Kino Lorber Studio Classics September Releases

Kind Hearts and Coronets (Special Edition) (1949)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 3, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
DVD SRP: $19.95

Comedy-Crime / 106 min / NR / B&W

Director: Robert Hamer
Starring: Alec Guinness, Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Hugh Griffith, Audrey Fildes, Miles Malleson, Clive Morton

Synopsis: Kind Hearts and Coronets was voted #6 on the BFI’s list of the greatest British films of all time! Sir Alec Guinness (The Lavender Hill Mob) became an international star with his extraordinary performance as eight different characters in this 1949 Ealing Studios classic. Dennis Price (The Frightened Bride) is sublime as an embittered young commoner determined to avenge his mother’s unjust disinheritance by ascending to the dukedom. Unfortunately, eight relatives-all played by the incomparable Guinness-must be eliminated before he can do so. Co-starring Joan Greenwood (The Man in the White Suit), Valerie Hobson (The Bride of Frankenstein) and Hugh Griffith (Start the Revolution Without Me), with top-notch direction by the great Robert Hamer (It Always Rains on Sunday) and beautiful photography by Douglas Slocombe (The Lion in Winter).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger | Introduction by Filmmaker John Landis | Those British Faces: Dennis Price – Featurette | Interview with Cinematographer Douglas Slocombe | Alternate American Ending | Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 3, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
DVD SRP: $19.95

Comedy-Crime / 81 min / NR / B&W

Director: Charles Crichton
Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Audrey Hepburn, Alfie Bass, Marjorie Fielding, Edie Martin

Synopsis: The Men Who Broke the Bank and Lost the Cargo! Sir Alec Guinness (The Captain’s Paradise) received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his delightful performance as Henry Holland, a meek clerk who devises an ingenious plan to rob a fortune in gold bullion from his own bank. But when Henry and his odd accomplice (Stanley Holloway, My Fair Lady) melt the gold into souvenir Eiffel Towers to smuggle into France, their perfect crime becomes a disastrous caper of Cockney crooks, customs chaos and an ill-timed group of schoolgirls, all leading to some of the most hilarious and unexpected surprises in criminal history. Sidney James (of the Carry On series) and a young Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina) co-star in this beloved Ealing Studios hit directed by Charles Crichton (Dead of Night) that won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay by T.E.B. Clarke (Who Done It?). Beautifully shot by the great Douglas Slocombe (Robbery, Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Jeremy Arnold | Introduction by Filmmaker Martin Scorsese | Good Afternoon: Mavis Nicholson Interviews Screenwriter T.E.B. Clarke | Audio Interview with Director Charles Crichton | Theatrical Trailer

The Man in the White Suit (Special Edition) (1951)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 3, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
DVD SRP: $19.95

Comedy-Science Fiction / 85 min / NR / B&W

Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Starring: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger, Howard Marion-Crawford, Henry Mollison

Synopsis: In this definitive Ealing comedy, Sir Alec Guinness (The Lavender Hill Mob) delivers one of his most beloved performances as Sidney Stratton, an eccentric chemist who one day invents a fiber that never wrinkles, wears out or gets dirty. But when the mill owners and workers both realize that this miracle fabric will destroy their industry, Sidney suddenly becomes the most hunted man in the nation. Can a young idealist trapped between big business and mad unions find safety in science, or will the future of Britain become unraveled by one extraordinary suit? Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (The Ladykillers, Sweet Smell of Success), The Man in the White Suit received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay by Mackendrick, Roger MacDougall (A Touch of Larceny) and John Dighton (Roman Holiday). Co-starring Joan Greenwood (Kind Hearts and Coronets), Cecil Parker (Under Capricorn) and Michael Gough (Konga), with stunning black-and-white cinematography by the great Douglas Slocombe (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Dr. Dean Brandum | Revisiting ‘The Man in the White Suit’ – Interviews with Filmmaker Stephen Frears and Film Critic Ian Christie | Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 3, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $14.95
DVD SRP: $11.95

