7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Philip Hannon is a playwright, newly relocated from New York to London. Drowning his sorrows in a pub one night, Philip is disturbed to overhear a crime being plotted. The police do not believe his story and so, aided by his faithful butler Bob and ex-fiancé Jean, Philip resolves to stop the villains. But it will not be easy: Philip, you see, is blind...
Starring: Van Johnson (I), Vera Miles, Cecil Parker, Maurice Denham, Isobel ElsomThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.53:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.55:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
1956’s “23 Paces to Baker Street” has often been compared to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” and the similarities are there, studying the increasing agitation of a murder witness who can’t convince the world of his valid observations, soon embarking on his own investigation to help avoid a future disaster. Director Henry Hathaway does a passable job with mild escalation and characterization, but he’s no Hitchcock, and “23 Paces to Baker Street” often struggles to sustain a rhythm of suspense that takes it from discovery to payoff with engaging speed.
Billed as a "brand new 4K restoration," the AVC encoded image (2.53:1 aspect ratio) presentation doesn't come through as flawlessly as hoped. While the source is in fine condition, without overt points of damage, compression issues plague the viewing experience, with any excursion into nighttime riddled with posturization and fringe pixelation. Delineation also struggles at times with solidification. These are pronounced blemishes on an otherwise adequate transfer, which delivers a proper amount of detail to bring out set design achievements and anxious facial reactions, while textures are satisfactory on costuming and city architecture. Colors carry their period acceleration, but remain appealing, including skintones.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a crisp listening event, with scoring a particular highlight, delivering bold, lush instrumentation and tasteful support. Dialogue exchanges are distinctly separated, giving dramatics immediacy and accents clarity. Sound effects play an important role in "23 Paces to Baker Street," and they register accordingly, adding to overall suspense.
"23 Paces to Baker Street" delivers a satisfying conclusion, playing with shadow and sound to give a blind man a fighting chance against his a shadowy attacker. However, it's a broad conclusion on a feature that doesn't build organically to a violent encounter. "23 Paces to Baker Street" struggles with identity, and while individual scenes are quite good and the cast appealing, the whole doesn't command attention as exhaustively as it could.
1965
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2002
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Reissue
1957
Indicator Series | Limited Edition
1949
50th Anniversary Edition
1974
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Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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Warner Archive Collection
1950
2004
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1964