7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Holland, a shy retiring man, dreams of being rich and living the good life. Faithfully, for 20 years, he has worked as a bank transfer agent for the delivery of gold bullion. One day he befriends Pendlebury, a maker of souvenirs. Holland remarks that, with Pendlebury's smelting equipment, one could forge the gold into harmless-looking toy Eiffel Towers and smuggle the gold from England into France. Soon after, the two plant a story to gain the services of professional criminals Lackery and Shorty. Together, the four plot their crime, leading to unexpected twists and turns.
Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Marjorie FieldingHeist | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Charles Crichton's "The Lavender Hill Mob" (1951) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include a short introduction to the film by director Martin Scorsese; newly restored trailer; interview with writer T.E.B. Clarke; excerpts from the BECTU history project interview with director Charles Crichton; behind the scenes stills gallery; and restoration comparison. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
One famous bank clerk
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Charles Crichton's The Lavender Hill Mob arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
The following text appears in the press materials for the Blu-ray release of The Lavender Hill Mob:
"The Lavender Hill Mob was scanned in 2K definition on a Spirit 4K Film Scanner from the original 35mm fine-grain elements and restored in High Definition. The picture was restored using HD-DVNR and MTI restoration tools, removing dirt, scratches, warps, torn or replacing torn and/or missing frames and improving stability issues. The sound was transferred from a preservation 35mm print and was further improved, with instances of pops, clicks, hiss and distortion minimised or removed."
I don't have The Lavender Hill Mob on DVD in my library to comment on how this new Blu-ray release compares to previous releases of the film, but I would be shocked if any of them come even remotely close in matching the strong quality on display here. Having been fully restored -- and at the moment also being screened at selected theaters across the United Kingdom -- The Lavender Hill Mob looks terrific. Fine object detail and clarity are very good and contrast levels pleasingly consistent. In fact, there is an interesting comparison featurette on the disc showing how the film looked prior to the restoration, and truly, the improvements in quality after the restoration work was completed are beyond dramatic. Edge-enhancement is never a serious issue of concern. I also did not see any traces of sharpening adjustments -- the image has a pleasing organic look and depth (see screencapture #3). Some careful grain management/noise corrections have been performed, but they are on par with what we have seen on many of Criterion's very best Blu-ray release. Predictably, a layer of light grain is present throughout the entire film. Aside from a few inherited frame skips, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. Finally, the film has also been thoroughly cleaned up, though a few minor scratches and blemishes remain. All in all, this is a very strong Blu-ray release which I am convinced will please fans of classic British cinema. (Note: I was sent a screener, not a finished version of this release. My screener is Region-Free, and I suspect that the final market version of The Lavender Hill Mob will be as well).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.
Unsurprisingly, the English LPCM 2.0 has a rather limited dynamic amplitude. However, balance and clarity are very good. The dialog is pleasingly crisp and stable. I would not say that it is always easy to follow -- a lot of the one-liners often come rather quickly -- so I am glad to see that Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles. Finally, while viewing the film, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or audio dropouts to report in this review.
Note: Some of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in a territory where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access them.
If you consider yourself a fan of classic British Cinema, you absolutely have to have Charles Crichton's magnificent The Lavender Hill Mob in your libraries. The film has been recently restored and looks simply terrific on Blu-ray. Indeed, this is yet another fantastic package from the folks at Optimum Home Entertainment, who are bringing a number of Classic British films to Blu-ray this year (amongst them Kind Hearts and Coronets, Whisky Galore, Went The Day Well?, The Cruel Sea, Ice Cold in Alex, and Brighton Rock). Also, if you are in the UK, or will be visiting, see the film theatrically. Optimum Home Entertainment have arranged to have The Lavender Hill Mob screened in selected theaters across the country. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Indicator Series | Limited Edition
1936
Vintage Classics
1955
Vintage Classics
1949
Warner Archive Collection
1990
Eureka Classics
1965
55th Anniversary | Limited Collector's Edition
1969
1970
Limited Edition
1998
Vintage Classics
1949
Vintage Classics
1956
Vintage Classics
1951
Eureka Classics
1955
Vintage Classics
1949
Vintage Classics
1960
1988
1959
Premium Collection
1949
60th Anniversary Collector's Edition | Vintage Classics
1953
Extended Edition | Includes Theatrical Version
2013
2013