Drama-Romance / 103 min / R / B&W

Director: Leonard Nimoy
Starring: Diane Keaton, Liam Neeson, Jason Robards, Ralph Bellamy, Teresa Wright, Katey Sagal, Joe Morton, James Naughton, Asia Vieira

Synopsis: Every passion has its price. For Anna Dunlap (Diane Keaton, Annie Hall), a recent divorcée and mother of a young daughter, the price may be devastating. Discovering true passion for the first time in her life after meeting artist Leo Cutter (Liam Neeson, Taken), Anna’s life couldn’t be more perfect. But shocking charges against the young woman place her newfound lifestyle under scrutiny, shattering her sizzling relationship and forcing her to prove that she is, indeed, a good mother.

Bonus Features: Theatrical Trailer

Blindfold (1966)
Blu-ray Street Date: September 10, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Thriller-Comedy / 102 min / NR / B&W

Director: Philip Dunne
Starring: Rock Hudson, Claudia Cardinale, Jack Warden, Guy Stockwell, Brad Dexter, Anne Seymour, Alejandro Rey

Synopsis: In the tradition of Charade and Arabesque, screen icons Rock Hudson (The Tarnished Angels) and Claudia Cardinale (Once Upon a Time in the West) co-star in this suspense-filled espionage thriller with a touch of comedy, wonderfully directed by Philip Dunne (Ten North Frederick). General Pratt (Jack Warden, The White Buffalo), a national security chief, and his aides approach successful psychiatrist Dr. Bartholomew Snow (Hudson) for a top secret mission for the United States government. A brilliant scientist, once a patient of Dr. Snow’s, has evidently had a mental breakdown and is hiding in a remote government safehouse known only as “Base X.” With enemy agents on his tail, Snow soon finds himself caught in the middle-and out of desperation, he falls in with a mysterious and beautiful woman named Vicky Vincenti (Cardinale). But is she helping him, or is she yet another sinister figure out to manipulate him? Co-starring Guy Stockwell (The War Lord) and Brad Dexter (99 River Street), with top-notch widescreen cinematography by Joseph MacDonald (The Sand Pebbles) and a rousing score by the great Lalo Schifrin (Mission: Impossible).

Bonus Features: Animated Image Gallery | Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Street Date: September 10, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Thriller / 108 min / NR / B&W

Director: Edward Dmytryk
Starring: Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, Kevin McCarthy, George Kennedy, Jack Weston, Leif Erickson, Walter Abel, Anne Seymour

Synopsis: Gregory Peck (The Big Country), Diane Baker (Krakatoa: East of Java) and Walter Matthau (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) star in Mirage, a psychological thriller where danger, deception and even murder lurk around every corner. Bewildered accountant David Stillwell (Peck) believes he must be suffering from some form of amnesia and enlists the help of a private detective (Matthau) to help determine his identity. Experiencing flashbacks of a disturbing past and perplexed by the woman (Baker) in his life, Stillwell struggles to make sense of his perilous situation before a murder plot ensnares him. Filmed on location in alluring New York City, Mirage is an edge-of-your-seat suspense film that remains one of the genre’s timeless classics. Directed by Edward Dmytryk (Murder, My Sweet) with a screenplay by Peter Stone (Charade), based on the novel Fallen Angel by Howard Fast (Spartacus). The sensational cast includes Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Jack Weston (Fuzz), Leif Erickson (Strait-Jacket), Walter Abel (13 Rue Madeleine) and George Kennedy (Thunderbolt and Lightfoot).

