Maroc 7 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Maroc 7 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 20, 2020

Gerry O'Hara's "Maroc 7" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Network Releasing. The supplemental features on the disc include different selections of vintage promotional and production materials for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Simon Grant

Immediately after your disc loads up, you will see two vintage trailers for Ralph Thomas' Deadlier Than the Male and Some Girls Do. It makes sense because these films are part of Network Releasing’s catalog and offer pretty much the same type of entertainment that you will get from Gerry O’Hara’s Maroc 7. But I wish to clarify why the Bulldog, the main character in Thomas’ films, and Simon Grant, the main character in O’Hara’s film, do not have a whole lot in common. I am doing it because these films are as much about spies and dangerous secrets as they are about fashion and skin, so presence and style are essential elements of their narratives.

The Bulldog is played by Richard Johnson, a naturally elegant actor who looks great in a suit. In Deadlier Than the Male and Some Girls Do, he consistently behaves like a gentleman who simply happens to be in a dangerous line of work. It is one of the main reasons the women around him, including the ones who are supposed to kill him, find him attractive. He has class, the type that helps them look better. In Some Girls Do, in particular, there is such a great emphasis on this exact attribute of the Bulldog’s image that often the action suffers because of it.

Grant, played by Gene Barry, is a very different kind of animal. He dresses nicely but exudes a type of confidence that is rarely, if ever, complimentary of his female companions. Unsurprisingly, when they are seen together, it often feels as if they are enduring each other because they are required to do so. This static is actually right for O’Hara’s film because there is a lot of backstabbing in it, but Barry’s personality is the catalyst behind it.

The three films that are mentioned in this article were scripted by David D. Osborn, but O’Hara’s film has the weakest narrative. Grant learns that fashion magazine editor Louise Henderson (Cyd Charisse) plans to steal an ancient medallion while doing a photo shoot in Morocco and blackmails her to add him to her team. In Morocco, he begins a relationship with her best model, Claudia (Elsa Martinelli), who believes that they could have a future together, but his top priority remains the medallion. Meanwhile, police Inspector Barrada (Denholm Elliott) and his young assistant Michelle Craig (Alexandra Stewart) begin asking questions after a well-known antiques dealer turns up dead. So, the bulk of the material is suitable for a classic caper, and there is a nice dose of romance that allows O’Hara to produce all of the surprising twists. The problem is, once the action moves to Morocco, which happens very quickly, the remaining material loses its ability to excite. It happens because O’Hara mismanages the suspense, effectively delegitimizing virtually all the action intertwined with it, too, and then, as the crucial twists emerge, the romance becomes a distraction. At this point, the only reason to stay with O'Hara's film is to marvel at the stylish period outfits of its female cast.

Leslie Phillips plays the fashion editor’s photographer and partner. He was also one of the producers of O'Hara's film, which is a bit surprising, because exotic capers were not the type of projects he was typically attracted to.

*Network’s release of Maroc 7 is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that was struck from a 35mm interpositive.

Maroc 7 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.45:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Maroc 7 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Network Releasing.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that was struck from a 35mm interpositive. On my system the film looked very healthy. I did not see any digital anomalies, but some digital work has been done to rebalance the visuals as best as possible. I am not a fan of this particular type of work, unless it is done by people that know how to manage it in a way that does not affect the integrity of the visuals. Here everything appears to have been handled with the right type of attention, though I did notice a few areas with slightly unnatural gamma shifts that usually pop up during digital adjustments. Delineation, clarity, and depth are very good. Colors are lush and healthy. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Maroc 7 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The lossless track is excellent. The audio is very clean, sharp, and nicely balanced. Dynamic intensity is good, but even during footage with a lot of mass movement -- like the desert shoot -- the native limitations of the original soundtrack remain prominent. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Maroc 7 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - fully restored theatrical trailer for Maroc 7. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Shadows Music Promos - music only. (3 min).

• Image Gallery - gallery of vintage production and promotional materials.

• Behind the Scenes Gallery -

• Portrait and PR Gallery -

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet with vintage promotional materials.

Maroc 7 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I don't think that Gerry O'Hara's Maroc 7 works particularly well as a caper. I'd recommend it to folks that are seeking some relaxing exotic entertainment of the kind that is present in B-films like Mozambique and Code 7, Victim 5. Network's Blu-ray release is sourced from a nice exclusive 2K master and has a good selection of vintage promotional materials for the film.