The Blue Dahlia and The Glass Key (Arrow)

[Oscar Rothman]

Release Date: 19th September 2016

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Selected scene commentary by Frank Krutnik, author of In a Lonely Street: Film Noir, Genre, Masculinity
Introduction to the film by Frank Krutnik
Rare 1949 half-hour radio dramatization of The Blue Dahlia by The Screen Guild Theater, starring Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd
Original theatrical trailer
Extensive gallery of vintage stills and promotional materials
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tonci Zonjic

First pressing only: collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original uncompressed PCM mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary by Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London
New visual essay on the film by Alastair Phillips, co-author of 100 Film Noirs
Rare 1946 half-hour radio dramatization of The Glass Key by The Screen Guild Theater, starring Alan Ladd, Marjorie Reynolds and Gene Kelly
Original theatrical trailer
Extensive gallery of vintage stills and promotional materials
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tonci Zonjic

First pressing only: collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Kat Ellinger

[silverlakephil]

Based on the broadcast of these two movies on Turner Classic Movies yesterday, the PQ should be excellent.

[NoirFan]

Happy to ditch my ancient R2 discs of both! I'm not sure how I feel about the cover designs though.

[Arch Stanton]

Very interested in both

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Happy to ditch my ancient R2 discs of both! I'm not sure how I feel about the cover designs though.

I like them as a pair more than individually, but I'm also glad that we'll have the original posters on the reverse

[CouncilSpectre]

These couldn't be any more up my street if they tried! Definitely in for both

[Melodious Thunk]

Ooooh, amazing! Now if someone could release Crossfire on blu-ray, I could get rid of that bulky noir DVD box set I've had for years...

[easydreamer]

Great releases!

Hope whoever could put out Phantom Lady, as this will be the lone title unreleased on Blu-ray in the TCM Dark Crimes box set I have.

[Wireduck1]

Bought the German version of 'The Glass Key' but the artwork looks so good I'll have to get the pair on Arrow. Great stuff. More Noir please.

[Le Samourai]

Awesome! Made my day!

[88thCrazy]

Can never say no to some Veronica Lake on blu-ray, I'll be picking these up. Love the covers.

[John_Drake]

Brilliant timing as I was just about to import the German disc.
Thanks OP!

[crazyman]

I like how they describe the radio dramas as "rare" when you can download them for free all over the Internet.

[rootless]

Yeah, more noirs, please!

wishlist:

* A proper Arrow treatment of Pitfall
* That Anthony Mann's B-noirs get restored and properly released
* and D.O.A., too

[Pecker]

Level boss!

[kristoffer]

I have heard great things about The Blue Dahlia and I really love noir, so might have to pick this up.

[ravenus]

A little while ago I saw The Blue Dahlia and The Glass Key. I got them on cheap Universal Studios DVDs (along with This Gun for Hire) to check out if they had sufficient replay value to bag the announced Arrow blu's.

Both the films fall in the noir genre with a mystery element, and come from fairly stellar writing roots (TBD is an original screenplay by Raymond Chandler, and TGK is sourced from a Dashiel Hammett novel). The films have more in common: both star Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, and also share pivotal supporting players like William Bendix (typically playing the big lug with a psychotic streak).

TBD finds WW2 Navy vet Ladd returning home only to find his wife a philandering drunk in the arms of another man. After a showdown he storms off and not long after, the wife is found dead in her Condo apartment. Suspicion mainly veers between the husband and the slick lover, but there are other parties. Chandler dashes out some expectedly punchy dialog for his characters, and Ladd has an appropriate haunted air, but the film has no style and is directed in a pedestrian manner.

In TGK, Ladd is right-hand to loudmouth political strongman Brian Donlevy. Donlevy falls so hard for the reformist candidate’s daughter (Veronica Lake) he decides to support the candidate for governor even if it goes against common sense and riles up his former clients, like the racketeer whose business is threatened by the reform policies. Ladd doesn't agree with his boss but fights for him with obsessive loyalty, even if he has to occasionally antagonize him. The pot is kept constantly boiling with lots of twists and double-crosses (some of which involve people doing stupid things for the sake of the plot), and a fair bit of body count. It is also a lot more stylish and better made than TBD. Ladd is excellent as the cold but loyal henchman. Donlevy is less impressive; he does the brassy schtick, but comes across as petty-minded and does not convincingly command the loyalty Ladd gives him. Lake was alright in TBD, but here I could only recall her annoying eyebrows. She has very limited range and her looks don't make up for this deficiency.

Of the 2 films, TGK is the more entertaining and likely for an upgrade so far as I am concerned.

[chip75]

I preferred The Blue Dahlia over The Glass Key as well, I'd like to see This Gun For Hire on BD too.

[Cranston37]

Do we have any idea what region these are yet?

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Cranston37

Do we have any idea what region these are yet?