Bonus Features: Interview with Star Diane Baker | Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson | Animated Image Gallery | Theatrical Trailer

Pittsburgh (1942)
Blu-ray Street Date: September 10, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Action-Drama / 92 min / NR / B&W

Director: Lewis Seiler
Starring: John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, Shemp Howard, Thomas Gomez, Paul Fix, Frank Craven, Louise Allbritton, Ludwig Stössel

Synopsis: Men of Steel! Women of Fire! The dream team of John Wayne (The Searchers), Marlene Dietrich (The Blue Angel) and Randolph Scott (The Spoilers) co-star in this rags-to-riches tale of friendship, love and power. Beautiful Josie Winters (Dietrich) inspires coal-mining buddies Pittsburgh Markham (Wayne) and Cash Evans (Scott) to better their lots in life. Competing for Josie’s affection, the men rapidly climb to the top of their profession. After greed tears the two friends apart, it takes a world war to reunite them, as they refuse to let their patriotism be overshadowed by an age-old rift. The stellar cast includes legendary Stooge Shemp Howard (Soup to Nuts), Thomas Gomez (Ride the Pink Horse) and western icon Paul Fix (Red River). Directed by Lewis Seiler (Guadalcanal Diary).

Bonus Features: Animated Image Gallery | Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Street Date: September 10, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Adventure, Romance / 123 min / NR / Color

Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Starring: John Wayne, Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard, Susan Hayward, Robert Preston, Raymond Massey, Charles Bickford

Synopsis: From Cecil B. DeMille, the legendary director of The Sign of the Cross, Cleopatra, Samson and Delilah and The Ten Commandments comes this turbulent, swashbuckling tale with an all-star cast, set in 1840s Key West. Reap the Wild Wind stars Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend), John Wayne (Rio Bravo), Paulette Goddard (The Ghost Breakers), Robert Preston (Junior Bonner), Susan Hayward (Rawhide), Raymond Massey (Abe Lincoln in Illinois) and Charles Bickford (The Big Country). A potent combination of romance and adventure, the film centers on a headstrong independent woman played by Goddard. Along the seaboard of the American South, cut-throat salvagers who profit from the wrecks of transatlantic cargo ships move from exploiting shipwrecks to causing them. As the most dangerous of the salvagers, King Cutler (Massey), takes aim at the ships of the wealthy Devereaux Company, ambitious ship captain Jack Stuart (Wayne) and company lawyer Stephen Tolliver (Milland) vie for the hand of feisty Loxi Claiborne (Goddard). Winner of the Academy Award for Best Effects, Special Effects and nominated for two other Oscars, Best Cinematography (Color) and Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration (Color).

Bonus Features: Animated Image Gallery | Theatrical Trailer

The Spoilers (1942)
Blu-ray Street Date: September 10, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Western / 87 min / NR / B&W

Director: Ray Enright
Starring: John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, Margaret Lindsay, Harry Carey, Richard Barthelmess, George Cleveland, Samuel S. Hinds, Russell Simpson

Synopsis: Gold and Greed in an Alaskan Boomtown! Screen legends John Wayne (Reap the Wild Wind), Marlene Dietrich (Witness for the Prosecution) and Randolph Scott (Western Union) shine in this action-packed adventure set against the backdrop of the turn-of-the-century Nome Gold Rush. When honest prospector Roy Glennister (Wayne) gets swindled out of his mine claim, he turns to seductive saloon singer Cherry Malotte (Dietrich) for assistance in his battle with no-good town kingpin Alexander McNamara (Scott). It’s an adventure as wild as the Northwest Territory itself, featuring an all-out fight to the finish between western icons Wayne and Scott that’s considered one of the most spectacular action sequences ever filmed. Directed by Ray Enright (Return of the Bad Men) and based on a book by Rex Beach (The World in His Arms). Beautifully shot by the great Milton R. Krasner (All About Eve).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Toby Roan | Animated Image Gallery | Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 10, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $14.95
DVD SRP: $11.95

Drama, Romance / 109 min / PG-13 / Color

Director: John Erman
Starring: Bette Midler, John Goodman, Trini Alvarado, Marsha Mason, Ben Stiller, Stephen Collins, Eileen Brennan, Linda Hart, William McNamara

Synopsis: From Down and Out In Beverly Hills to Beaches, superstar Bette Midler has wowed audiences worldwide with her music, humor, and charisma. Midler delivers another thrilling performance in Stella. Tough and fiercely independent, Stella discovers that she is pregnant after a brief relationship with a doctor (Stephen Collins, The First Wives Club), but is too proud to accept a marriage of convenience from him or her well-meaning best friend (John Goodman, The Big Lebowski). Ready to face life without regrets, Stella single-handedly raises her daughter Jenny (Trini Alvarado). Through the years, the two share a very special relationship, until Stella faces the truth-that she cannot provide her daughter with a life of advantages that her wealthy father can give her. Stella is a warm, humorous, and thoroughly entertaining drama that speaks to the hearts of all audiences.

