6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON is a 1950 film noir directed by noir veteran Robert Siodmak (THE DARK MIRROR, THE KILLERS). No one is as good as Barbara Stanwyck (NO MAN OF HER OWN) when she's bad - the legendary actress plays Thelma Jordon, a woman who seduces the married Assistant District Attorney (Wendell Corey, HELL'S HALF ACRE) and pulls him into a web of theft and murder. When her aunt's mansion is burglarized and the woman is murdered, Thelma calls the Assistant DA to help her cover up evidence that may incriminate her. When she emerges as the prime suspect, the infatuated Assistant DA tries to sabotage the prosecution. THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON is a romantic and unusual mystery with great performances and superior direction. Beautifully shot by George Barnes (SPELLBOUND) with a haunting score by Victor Young (THE QUIET MAN).
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Paul Kelly (I), Joan Tetzel, Stanley RidgesFilm-Noir | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Barbara Stanwyck was not a traditionally beautiful woman, especially by the elevated (and often unnatural) standards of Golden Age Hollywood. With a sometimes tough persona that only exacerbated a less than glamorous appearance, Stanwyck seemed to often fall into playing hard nosed characters who nonetheless often seemed to have ineluctable sex appeal. Despite not having the pristine glamour of, say, a Lana Turner or a Veronica Lake, Stanwyck built a career out of playing “bad girls” who slept around (Baby Face) or, in what is one of the most defining roles in her long filmography, a femme fatale who lured a helpless shmoe to his demise (Double Indemnity, rumored to be due on Blu-ray fairly soon). Stanwyck also occasionally dabbled in other roles which stretched her usual film persona, notably the paralyzed hypochondriac who herself was helpless to prevent her own murder in Sorry, Wrong Number. All three of these disparate types are woven together in various doses in the strangely underappreciated noir from 1950, The File on Thelma Jordon. Director Robert Siodmak, who had helmed a number of well regarded noirs and other mysteries including The Killers, Criss Cross and The Dark Mirror, plies somewhat the same territory in The File on Thelma Jordon, delving into a female character with duplicitous motives who manages to lure an initially unsuspecting male into her web of deceit. What’s interesting about Thelma Jordon’s formulation of this noir staple is that Thelma herself is not the typical femme fatale, but instead an almost matronly woman who actually seems to be genuinely in love with her “mark”. The other unusual element here is the fact that the “mark”, an Assistant District Attorney played by Wendell Corey, is a married man trying to work through some difficulties he’s experienced for years with his wife’s father. That sets up a really intriguingly “modern” triangle for a 1950 film, one that scenarist Ketti Frings (a Pulitzer Prize winner for her stage adaptation of Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel) details rather smartly, albeit within the confines of a fifties’ sensibility.
The File on Thelma Jordon is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. This is unfortunately a relatively problematic catalog release from Olive, one whose source elements reveal more than the standard amount of damage. Added to the ubiquitous flecks and specks are some omnipresent density fluctuations, as well as some minor emulsion damage and occasional print through, as well as what looks like some intermittent shrinkage of individual frames. Contrast is generally pretty good, but it, too, varies at times, with some brief moments looking considerably more blown out than the bulk of the film. All of this said, this high definition presentation is perfectly watchable given reasonable expectations.
The File on Thelma Jordon's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix ably supports both the dialogue and Victor Young's sumptuously romantic score. There's not much to this sound design other than those two elements. Fidelity is fine, if unremarkable. The track is obviously narrow and has the typically boxy sound of its era, but other than that, everything is perfectly audible within a fairly narrow soundfield.
No supplements are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
The File on Thelma Jordon may not be top tier film noir, but it's fascinating nonetheless, perhaps more for how it isn't a traditional noir than for how it is. The film offers two fascinating characters stumbling through a series of bad decisions together, and there's an equally interesting emphasis on the potentially happy home life Cleve is abandoning in his pursuit of Thelma. Directed with a kind of casual flair by stalwart Robert Siodmak, and well written by Ketti Frings, The File on Thelma Jordon has long held special interest for noir fans and Stanwyck aficionados. Even though this Blu-ray has some image quality problems, overall this often captivating film comes Recommended.
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