Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Address Unknown Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 8, 2019

Note: This film is available as part of Noir Archive - Volume 1: 1944-1954.

While the frequently questionable “expertise” of Wikipedia asserts that film noir lasted from the early 1920s until the late 1950s, my hunch is at least some fans of film history would tend to proscribe the idiom’s heyday to a probably smaller window of time beginning at some point in the 1940s and then extending into some other point in the 1950s. If that proscription is accepted, it might then be arguable that there was no better purveyor of film noir than Columbia Pictures during this period. While many of the undisputed classics of film noir came from other studios, as in the case of Paramount’s Double Indemnity (released on Blu-ray through Universal, due to the vagaries of film catalogs changing hands), or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s The Postman Always Rings Twice (released on Blu-ray through Warner Brothers, due to — well, you get the idea), Columbia Pictures managed to churn out a rather significant amount of noir offerings, albeit often in what would probably be termed the “B-movie” category. Kit Parker Films and Mill Creek Entertainment have now assembled nine of these rather interesting Columbia offerings in one three disc package, and for noir fans, there are at least a couple of rather notable films in this first collection (it looks like Noir Archive Volume 2: 1954- 1956 is due in a few months), as well as some other outings which frankly might be best categorized as oddities.

Address Unknown is a rather interesting film from any number of angles (both figuratively and literally, given director William Cameron Menzies’ penchant for unusual framings). One of the most interesting things about the film is its 1944 release date, since the film is rather overt in its depiction of antisemitism in Germany, as it recounts the increasing moral turpitude of a German-American art dealer named Martin Schultz (Paul Lukas), who returns to his ancestral land just as the Nazis are gearing up into their full reign of terror. Martin’s partnership with a German-American Jewish man named Max Eisenstein (Morris Carnovsky) plays into events, with further complications ensuing due to the fact that Max’s daughter Griselle (K.T. Stevens) has been involved with Martin’s son Heinrich (Peter Van Eyck), though the two have decided not to marry since Griselle wants to pursue an acting career. Griselle nonetheless ends up with Martin and his wife Elsa (Mady Christians) back in Germany in order to pursue that acting career, while Heinrich stays in America with Max.

Rather surprisingly biting, albeit within dynamics that are probably best termed familial rather than strictly political, Address Unknown seems to be a little confusing in one central plot element until a late reveal makes clear what’s actually been going on. The film has an incredibly distinctive visual style, with gorgeous chiaroscuro cinematography by Rudolph Maté really helping to elevate the tension of the piece.

Address Unknown Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Address Unknown is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment and Kit Parker films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. This is one of the better looking overall transfers in the set, with a healthy if arguably at times pretty gritty looking grain field, and some very expressively deep blacks, something that really help to elevate Rudolph Maté's impressive cinematography (there is repeated use of shadows falling across faces, which may mask detail levels but which also adds a lot of flavor to the visuals). There's just a bit of image instability during the opening credits, credits which also utilize the swarming San Francisco mist that is a regular part of Escape in the Fog. Some rear projection looks a bit flat, and grain tends to spike at times, especially in close-ups. There's one brief moment at circa 36:47 where things suddenly degrade just for a moment, but it also looks like there's rear projection in this shot (of the inside of a theater), which may play into things. Damage is relatively minor, limited to occasional speckling and dirt.

Address Unknown Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with all the other films in this set, Address Unknown features a serviceable DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track, one which capably supports the film's dialogue, occasional sound effects (like a gun firing late in the film), and a somewhat overwrought score by Ernst Toch. There's some low level hiss that's discernable in quieter moments, but no damage of any import.

Address Unknown Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements are offered on this release.

Address Unknown Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

William Cameron Menzies may go down in film history more for his production design skills than his directorial flair, but he proves himself a rather stylish helmsman in this surprisingly prescient piece. The fact that this film came out in 1944 should easily put the lie to any belief that there simply wasn't an awareness of the prevalence of anti-Semitism in Germany during this era. Technical merits are generally solid, and Address Unknown comes Recommended.