Bonus Features: Theatrical Trailer

Last Dance (1996)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 17, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $14.95
DVD SRP: $11.95

Drama, Thriller / 103 min / R / Color

Director: Bruce Beresford
Starring: Sharon Stone, Rob Morrow, Randy Quaid, Peter Gallagher, Jack Thompson, Skeet Ulrich

Synopsis: Last Dance stars the stunningly talented Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct), who powers this gripping and suspenseful story of a woman on death row and the one man fighting to save her. Cindy Liggett (Stone) is a convicted killer facing imminent execution until a young lawyer, Rick Hayes (Rob Morrow, Northern Exposure), becomes convinced her case doesn’t warrant the death penalty. With time running out, Rick stages an 11th-hour challenge to the enormous political pressures weighing against them. Directed by the talented Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) and featuring a first-rate cast, including Peter Gallagher (While You Were Sleeping) and Randy Quaid (Independence Day), this must-see hit will have you on the edge of your seat until the 12th hour strikes.

Bonus Features: 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo | Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Street Date: September 17, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Western-Comedy / 93 min / G / Color

Director: Burt Kennedy
Starring: James Garner, Joan Hackett, Jack Elam, Walter Brennan, Bruce Dern, Harry Morgan, Gene Evans

Synopsis: Armed with a wry sense of humor and a straight-shooting sidearm, James Garner (Duel at Diablo) fights for peace, justice and fun in this outrageous, irreverent and very funny farce co-starring Joan Hackett (Will Penny), Walter Brennan (Rio Bravo), Harry Morgan (The Ox-Bow Incident), Bruce Dern (The Cowboys), Gene Evans (The Bounty Man) and Jack Elam (Rawhide). On his way to Australia, frontier opportunist Jason McCullough (Garner) stumbles into a small gold-rush town and decides to earn a little extra pocket money by accepting a temporary assignment as their sheriff. Happily applying himself to his new position, McCullough manages to turn the town derelict (Elam) into his deputy, outsmart the dreaded Danby clan (led by Brennan), and fend off the lusty advances of the mayor’s daughter (Hackett) — all without breaking a sweat or dirtying his shiny black boots! Directed by western legend Burt Kennedy (Seven Men from Now), Support Your Local Sheriff is sheer entertainment from start to finish!

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Michael Schlesinger | Theatrical Trailer

Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971)
Blu-ray Street Date: September 17, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

Western-Comedy / 93 min / G / Color

Director: Burt Kennedy
Starring: James Garner, Suzanne Pleshette, Jack Elam, Harry Morgan, Chuck Connors, Joan Blondell, Marie Windsor, Henry Jones, John Dehner, Dub Taylor, Gene Evans

Synopsis: Screen legend James Garner (Support Your Local Sheriff!) is back in the saddle in Support Your Local Gunfighter, a powder keg of laughs co-starring Suzanne Pleshette, Jack Elam, Harry Morgan, Joan Blondell, Marie Windsor, Henry Jones, John Dehner, Dub Taylor, Gene Evans and Chuck Connors. Hustling gigolo Latigo Smith (Garner) arrives in a mining town for an operation, but while in town he overhears that the local mining baron Taylor Baton (Morgan) is looking to hire the notorious gunman Swifty Morgan to wipe out his competition. Seizing the opportunity for an easy con, Smith passes off a reprobate cowhand, Jug (Elam), as the dreaded Swifty… with bankroll in-hand, he plans to head for the hills at first opportunity. Complicating matters are Barton’s suspicious pistol-packin’ daughter, Patience (Pleshette), and the arrival of the real Swifty Morgan (Connors). Now, can Smith come up with a scheme to save Jug’s hide, stop the mining feud and win over Patience-or will he end up blowing up the entire town! Directed by western legend Burt Kennedy (Ride Lonesome).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Michael Schlesinger | Deleted Scenes – Newly Transferred in HD | Theatrical Trailer

