My new DVD column at Music from the Movies covers Criterion’s new Thief of Bagdad 2-disc set, which features both a stunning transfer of this gorgeous 1940 Technicolor film (damn, this better make it to Blu-Ray), plus oodles of extras, including Miklos Rozsa’s score isolated in a music and sound effects track.The column digs into the film, and examines the Bagdad-related extras, and closes with a tally of other recent DVDs featuring unique film music extras (most, yet again, from Fox, who seem to be the only ones interested in film music preservation right now. Ha-rumpf).
The second film on the Criterion set, Powell’s 1939 WWII propaganda film The Lion Has Wings (I keep thinking it’s The Eagle has Wings, but that’s too logical) is covered at KQEK.com, and we’ve added reviews of some related films:
- The Spy in Black (1939), made prior to Thief of Bagdad, and starring Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson (previously available on a long out of print Embassy VHS tape).
- Contraband (1940), a quasi-Hitchcockian anti-espionage thriller (think A Canterbury Tale, and it makes sense) where Powell re-teamed Veidt and Hobson. Available on KINO DVD.
- The Silver Fleet (1943), which is more of a cousin to One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942), since both films deal with the Dutch Resistance. Produced by Powell and Pressburger and co-directed/co-written by Vernon Sewell, Silver Fleet is a dramatic propaganda vehicle that was previously available on a long out of print VHS tape from Connoisseur Video in England, along with Red Ensign (1934) – the latter of which we’ll review at a later date.
During the time-consuming/time-wasting/procrastinating factoidal search, I also found a fascinating Powell & Pressburger site that contains some very engrossing ephemera and bio details, which fans should check out HERE.
Next: Soundtrack update Part A !
- MRH
Visit KQEK.com’s Main Page HERE!
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