Ladd made before his death.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Thunder in the East (1951) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Action Adventure	Theatrical Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	1951
Running Time	96:54
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Charles Vidor
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Alan Ladd Deborah Kerr Charles Boyer Corinne Calvet John Williams Cecil Kellaway Philip Bourneuf
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Hugo Friedhofer

     1947; India has gained independence, but with British soldiers withdrawn there is no one to defend small isolated states in the Himalayas and their British expat residents from rebel tribesmen in the hills. Steve Gibbs (Alan Ladd), an American freelance gunrunner, flies a cargo of automatic weapons into Ghandahar; the state is threatened by tribesmen led by Nawab Khan (Philip Bourneuf) and Gibbs is confident that the Maharaja of Ghandahar will buy the weapons. However, the real power in Ghandahar is Prime Minister Ram Singh (Charles Boyer); he believes in the non-violent methods of Ghandi and intends to reach a negotiated settlement with Nawab Khan so not only does he refuse to buy Steve’s cargo, he impounds the lot so that they cannot be sold to anyone else.

     While waiting in the hotel to try to get Singh to change his mind Steve has a close encounter with the beautiful and seductive Lizette (Corrine Calvet), who is looking for an urgent ride out of the state. He also meets some of the British ex-pat community including retired General Harrison (John Williams) and the Reverend Willoughby (Cecil Kellaway) and his granddaughter Joan (Deborah Kerr), who has lost her sight. With the tribesmen cutting off all access to the city, Steve’s plane offers on escape route although Steve, as a man of business principles, is determined to recoup the cost of his impounded cargo. Steve’s principles, however, are compromised when he and Joan start to fall in love. When his plane is destroyed all the ex-pats take refuge in the Maharaja’s palace. Nawab Khan’s men prepare to attack the palace; can the foreigners hold out until either help arrives or Ram Singh reassesses his non-violent principles.

     Thunder in the East was directed by Charles Vidor based on a novel by Alan Moorehead. It is a yarn of adventure, rebel tribesmen, loyalty and betrayal and an assault on the Palace compound mixed with tender love story. But, rather surprisingly in an action film of any vintage, much less the early 1950s, Thunder in the East considers deeper themes of ideology and principles, especially the theme of non-violence. Alan Ladd, whose career spanned three decades and 100 credits, in a role that delivers more depth than the usual tough guy image provides good looks, charisma and charm as a man who is forced to question his principles in the name of love. The rest of the main cast are more problematical. Deborah Kerr had starred in some big budget Oscar nominated films including Black Narcissus (1947) and, in the year prior to Thunder in the East, Quo Vadis (1951) while going on to earn Oscar nominations for her performances in From Here to Eternity (1953), where her famous roll in the surf with Burt Lancaster is a poster for the ages, The King and I (1956) and, visiting Australia, The Sundowners (1960). To find her in this relatively minor picture is a bit of a surprise but she is acceptable as the prim and proper blind granddaughter of a clergyman although she is not totally convincing as the love interest for Ladd. And then there is Frenchman Charles Boyer in dark make-up as the Indian Ram Singh with a pronounced French accent! Boyer does his best in what is probably the most interestingly written role in the film, a non-violent man in violent times, but it is hard to forget he is Charles Boyer; I guess in 1951 Hollywood a Frenchman was exotic enough to be an Indian, something which would not be contemplated today. The last of the four top billed actors is Frenchwoman Corinne Calvet; she is cast as a Frenchwoman so her accent is fine but she has very little to do. As a side note, Thunder in the East was the film debt (uncredited) of Jill St John, Bond girl in Diamonds are Forever (1971).

     Thunder in the East is an enjoyable adventure with more thoughtfulness in its themes than is usual in ripping yarns. The Palace and bazaar sets look exotic, although constructed in Hollywood of course, the build up to the climax is tense and the action is well staged although the plane crash is very obviously a model; but this was 1951 so it works fine.

Video

     Thunder in the East is presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, in NTSC and is not16x9 enhanced.

     This is a decent black and white print for a film of this vintage. The original cinematographer was John F. Seitz, who in his career received seven Oscar nominations including for The Lost Weekend (1945) and the magnificent Sunset Blvd. (1951) as well as filming Alan Ladd’s Calcutta (1947) but after two weeks he was replaced by Lee Garmes. The wide establishing shots of the aircraft over the mountains and flying into the landing strip in the hills are softish but close-ups and sets, including the very detailed Palace set and the “Indian” streets, show good detail. Blacks are solid enough, grey scales good and shadow detail acceptable. There were small speckles on the print, a scratch or two plus reel change markings, but nothing serious. Pleasing grain is evident.

     The layer change at 48:44 created a pause at a scene change.

     No subtitles are provided.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 384 Kbps.

     Dialogue is clear. The effects are good for a mono audio; the sound of the aircraft and jeep engines, crowd voices in the bazaar, gunfire and the aircraft explosion. The score by eight times Oscar nominated Hugo Friedhofer, winner for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), is “oriental” sounding and mostly effective.

     There was occasional slight crackle in scenes without effects or music.

     The lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Theatrical Trailer (2:19)

     The menu is silent and offers “Play Feature” and “Theatrical Trailer”.

     I can find references to only Spanish and Italian released standalone DVD of Thunder in the East. In Australia Thunder in the East is released as part of the 5 disc / 5 film The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One, a collection which does not seem to have been released elsewhere. See the summary section below for details.

     If you can get past the problematical casting, Thunder in the East is an entertaining yarn of adventure, rebel tribesmen, loyalty and betrayal, an attack on the Palace and a tender love story. The questions around non-violence (given that India had obtained independence through non-violence only 4 years before the film was made) are interesting and, until the climax rather turns things on its head, well canvassed. As far as I can tell Thunder in the East has never been released on home video in Australia so this is an opportunity for fans of Alan Ladd, Deborah Kerr, or anyone interested in early 1950’s cinema, to watch it.

