The Devil Doll (1936) from Warner Archive

[whiteberry]

The Devil Doll Blu-ray

Coming to Blu-ray October 31st

NEW 2023 1080p HD Master from 4K Scan of preservation elements

THE DEVIL DOLL (1936)
Run Time: 79 Minutes
Subtitles: ENGLISH SDH
Audio Specs: DTS HD-MA 2.0
Aspect Ratio 16x9 1.37:1 with Side Mattes
Product color: B&W
Disc Configuration-BD 50

Special Features: New feature commentary by Film Historian Dr. Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantin Nasr, Classic WB Cartoons "MILK AND MONEY" (HD) and "THE PHANTOM SHIP" (HD), Original Theatrical Trailer

Cast: Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Frank Lawton

Master of the macabre Tod Browning (Freaks) created this spine-tingler about madness, murder and revenge. It stars Oscar®-winning screen legend Lionel Barrymore as an escaped convict who uses a mad scientist’s shrinking serum to create tiny people. He then disguises himself as a kindly old lady running a toy store, so he can secretly send his tiny assassins out to exact a terrifying revenge on the men who framed him. Special-effects genius Leonard Smith created the trick photography that Michael Weldon (The Psychotronic Encyclopedia) called “better than (that of) any other shrunken-people movie”. Maureen O’Sullivan co-stars as Barrymore’s innocent daughter and Frank Lawton as her devoted suitor. Rafaela Ottiano adds a note of horror as the maniacal widow of the twisted scientist. Full of menacing moments and hair-raising scenes “certain to return in nightmares” (Pauline Kael), this is truly an unforgettable horror movie classic, now stunningly remastered!

The Devil-Doll Official Trailer #1 - Lionel Barrymore Movie (1936) HD - YouTube

[deltatauhobbit]

Between the Freaks set from Criterion and this coming from WAC, Tod Browning is finally getting his due.

Hopefully The Thirteenth Chair won't be too far behind.

[Hammerlover]

You can't beat original poster art!

[WaverBoy]

Great news!!!

[Rzzzz]

I love this movie. Between Lionel Barrymore in drag and the little people, this film is one of a kind. Now we just need The Mask Of Fu Manchu and The Return Of Dr. X and I can get rid of that awful BD-R Dvd set!

[Areyakiddin]

The Devil Doll's release date has been moved forward a week to October 24th.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by Rzzzz

I love this movie. Between Lionel Barrymore in drag and the little people, this film is one of a kind. Now we just need The Mask Of Fu Manchu and The Return Of Dr. X and I can get rid of that awful BD-R Dvd set!

I'll actually be willing to part with the set once Fu Manchu comes out. . .

[MifuneFan]

Pre-order now up at Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Mod-Devil-Dol...ect=1&sr=1-481

[Randy Miller III]

Site review is live with 25 screenshots! A terrific disc, as usual, and the new commentary is great.

The Devil Doll Blu-ray Review

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by Randy Miller III

Site review is live with 25 screenshots! A terrific disc, as usual, and the new commentary is great.

The Devil Doll Blu-ray Review

Thanks, Randy. I always enjoy your WAC reviews!

[edmonddantes]

such a perverse, subversive little movie! I really think this is browning's best.

It takes a lot from the surrealists (perhaps another reason the movie is set in paris), I haven't google checked but I bet they loved it.

But asides from that, it feels like a modern movie with modern characters, more nuanced and with more modern dialogues than it was the norm of that era. Even the sarcasm and the sense of humor feels from a different era.

Also because of the great sound in the WAC version the music takes also the spotlight, IIRC franz waxman's, who does sound very much ahead of what horror movies from that time were sounding.

Definitely an oddity that deserves more recognition. Freaks deserves all the noise and attention for sure, but IMO this is a better movie and has gone a bit under the radar.

[Member-865437]

This was a great movie and I went in not knowing what to expect! I'll watch anything with Lionel Barrymore. The picture quality is fantastic and I think the special effects shots hold up.

[Dave Bannion]

Originally Posted by edmonddantes

such a perverse, subversive little movie! I really think this is browning's best.

It takes a lot from the surrealists (perhaps another reason the move is set in paris), I haven't google checked but I bet they loved it.

But aside from that, it feels like a modern movie with modern characters, more nuanced and with more modern dialogues than it was the norm of that era. Even the sarcasm and the sense of humor feels from a different era.

Also because of the great sound in the WAC version the music takes also the spotlight, IIRC franz waxman's, who does sound very much ahead of what horror movies from that time were sounding.

Definitely an oddity that deserves more recognition. Freaks deserves all the noise and attention for sure, but IMO this is a better movie and has gone a bit under the radar.

Completely agree, and it has a strangely emotional ending for such an outlandish plot. Helps that Barrymore's fully dialed in. Saw this with an audience last year and it still plays to a crowd. Just feels in a lot of ways like the perfect summation of Browning's work.

[hagios]

I wonder if WAC will ever have this great film on sale?

[edmonddantes]

Originally Posted by Emmett L Brown

This was a great movie and I went in not knowing what to expect! I'll watch anything with Lionel Barrymore. The picture quality is fantastic and I think the special effects shots hold up.

forgot to mention the special effects, wow , really amazed me!

[Boris_Karloff]

Originally Posted by hagios

I wonder if WAC will ever have this great film on sale?

It’s at $16 for a limited time:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-D...lu-ray/341912/

[hagios]

Originally Posted by Boris_Karloff

It’s at $16 for a limited time:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-D...lu-ray/341912/

Ordered this along w/Tarzan the Ape Man this morning!