The Diamond AKA The Diamond Wizard 3D Blu-ray (1954) [Region A Locked]

[revgen]

I was surprised by this movie. It's a reasonably good plot for a low-budget 50's crime flick, combined with a brisk pace and good chemistry between the actors. The running time only lasts 83 minutes, which is perfect. The 3-D is most impressive during the firy furnace scenes where the criminals manufacture the counterfeit diamonds. I felt the smoke blowing right up in my face. The stereography also shines during the location shoots. Watching the actors walking down the busy streets of London, following mobsters down escalators, and chasing cars on English country roads brings a sense of immersion that can't be matched watching the film flat.

In a special feature segment, Mike Ballew (bavanut) tells the story about the camera rig used to shoot the film and it's primary inventor/operator Raymond Spottiswoode. Unlike other camera rigs used during the Golden Age, this camera used lenses to converge the left and right eyes instead of mirrors.

This film is a perfect compliment to I the Jury (1953) and Man in the Dark (1953).

Thank you to the 3-D Film Archive and Kino Lorber for bringing this film to 3-D Blu-ray. 9 years ago when I attended the third 3-D Film Expo, I never imagined that I'd be able to watch these films in my own home.

[Camps]

Originally Posted by revgen

9 years ago when I attended the third 3-D Film Expo, I never imagined that I'd be able to watch these films in my own home.

Bingo! And that's an important point:

Thanks to the advances of consumer-electronics tech, and the tech of film restoration and editing -- not to mention, to a significant extent, the tireless efforts of a certain team hailing primarily from the Garden State () -- we consumers can now enjoy the minor miracle of viewing these films the way they were originally intended in our own homes.

That is to say, where the rights holders will allow us to....

[MercurySeven]

The Golden Age has given us such a varied roster of genres so far on blu-ray, and each film brings something unique to the vintage funhouse. For The Diamond Wizard, I was intrigued by the prospect of period location shots of 1950s England. Nothing brings a setting and an era to life like 3-D photography, and the filmmakers didn’t disappoint. It’s a poised, polished and very enjoyable police procedural with noir elements.

The two male stars (Dennis O’Keefe and Philip Friend) play well off each other and contrast nicely as characters, the brash American (O’Keefe) drawing his Scotland Yard counterpart out of his staid shell, always with a friendly nudge. Margaret Sheridan shines as both romantic interest and a potential lead in the case. She’s spirited and playful without being a full-blown femme fatale. The supporting cast is very good, and I especially like how each character, down to the smallest part, is given a little quirk to make them memorable, reminiscent of I, The Jury.

Story-wise, it’s solid and well-paced. It’s also easy to follow. The quaint forensic and investigative techniques are entertaining and informative. There are a couple of twists, but they didn’t surprise me all that much. I liked that the action finale didn’t outstay its welcome.

The 3-D is better than I hoped it would be. The exterior street shots are incredibly atmospheric, while the interiors are always set up to maximize the sense of space just in front of and behind the frame. It has an elastic effect on the visual field, making us forget where the actual screen is. That’s the opposite of a gimmick; it’s immersive because it draws us in intuitively. I was always aware of the 3-D but never distracted by it (apart from a few fun pop-outs), and loved every second.

The English setting makes it a personal favourite, but it would be a top-tier Golden Age 3-D title even without that. The impeccable 3-D is complemented by a fun detective yarn, a polished screenplay, and rock-solid performances. Not to mention another outstanding restoration by the 3DFA, one of their best yet. I couldn’t ask for more than that.

[jchung30]

An organized, comprehensive, concise and thoughtful review. Just like the movie. Well done Merc!

[MercurySeven]

Originally Posted by jchung30

An organized, comprehensive, concise and thoughtful review. Just like the movie. Well done Merc!

Thanks, jchung. I normally don't review until I've had 2 or 3 viewings, but this one ticked all the boxes right away. Can't wait to watch it again, though.

[bud_brigman]

Got my order from Best Buy -- and it was a Stryper DVD for someone who lives three states away. Nothing against the band, but -- not what I wanted.

So, needless to say, I won't be getting it from Best Buy.

I ordered from BullMoose, and the Priority Shipping I paid for is Meandering Shipping, at best. "Your item is in the system, but we can't tell you where and is delayed." No sh t, Sherlock -- I figured that out two days after I was supposed to have received it.

I have never had this much trouble actually getting a disc before. Hopefully it shows up soon.

[the13thman]

I've ordered a second copy now in the hope that I get a disc that doesn't look like it's been scraped across the factory floor, always a problem with Kino discs...

[Joe D.]

Mine is finally arriving today!

[Jlardonio]

Originally Posted by the13thman

I've ordered a second copy now in the hope that I get a disc that doesn't look like it's been scraped across the factory floor, always a problem with Kino discs...

They should provide with their disc buys a polishing kit to restore the discs.

[Joe D.]

Just finished watching The Diamond Wizard.

Hope Bob, Greg and the staff at 3D Archives don't take this personally. Sorry, but there was nothing out of the ordinary with this, their latest 3D restoration. Ho hum, it's easy for one to become lackadaisical when used to perfection.....

