High Sierra Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

High Sierra Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 19, 2021

Raoul Walsh's "High Sierra" (1941) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include the archival documentaries "Curtains for Roy Earle" and "The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh"; new video essay on the legacy of W.R. Burnett; vintage trailer for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Shortly after he is paroled, Roy ‘Mad Dog’ Earle (Humphrey Bogart) hooks up with his former buddies and agrees to do one last job that will get him the dough he needs to retire in style. The plan is to hit a popular Californian resort hotel and empty the big safe where the wealthy guests keep their jewelry and other valuable accessories. The crew has an inside man (Cornel Wilde) there that will help them move in and get out as quickly as possible.

On the way to California, however, Earl befriends a broke family from Ohio looking for a fresh start. He instantly falls in love with the daughter, Velma (Joan Leslie), and later on, when they meet again, asks a doctor who has done him plenty of favors over the years whether he can fix her leg. After he examines the girl, the doctor confirms that a surgery would eliminate her issue, but getting it done would cost a lot more than what Earl has paid in the past. Earl immediately arranges the procedure.

At a camp high up in the mountains, Earl then begins spending plenty of time with Marie (Ida Lupino), who will be helping as a ‘watcher’ while the rest of the crew goes to work in the hotel. Even though Earl can’t stop thinking about Velma neither he nor Marie can deny that there is something special happening between them, which then gradually becomes a distraction that has the potential to unnecessarily complicate the upcoming job.

On the night of the robbery, a lot goes terribly wrong and Earl ends up with a bullet in his chest. He manages to get away with the loot and Marie and after his wound is treated instructs her to wait for him in Las Vegas. But he gets cheated while trying to pay the man (Donald MacBride) who has put the job together, and then, as he leaves town, the cops track him down. In a desperate attempt to lose them, Earl heads toward the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains.

Despite appearing on many prestigious lists that group the greatest film noirs of all time, Raoul Walsh’s High Sierra is actually an old-fashioned crime melodrama that consciously puts the spotlight on a future star. It definitely veers off in a direction that the popular film noirs of the same era loved to visit, but its identity is different because its melodrama overshadows the particular type of dark ambience these genre films emphasized.

It ought to be pointed out that even with all the talk about the upcoming robbery and Earl doing his best to convince that he is in fact a hardened criminal that deserves his reputation, High Sierra is a notably ‘soft’ film that reveals a great deal of appreciation for a very particular type of romance that exist primarily in classic literature as well. It is so much so that that without the elaborate action footage it essentially reproduces the humanism and sensitivity that made many of Frank Borzage’s films famous. (Earl’s relationship with Velma and the key role the smart pooch has are the obvious evidence that Walsh was targeting the same audience that fell in love with Borzage’s films).

High Sierra was the last film in which Bogart did not get top billing. At the time of its production, it was determined that Lupino could do more to entice folks to get to the theater and purchase a ticket to see it, which is why a decision was made to have her name above Bogart’s in the opening credits. It was a strange decision because Bogart is the undisputed star of the film.

Also included on this release is Walsh’s Colorado Territory, which is frequently described as a loose remake of High Sierra. But it is not that kind of a film. While W.R. Burnett’s novel is cited as an inspiration for it as well, it is a fabulous western that not only moves the original story in a completely different era, but alters significant portions of it as well. It features a wildly talented cast, including Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo, Dorothy Malone, Henry Hull, John Archer, and James Mitchell.

High Sierra Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Raoul Walsh's High Sierra arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K restoration that provides the film with a fresh, very attractive appearance. Indeed, both daylight and darker nighttime footage boast pleasing clarity and depth, plus the visuals have that consistent fluidity that further strengthens their organic qualities. The grayscale is convincing as well. The blacks are strong but natural, while the grays and whites are nicely balanced. Density levels are very good, but there are a few areas where small age-related anomalies remain. An example can be seen in screencapture #17 where even the grayscale is affected.Image stability is very good. All in all, this is a strong organic presentation of High Sierra that represents a substantial upgrade in quality over previous home video presentations of the film.

Also included on this release is a presentation of Walsh's Colorado Territory. It has sourced from a recent master struck from the original 35mm camera negative held at the Library of Congress. While minor flecks, scratches, and blemishes remain, this presentation has equally strong organic qualities. In fact, there are certain areas of it that look even better. For additional technical details, see the 'bonus section' of this article. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

High Sierra Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. However, there are a few small portions of dialog where some extremely light background hiss makes its presence felt. It never becomes distracting, but if you turn up the volume slightly higher than usual, it becomes impossible to ignore. Dynamic balance is very good. Dynamic intensity is very good for a film from the early 1940s as well.

High Sierra Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Trailer - vintage trailer for High Sierra. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• W.R. Burnett - this brand new video essay is part of an oral history of author W.R. Burnett by writer Dennis L. White for the American Film Institute. The essay, which was created in 2020, features content that was recorded in Marina Del Rey, California, in March 1976. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Bogart: Here's Looking at You, Kid - this archival documentary examines the life and legacy of Humphrey Bogart. It features archival footage and interviews with Lauren Bacall, screenwriter Julius Epstein, film historian Robert Sklar, biographer Joe Hyams, and director John Huston, amongst others. The documentary was produced as part of the television series The South Bank Show in 1997. In English, not subtitled. (52 min).

• Curtains for Roy Earle - this archival program takes a closer look at the classic gangster films that were made at Warner Bros., Humphrey Bogart's relationship with the studio and career, and the production history of High Sierra. The program was produced in 2003. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Willie Best - in this new program, critic Miriam J. Petty discusses actor Willie Best. It was produced for Criterion in 2021. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• The Screen Guild Theater - this radio adaptation of High Sierra was original broadcast on The Screen Guild Theater on April 17, 1944, and stars Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Colorado Territory - Raoul Walsh directed this terrific western, which is frequently described as a loose remake of High Sierra, in 1949. But it is not that kind of a film. While W.R. Burnett's novel is cited as an inspiration for it as well, not only does it move the original story in a completely different era, but alters significant portions of it as well. It features a wildly talented cast, including Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo, Dorothy Malone, Henry Hull, John Archer, and James Mitchell. The film has been remastered from the original 35mm camera negative. In English, with optional English subtitles. Audio: LPCM 1.0. (95 min/1080p).

• The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh - this documentary examines the life and career of Raoul Walsh in Hollywood. It features clips from interviews with Peter Bogdanovich, actors Illeana Douglas and Jane Russell, film historian Norman Klein, and film critic Leonard Maltin, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Marilyn Ann Moss in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (96 min).

• Dave Kehr and Farran Smith Nehme - in this new program, film programmer Dace Kehr and critic Farran Smith Nehme discuss the work of Raoul Walsh. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Imogen Sara Smith as well as technical credits.

High Sierra Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The 'softness' of High Sierra is undeniable, and I think that it is what makes it impossible to place in the same group with the big film noirs of its era. Without the elaborate action footage, I think that High Sierra essentially reproduces the humanism and sensitivity that made many of Frank Borzage's melodramas famous. Also included on this release is the loose remake of High Sierra that Raoul Walsh directed a few years later, Colorado Territory. This is a first-class western that in many ways is actually a much more effective film, which is why I am thrilled to have it on Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.