Singapore Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Singapore Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 20, 2023

John Brahm's "Singapore" (1947) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with critic Christina Newland; new audio commentary by critics Kelly Goodner and Jim Hemphill; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

You do not have to be a seasoned film noir aficionado to instantly recognize the relationship between John Brahm’s Singapore and Michel Curtiz’s iconic Casablanca. It is obvious. In fact, it is so obvious that it is absolutely unmissable. Indeed, there is a lot that happens in Singapore that is actually carefully emphasized to make you want to compare it to Casablanca. A risky strategy? Well, not if the intent was only to get you to spend your money on a ticket to see Singapore, rather than convince you that it could do everything Casablanca does but a lot better.

A few years after the end of WWII. Matt Gordon (Fred MacMurray), an American pearl smuggler, returns to Singapore to retrieve a fortune he was forced to hide when the Japanese unexpectedly launched a massive air attack. At the airport’s bar, he is overwhelmed by memories of his relationship with Linda Grahame (Ava Gardner), whom he was supposed to marry on the night of the invasion but lost amidst the collapsing buildings. Before he leaves the airport, Gordon is warned by Deputy Commissioner Hewitt (Richard Haydn) that his people will keep an eye on him because of his past activities in the country.

While waiting for the right moment to get his hands on the fortune -- a bag of large pearls worth hundreds of thousands of dollars -- which is hidden in a hotel room occupied by an elderly American couple, Gordon has a very unpleasant encounter with a pair of local goons (Thomas Gomez and George Lloyd) who are also interested in it and have been awaiting his return. When Gordon refuses their generous offer to purchase the pearls from him at a heavily discounted price, they proceed to seriously complicate his stay in Singapore and force him to reconsider. Around the same time, Gordon has a shocking encounter with Grahame, looking every bit as beautiful as she did on the night when he lost her, but when she does not recognize him, he discovers that a rare type of amnesia has wiped out her memories.

Brahm worked with a screenplay based on an original story by Oscar-winning writer Seton Miller (Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Scarface), but as noted earlier Singapore is unquestionably modeled after Casablanca. The fact that the original story is about a different couple falling in love in a different moment in time is essentially irrelevant because the types of romance and drama that give Singapore its identity are one hundred percent identical to the ones that are present in Casablanca.

The most obvious discrepancy between Singapore and Casablanca emerges from their drastically different budgets. The former simply does not have the capability to match the lavish appearance of the latter, so even though MacMurray, Gardner, and the supporting cast give all-around solid performances, the end product isn’t of the same high quality. To be clear, Singapore does not look like a cheaply made film either, but it just does not possess that rich old-fashioned glamorous appearance that make viewing Casablanca a special treat.

Something else that needs to be made perfectly clear is that Singapore isn’t a conventional film noir. While some noirish overtones do emerge after MacMurray is confronted by the goons, Brahm does not allow a proper noirish atmosphere to flourish in it. It isn’t difficult to understand why. The film needs to maximize the star power of MacMurray and Gardner so that their romance can elevate the entire production and effectively hide its budget limitations.

Fortunately, MacMurray and Gardner have a lovely chemistry and look great in front of Brahm’s camera. The most important supporting actors seem to be feeding off of it as well, so the entire film, not only MacMurray and Gardner’s material, looks very nicely assembled.

Singapore Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.38:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Singapore arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

In the United States, Singapore made its high-definition debut with this from Kino Lorber, which was sourced from a 2K master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. This release is sourced from the same master.

I like this master quite a lot, but I need to point out that it does not introduce a proper 2K restoration of the film. What does this mean exactly? It is a raw organic master that retains some imperfections. For example, some visuals reveal minor surface damage, like the one seen on the left side of screencaptures #15 and 16. Elsewhere, there are tiny white specks and some blemishes that pop up. There are density fluctuations that produce occasional flatness or less than optimal delineation as well. I do not mind such imperfections when the rest has very solid organic qualities, which is the case with this master. In fact, I would always trade digital work that repolishes a rough master and destroys its organic qualities for such minor imperfections. The grayscale is very nice. The blacks are solid but never appear badly crushed. The grays and whites are nicely balanced. Some nuances could be a bit more convincing, but the overall balance is very good. Image stability is very good. So, yes, there is some room for cosmetic improvements, but the current technical presentation Singapore is very convincing. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Singapore 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.

If you turn up the volume of your system a bit more than usual, in a couple of areas you may notice some extremely light background hiss trying to sneak in. But it is not in any way harmful. In fact, it is quite easy to miss. Clarity, sharpness, and stability are very good. Singapore has a good soundtrack that produces plenty of memorable dynamic contrasts as well. There are no audio dropouts to report in our review.

Singapore Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Singapore. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• A Woman of the World: Christina Newland on Ava Gardner - in this new program, critic Christina Newland discusses the life and cinematic image of Ava Gardner. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Lux Radio Theatre: Singapore - presented here is a vintage radio adaptation of Singapore, starring Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner., which was first broadcast on November 3, 1947. In English, not subtitled. (57 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Singapore.

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Kelly Goodner and Jim Hemphill.

• Reward Unlimited (1944) - a short film directed by Jacques Tourneur about a young girl who decides to become a nurse. (One of the nurses that has her blood pressure measured looks a lot like Ava Gardner). In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (11 min).

• With This Ring (1954) - a dramatized promotional film for the Miller Brewing Company, directed by John Brahm. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (41 min)

• Book - an illustrated 120-page book with new essays by Ellen Wright, Paul Duane, Philip Kemp, Tara Judah, Iris Veysey, and Imogen Sara Smith, extensive archival articles and interviews, new writing on the various short films, and technical credits.

Singapore Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is painfully obvious that Singapore was modeled after Casablanca. However, instead of pretending that it isn't so, Singapore acknowledges the connection with humility and possibly even admiration for the iconic classic that make it very attractive. It also helps a lot that there is lovely chemistry between Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner, which John Brahm's camera rightfully transforms into the film's greatest strength. This release is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Universal Noir #2, a six-disc box set, which streets next week. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.