DVD Street Date: September 17, 2019
DVD SRP: $19.95

Western-Adventure / 73 min / NR / Color

Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
Starring: Clint Walker, Margot Kidder, Richard Basehart, Gene Evans, Arthur Hunnicutt, John Ericson, Hal Needham

Synopsis: Screen and TV legend Clint Walker (Sam Whiskey and TV’s Cheyenne) is Kinkaid, a bounty hunter obsessed with tracking down the man responsible for his wife’s death. Kinkaid is rugged, hard-driving, militant and particularly determined to find outlaw Billy Riddle (John Ericson, Bad Day at Black Rock), a young killer with a high price on his head. Kinkaid traces Billy, takes him captive and starts the long trek to justice. However, this journey may lead him to dire consequences… a gang of cut-throats headed by Angus Keough (Richard Basehart, The Satan Bug) is pursuing them. The great John Llewellyn Moxey (The Night Stalker) directed this action-packed western co-starring Margot Kidder (The Reincarnation of Peter Proud), Gene Evans (Support Your Local Sheriff), Arthur Hunnicutt (The Spikes Gang) and iconic stuntman turned filmmaker Hal Needham (Gator).

Bonus Features: Interview with Director John Llewellyn Moxey | Trailers

The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972)
DVD Street Date: September 17, 2019
DVD SRP: $19.95

Western-Comedy / 73 min / NR / Color

Director: Philip Leacock
Starring: Buddy Ebsen, Lesley Ann Warren, Sandra Dee, Karen Valentine, Jack Elam, Don Stroud, Henry Jones, Leif Erickson, Michael Anderson Jr., Paul Koslo, William Katt

Synopsis: Lock Up Your Sons… Here Come The Daughters of Joshua Cabe! Joshua Cabe (Buddy Ebsen, TV’s The Beverly Hillbillies) had to get three daughters fast, but what he got was three fast daughters! Due to an unusual homesteading law, an aging cowboy in the old west needs his children to help him establish his claim on his property. With his real daughters unavailable, he recruits three young women with criminal backgrounds to pose as his daughters. Charity (Karen Valentine, TV’s Room 222) the career criminal, Mae (Lesley Ann Warren, Clue) the prostitute, and Ada (Sandra Dee, Gidget) the pickpocket are the “daughters” in this lusty, bawdy western-comedy. The stellar cast includes Jack Elam (Support Your Local Gunfighter), Don Stroud (Von Richthofen and Brown), Henry Jones (3:10 to Yuma), Leif Erickson (Strait-Jacket), Michael Anderson Jr. (The Sons of Katie Elder), Paul Koslo (Mr. Majestyk) and William Katt (Carrie).

Bonus Features: Trailers

DVD Street Date: September 17, 2019
DVD SRP: $19.95

Western-Adventure / 73 min / NR / Color

Director: Earl Bellamy
Starring: Sammy Davis Jr., Ernest Borgnine, Julie Adams, Jim Davis, Arthur Hunnicutt, William Katt, Leo Gordon, Norman Alden

Synopsis: Sam Paxton (Ernest Borgnine, Marty) is devastated when he returns home to his ranch to find his only son murdered and his daughter kidnapped by Army deserters. On a mission of revenge, Sam gathers a small posse and seeks the help of an old friend, a tracker, to help him locate his daughter. Ezekiel Smith (Sammy Davis Jr., A Man Called Adam), an experienced frontier scout with a will of his own, shows up instead of Sam’s friend. Despite Sam’s bigoted reluctance, “Zeke” joins his posse. And when the posse deserts Sam after learning that the kidnappers are not deserters, but renegade Indians, Sam is left to depend solely on Zeke to help him retrieve his daughter. Julie Adams (Man of the West), Norman Alden (The Devil’s Brigade), Jim Davis (The Cariboo Trail), Leo Gordon (Tobruk), Arthur Hunnicutt (The Bounty Man) and William Katt (The Daughters of Joshua Cabe) co-star in this action-packed western directed by Earl Bellamy (Jungle Jim).