Great job and story - a joy to watch first frame to last. A shame this was not originally released in 3D theatrically.

Thanks again to all at 3D Archives!

[WaverBoy]

My personal pick for 3D Blu-ray Of The Year.

[T. Warren Scollan]

Finally got mine yesterday. Will fire up my 3D gear now. Have 2 new "Golden Age", 1 new "Silver Renaissance ", and 5 new 21st Century films to watch. Whoopee!

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by bud_brigman

Got my order from Best Buy -- and it was a Stryper DVD for someone who lives three states away. Nothing against the band, but -- not what I wanted.

So, needless to say, I won't be getting it from Best Buy.

I ordered from BullMoose, and the Priority Shipping I paid for is Meandering Shipping, at best. "Your item is in the system, but we can't tell you where and is delayed." No sh t, Sherlock -- I figured that out two days after I was supposed to have received it.

I have never had this much trouble actually getting a disc before. Hopefully it shows up soon.

That's unfortunate. I ordered mine back before it was released for pre-order, but there seems to be a lack of inventory for some reason with the retailer. Hopefully soon.

Originally Posted by Joe D.

Mine is finally arriving today!

Good to hear. Thanks. Hopefully mine arrives sooner than later.

[T. Warren Scollan]

Enjoyed this one a lot. Interesting story line, brisk pace, and well acted. Restoration was excellent, jitters, dirt, etc., all gone. Only thing that did bother me was that it seemed a bit washed out. Considering the restoration demo showing how REALLY washed out it was to start, I guess 3dFA can only go so far. The surprise was Margaret Sheridan! She was warm, sensuous, and credible as a romantic lead. Equally appealing in "I, the Jury". Compared to her work 2 years earlier in "The Thing" where she was rather plain in appearance (Oh, those eyebrows!) and stiff in her acting, she must have taken some acting training and found much better makeup artists. Overall, a welcome addition to my "Golden Age 3D" collection. Looking forward to "Robot Monster" & "Bwana Devil", and whatever else 3dFA has up their sleeves!

[Robert Furmanek]

Very glad that you enjoyed it but as I’ve mentioned, it was scanned and restored from VERY problematic dupe fine grains. There’s only so much that you can do when handed a compromised element.

[Camps]

Originally Posted by Robert Furmanek

Very glad that you enjoyed it but as I’ve mentioned, it was scanned and restored from VERY problematic dupe fine grains. There’s only so much that you can do when handed a compromised element.

And I suspect I'm in the vast majority of classic-3D fans who do not want the "perfect" to be the enemy of the "good." (Or, in the case of 3DFA's work, "damn good," to put it mildly in even the toughest of cases.)

In other words, if it comes down to 3DFA getting us a blu ray using problematic dupe grains... or no blu ray at all...?

The ultimate no-brainer.

[Zivouhr]

It finally arrived, so I was able to watch Diamond Wizard 3D.

First, I watched Mike Ballew's small documentary about the Space Master 3D camera rig of the 1950s, and how it was lighter and easier to maneuver compared to much heavier 3D rigs back then. Great detail and technical details as well, thanks Mike/Bavanut! Also very cool that it was in stereo 3D too. Looking forward to the new 3D book when it's ready too.

Quick Review of Diamond Wizard 3D:
Sat upright, about 8 feet from 100" 3D projected screen.

3D Layers: 10/10. Strong 3D layering throughout.
3D Pop Outs: A few nice, strong, brief 3D pop outs of objects tossed at the camera, and some other moments of reaching out of the screen, like the gun facing the camera.
3D Framing: Great framing of pretty much every shot in 3D.
Favorite 3D shot: I really like those 3D shots when the wizard old father is looking through the window into the heated cave below in strong 3D. The shot with the model airplanes was cool, among the outdoor and Bar scenes, etc.
3D Restoration: Greg Kintz and Thad did an awesome job restoring the film, and the extra feature showing before/after results was excellent and greatly appreciated, also in stereo 3D. And under Bob's leadership too. Thanks! Stabilization, alignment, contrast, and important clean up really help make the film look the best it probably ever has.
3D Summary: 10/10. About 1 hour and 23 minutes (or so for the runtime of the film) of strong, consistent 3D layering, volume and some cool pop out moments in a beautifully restored vintage 3D film that was starting to fade away but restored by 3-D Film Archive. Thank you! I'm also a fan of the main menu 3D of the title poster art. That is a lot of fun to see that converted to strong 3D.

The film was interesting, and my favorite scenes were when they were creating the diamonds, as well as the outdoor scenes, and the final showdown, which was cool.

[WaverBoy]

I absolutely love the fact that the 3DFA uses the main menu of their releases as yet another opportunity to show us their passion for what they do, giving us some fantastic 3D art. You really do get the complete experience with these guys, who continue to go way above and beyond for us.

[Creed]

Forgot to post my thoughts.

The Diamond makes for a decent thriller, with the three leads charming their way through. The anaglyph 3D, as expected from 3DFA, impresses with solid layering. Keep up the good work, Robert!