     The video and audio are fine, a trailer is the only extra.

     Thunder in the East is included in the 5 disc / 5 film set The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One of films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. There is nothing included here that would be up there with his most memorable roles, but it is an interesting collection for fans nonetheless. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951, a period when Ladd was at the height of his popularity as a leading man: Two Years Before the Mast (1946), Calcutta (1947), Red Mountain (1951) and Thunder in the East; the other, 13 West Street, from 1961, is the second last film Ladd made before his death.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

13 West Street (1961) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1961
Running Time	79:50
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Philip Leacock
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Alan Ladd Rod Steiger Dolores Dorn Michael Callan Kenneth MacKenna Chris Robinson Arnold Merritt
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	George Dunning

Video (NTSC)		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (384Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	480i (NTSC)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Late one night on his way home from work rocket engineer Walt Sherill (Alan Ladd) runs out of petrol in a deserted industrial neighbourhood. Walking to get some petrol he is attacked by a gang of juveniles, beaten badly and left lying beside the road. In hospital with a broken leg and fractured ribs he is visited by his wife Tracey (Dolores Dorn) and his boss Paul (Kenneth MacKenna) as well as Detective Sergeant Pete Koleski (Rod Steiger) who takes Walt’s statement, such as it is, and promises to do what he can.

     The gang were well dressed and well-spoken so seem to have been made up of juveniles from wealthy families without a police record so Koleski has few leads to go on. Walt is stunned by the senselessness and randomness of the violence of the attack on him; as well, his pride and self-esteem have also taken a battering and he becomes increasingly frustrated by Koleski’s lack of a lead. But Koleski is making progress, visiting the school he thinks the gang attends. The gang is led by Chuck (Michael Callan), who dominates the others including Everett (Chris Robinson) and Bill (Arnold Merritt); Chuck knows that Walt lives at 13 West Street so decides to deliver a warning, throwing a piece of metal through the window when only Tracey is home and threatening her by telephone.

     Koleski manages to identify some of the gang members, but their wealthy parents give their boys alibies. Koleski keeps digging, but Walt becomes more and more obsessed with revenge, distancing himself from Tracey and threatening their marriage with his obsession. Undeterred, Walt buys a pistol and hires a Private Detective to follow one of the boys until one night things come to a head.

     13 West Street was directed by Philip Leacock based on the novel The Tiger Among Us by Leigh Brackett. This film was Alan Ladd’s last starring role and second last film before his untimely death in 1964; his last film, in which he had a supporting role, was The Carpetbaggers (1964). Ladd’s career spanned three decades, starting in 1932, with100 credits, but by 1961 when 13 West Street was released Ladd had put on weight and the period during the late 40s and early 50s when he was at the height of his popularity as a leading man was well past. Nevertheless, Ladd was still a handsome man (he apparently observed he had the face of an aging choirboy) and his screen charisma remains undeniable; in the role of Walt Sherill Ladd was able to act and to show a level of vulnerability and frustration in a good performance. The other highlight of 13 West Street was of course Rod Steiger who is excellent as the detective trying to do his job while dealing with lies from wealthy parents and a frustrated victim! Steiger was only a couple of years off his tour-de-force performance in The Pawnbroker (1964) for which he was nominated for an Oscar but lost out to Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou. I love Marvin and Cat Ballou but I know which is the most compelling performance! Steiger did win his Oscar a few years later for In the Heat of the Night (1968).

     13 West Street is not really about juvenile gangs as such, nor is it a vigilante film in the ilk of later films such as Death Wish (1974). Instead it is a much more realistic and measured films about what happens to a decent man when he becomes obsessed with finding out who attacked him, rather than leaving it to the police who were, in this case, making progress. Good performances by Alan Ladd and Rod Steiger and a script that does not quite go where it might have help to make 13 West Street a decent watch.

Video

     13 West Street is presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, in NTSC and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is a decent black and white print. Blacks are solid, greyscales good, shadow detail fine in both wide shots and close-ups. See, for example, the sequence when Walt walks in the deserted industrial area with its darkness and shadows. The early stock footage of the failed rocket launch has an vertical scratch but the film itself is good with only some small specks, some motion blur against vertical lines and reel change markings. Grain is nicely controlled.

     No subtitles are provided.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

     The audio is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 384 Kbps.

     Dialogue is clear. The effects are limited; the broken glass when the window is shattered, engines in the motor car chase and crash and thumps during the beatings are acceptable. The score by five times Oscar nominated George Dunning, including one for From Here to Eternity (1953), is fine although not memorable.

     There was no hiss or crackle.

     The lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

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     The menu is silent and offers only “Play Feature”.

     I can find references to a US released standalone DVD of 13 West Street which is advertised for quite exorbitant prices of up to $US120.00! In Australia 13 West Street is released as part of the 5 disc / 5 film The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One, a collection which does not seem to have been released elsewhere. See the summary section below for details.

     13 West Street is a decent urban drama with a very good cast and a thoughtful script. As far as I can tell the film has never been released on home video in Australia so this is an opportunity for fans of Alan Ladd or Rod Steiger to check it out.

     The video and audio are fine, no extras.

     13 West Street is included in the 5 disc / 5 film set The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One of films made by Ladd between 1946 and 1961. There is nothing included here that would be up there with his most memorable roles, but it is an interesting collection for fans nonetheless. Four of these films date from between 1946 and 1951: Two Years Before the Mast (1946), Calcutta (1947), Red Mountain (1951) and Thunder in the East (1951), plus 13 West Street from late in Ladd’s career.

     The Alan Ladd Collection Volume One was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

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