Bonus Features: Trailers

The War at Home (1996)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 24, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $14.95
DVD SRP: $11.95

Drama, War / 123 min / R / Color

Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Kathy Bates, Kimberly Williams, Carla Gugino, Corin Nemec, Ann Hearn, Michael Wiseman

Synopsis: The War at Home is an intensely moving drama from director and star Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club). Assembling a knockout cast of Kathy Bates (Misery), Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) and Kimberly Williams (Father of the Bride), it follows a Vietnam War hero (Estevez) whose haunting experiences leave him unable to adjust to the quiet realities of small town life. At odds with his domineering father (Sheen), his desperately cheerful mother (Bates) and free-spirited younger sister (Williams) — tensions at home soon escalate, finally reaching the breaking point one fateful Thanksgiving Day. A heartrending story of one family’s struggle to overcome the past, The War at Home is an unforgettable work of art.

Bonus Features: 5.1 Surround and 2.0 Stereo | Theatrical Trailer

(1949-1953) (4 Discs)
Blu-ray Street Date: September 24, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $79.95

Drama, Noir / 322 min / NR / B&W

Director: Ida Lupino
Starring: Joan Fontaine, Sally Forrest, Edmond O’Brien, Ida Lupino, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman, Edmund Gwenn, Keefe Brasselle, Leo Penn, Hugh O’Brian

Synopsis: Four Newly Restored Classics Directed by Ida Lupino. Not Wanted (1949) Starring Sally Forrest and Leo Penn, Never Fear (1949) Starring Sally Forrest and Hugh O’Brian, The Hitch-Hiker (1953) Starring Edmond O’Brien, Frank Lovejoy and William Talman and The Bigamist (1953) Starring Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino, Edmond O’Brien and Edmund Gwenn.

Bonus Features: Ida Lupino: Auteuress by Ronnie Scheib (80 Page Booklet) Exclusive to the Boxed Set | NOT WANTED: Audio Commentary by Barbara Scharres, Director of Programming at Gene Siskel Film Center with Filmmaker/Historian Greg Ford | NEVER FEAR: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas | THE HITCH-HIKER: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Imogen Sara Smith | THE BIGAMIST: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger | Trailers

Not Wanted (1949)
Brand New 4K Restoration!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 24, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $24.95
DVD SRP: $14.95

Drama / 91 min / NR / B&W

Director: Ida Lupino, Elmer Clifton
Starring: Sally Forrest, Keefe Brasselle, Leo Penn, Dorothy Adams, Wheaton Chambers, Rita Lupino, Ruth Clifford

Synopsis: In Ida Lupino’s directorial debut Not Wanted, young and naive “unwed mother” Sally Forrest’s life spirals out of control after her musician beau (Leo Penn) ditches her for an out-of-town gig, despite the presence of another man (Keefe Brasselle) determined to win her heart. After leaving Warner Brothers, legendary screen actress Ida Lupino co-founded The Filmakers, an independent production company conceived as an alternative to the dominant aesthetics of Hollywood. With the low-key, intimate Not Wanted, Lupino tackled the “taboo” topic of out-of-wedlock pregnancy, immediately venturing into terrain where big-budget mainstream fantasy-spinners feared to tread. In many ways this extraordinary first directorial effort, while uncredited, already bears the stamp of Lupino’s unique vision: the remarkable empathy felt for the lead character (Sally Forrest as the dazed, traumatized young waitress thrust into the world of unwed motherhood), the hallucinatory moments (note the amazing subjective camerawork of the childbirth sequence), and the deft location shooting (as Forrest wanders through the bus stations and boarding houses of small-town America).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Barbara Scharres, Director of Programming at Gene Siskel Film Center with Filmmaker/Historian Greg Ford | Trailers

