The Snake Pit (1948), Olivia de Havilland - April 16, 2019

[oildude]

The Snake Pit (1948) will be released on Blu-ray by Twilight Time on April 16, 2019. This will be a limited edition of 3000 copies.

From a 2017 4K Restoration.

From TCM...When his new bride exhibits erratic behavior following a bout with depression, Robert Cunningham has no choice but to commit her to a mental institution. Despite the efforts of a kind and caring doctor, the young woman faces the horrors of being confined with other mental patients, some in much worse states than she, while also enduring shock therapy, drug treatment and hydrotherapy.

TCM background on the film.....After a nervous breakdown that led to an eight month stay in New York's Rockland State mental hospital, Mary Jane Ward wrote The Snake Pit, a novel inspired by her experiences. She sold it to Random House in 1945. The title came from the ancient practice of throwing the insane into a pit of snakes in hopes that it would shock them back to sanity.

Directed by Anatole Litvak (The Night of the Generals, Sorry Wrong Number, Anastasia, The Deep Blue Sea, Five Miles to Midnight)

Starring:

Olivia de Havilland (Gone with the Wind, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Hold Back the Dawn, They Died with Their Boots On, The Dark Mirror, The Heiress, My Cousin Rachel, To Each His Own)

Mark Stevens (The Street with No Name, Cry Vengeance, Torpedo Alley, Pride of the Marines, Oh You Beautiful Doll)

Music by Alfred Newman, one of the legends, who scored over 200 films, including The Song of Bernadette, The Grapes of Wrath, Gunga Din, The Mark of Zorro, How Green Was My Valley, Dragonwyck, Call Northside 777, Cry of the City, The Robe, The Egyptian, The Seven Year Itch, The Best of Everything, Flower Drum Song, The King and I, and South Pacific.

Cinematography by Leo Tover, whose filmography includes The Day the Earth Stood Still, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Untamed, The Heiress, Hold Back the Dawn, I Walk Alone, Blue Denim, and From the Terrace.





Trailer

THE SNAKE PIT (1948) trailer. Starring OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND. - YouTube

[Yuchira]

Excellent film

[dougotte]

I first saw it on late night TV decades ago while stoned. It was eerie how I could sink into the character's schizoid episodes. It's a brilliant performance by De Havilland, and it treats mental illness very rationally (apart from her episodes, of course).

[RalphoR]

Olivia is still going strong at 102 yrs old. So awesome! I wonder if she was able to contribute some for this release?

[The Great Owl]

I can’t wait.

[oildude]

Pre-Orders begin Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at 4 PM EST

Where to buy (or pre-order):

• Twilight Time website: http://www.twilighttimemovies.com

• Screen Archives Entertainment: http://www.screenarchives.com

A breakthrough study of a woman’s mental illness that still startles and spellbinds 70 years later now arrives on hi-def Blu-ray in a crisp 4K restoration transfer. Nominated for six Academy Awards – including Best Picture and Director (Anatole Litvak) – and an Oscar® winner for Best Sound Recording, it features a riveting central performance by Olivia de Havilland that earned Best Actress honors from the National Board of Review and New York Film Critics.

From a 2017 4K Restoration.

Special Features: Isolated Music Track / Audio Commentary with Film Historian Aubrey Solomon / Fox Movietone Newsreels / Two The Snake Pit Vintage Radio Shows / Original Theatrical Trailer

[dougotte]

I ordered mine the other day and it's "in transit". Has anyone received it yet? I haven't seen any reviews or comments.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by dougotte

I ordered mine the other day and it's "in transit". Has anyone received it yet? I haven't seen any reviews or comments.

I ordered mine on the 16th and it’s coming tomorrow.

[Dailyan]

Screencaps for those interested:

[Show spoiler]

Indicator has the edge with a stronger encode but TT's is a solid alternative for region locked folks.

[dougotte]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Screencaps for those interested:

[Show spoiler]

Indicator has the edge with a stronger encode but TT's is a solid alternative for region locked folks.

Thanks. Mine arrived today (in a box 4 times too big! Just put it in a padded paper mailer!). I'm getting ready for a trip, so I'll check it out next week.

[dougotte]

I watched it last night. It's definitely from a lower generation copy. The video and audio slightly lacking in detail. Overall, it's better than the DVD, of course.

It's still a wonderful film to watch for DeHavilland's brilliant performance, as well as the supporting cast.

[Ramble Tamble-TAN]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Indicator has the edge with a stronger encode but TT's is a solid alternative for region locked folks.

Yeesh! Those two are predominantly the worst of the bunch - the rest seemingly look fine. When did Twilight Time's encodes start going downhill? I don't remember them being so fluctuant / inconsistent.

[ponderingtheuniverse]

I watched this on Watch TCM on demand tonight and it was one of the most moving films I've watched this year (the other was The Song of Bernadette.) I think they used the Twilight Time restoration because it looked very similar to my Dragonwyck Twilight time blu-ray. It looked great but I'm thinking of going for the Indicator release (hopefully I'll be getting a region free player for Christmas.)

I kept thinking about Gene Tierney when I was watching this, knowing that she was the first choice for the role (but had to pass on it because she was pregnant) and the fact that there were probably moments in the film that mirrored her own time in mental institutions. I haven't read her book, but it was mentioned in her A&E biography that she received shock treatments and that at least one place was like a prison, with barred windows and whatnot. Of course Olivia owned this role, but I can't help but to wonder what it would've been like if Gene had been available to take it.

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by ponderingtheuniverse

I watched this on Watch TCM on demand tonight and it was one of the most moving films I've watched this year (the other was The Song of Bernadette.) I think they used the Twilight Time restoration because it looked very similar to my Dragonwyck Twilight time blu-ray. It looked great but I'm thinking of going for the Indicator release (hopefully I'll be getting a region free player for Christmas.)

I kept thinking about Gene Tierney when I was watching this, knowing that she was the first choice for the role (but had to pass on it because she was pregnant) and the fact that there were probably moments in the film that mirrored her own time in mental institutions. I haven't read her book, but it was mentioned in her A&E biography that she received shock treatments and that at least one place was like a prison, with barred windows and whatnot. Of course Olivia owned this role, but I can't help but to wonder what it would've been like if Gene had been available to take it.

Interesting thought about Tierney. When you get that region free player, you'll never look back!

[ponderingtheuniverse]

Originally Posted by Hammerlover

Interesting thought about Tierney. When you get that region free player, you'll never look back!

It was heartbreaking hearing what she went through. Ironically enough, she

[Show spoiler]had issues with her own father, not with the same reasons as Virginia nor at such a young age

, but still.

Yeah, it'll be nice not having to worry about a title being region A only when I get one, especially if said title is OOP in the region A format.