Brand New 2K Restoration!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 24, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $24.95
DVD SRP: $14.95

Drama / 81 min / NR / B&W

Director: Ida Lupino
Starring: Sally Forrest, Keefe Brasselle, Hugh O’Brian, Eve Miller, Herbert Butterfield, Lawrence Dobkin, Rita Lupino

Synopsis: Carol Williams (Sally Forrest, Not Wanted) is a beautiful young dancer whose body, and promising career, is suddenly crippled by polio. Carol’s dance partner and fiancé, Guy Richards (Keefe Brasselle, A Place in the Sun), wants to see her through her illness, but the angry, self-pitying Carol prefers to go it alone. Her father (Herb Butterfield, Shield for Murder) takes her to the Kabat-Kaiser Institute for rehabilitation, where she meets fellow patients like Len Randall (Hugh O’Brian, Ambush Bay) on her tough road to recovery. The second feature directed by Ida Lupino (The Hitch-Hiker), who herself had been stricken with polio as an adolescent, Never Fear is a psychologically probing look at coping with chronic illness. Co-written and co-produced by Lupino and her partner Collier Young (The Bigamist) and wonderfully shot in black-and-white by Archie Stout (Fort Apache).

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas | Trailers

The Bigamist (1953)
Brand New 4K Restoration!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 24, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $24.95
DVD SRP: $14.95

Drama-Noir / 79 min / NR / B&W

Director: Ida Lupino
Starring: Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino, Edmond O’Brien, Edmund Gwenn, Kenneth Tobey, Jane Darwell

Synopsis: The Bigamist is an amazingly sympathetic portrait of a figure historically given very short shrift: the title character is not only a two-timer-he’s a traveling salesman as well. But, as embodied by that perpetually pressured everyman of the 1950s, Edmond O’Brien, the bigamist comes across as a victim of his own sensitivity. Caught between two complementary spouses, O’Brien’s dazed indecisiveness dominates the narrative. As always in Ida Lupino’s directorial efforts, a strong social consciousness informs all choices: Joan Fontaine is an upper-crust “lady,” reverently attached to her dying father, while Lupino herself plays a tough-talking working woman, waitressing in a cheap Chinese restaurant. But no on-screen triangle could beat the one behind the camera — The Bigamist was produced and written by Collier Young, Lupino’s longtime collaborator and recently divorced husband, whose new wife was none other than Joan Fontaine. The wonderful cast includes Edmund Gwenn, Kenneth Tobey and Jane Darwell.

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger | Trailers

Brand New 2K Restoration!
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: September 24, 2019
Blu-ray SRP: $24.95
DVD SRP: $14.95

Drama-Noir / 71 min / NR / B&W

Director: Ida Lupino
Starring: Edmond O’Brien, Frank Lovejoy, William Talman, José Torvay, Jean Del Val, Clark Howat

Synopsis: Beyond its cultural significance as the only classic film noir directed by a woman (screen legend Ida Lupino), The Hitch-Hiker is perhaps better remembered as simply one of the most nightmarish motion pictures of the 1950s. Inspired by the true-life murder spree of Billy Cook, The Hitch-Hiker is the tension-laden saga of two men (Edmond O’Brien and Frank Lovejoy) on a camping trip who are held captive by a homicidal drifter (the great William Talman). He forces them, at gunpoint, to embark on a grim joyride across the Mexican desert. Renegade filmmaking at its finest, The Hitch-Hiker was independently produced, which allowed Lupino and ex-husband/producer Collier Young to work from a treatment by blacklisted writer Daniel Mainwaring, and tackle an incident that was too brutal for the major studios to even consider.

Bonus Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian Imogen Sara Smith | Trailers