The Liberation of L.B. Jones Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Liberation of L.B. Jones Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 10, 2025

William Wyler's "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Mike Sargent; new program with critic Neil Sinyard; a collection of vintage stills; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The Liberation of L.B. Jones is everything In the Heat of the Night should have been and The Klansman could not have been. It is shot by a legendary Hollywood director, but without the customary Hollywood preachy messaging that would have made it easy to praise. It spells out many uncomfortable truths, but without implying that they are universal truths. It shows all the ugly the viewer could have handled at the time of its release, but retains a bold sense of humor that does not spare anyone. It truly is a one-of-a-kind film that only the 1970s could have produced.

In the fictional town of Somerton, Tennessee, middle-aged, wealthy undertaker L.B. Jones (Roscoe Lee Brown) has decided to part ways with his beautiful but cheating wife, Emma (Lola Felana). Jones has discovered that his wife, who is significantly younger than him, has a lover, and she has told him in his face that their marriage does not deserve a second chance. To get the divorce done quickly but right, Jones wants the best lawyer, Oman Hedgepath (Lee J. Cobb), who also happens to be the most influential man in town, to represent him in court. When the two meet, Hedgepath reluctantly agrees to take on the case because he has known Jones for years, but explains that it would be best if they take care of all the he-said-she-said mumbo jumbo without going to court. It is the smart thing to do because Hedgepath has earned a reputation for helping white folks, and Jones is not one of them. But after doing a bit of research on Emma, Hedgepath learns that she also intends to go to court with another lawyer, and her lover is Willie Joe Worth (Anthony Zerbe), a married white cop with a tricky past. Concerned that any court action will unleash racial fireworks guaranteed to split the town and attract undesired folks from all across the country, Hedgepath summons Worth and reveals that he knows about his extramarital relationship, and then urges him to terminate it so that Jones and his wife can get back together. Worth grasps the seriousness of the situation and proceeds to do the right thing, but instead learns that his mistress is pregnant. To fix the new problem, Worth then engages Jones, but quickly loses his cool and creates a much bigger problem that destroys Hedgepath’s chances of preserving his reputation. At approximately the same time, a black man (Yaphet Kotto) who has returned home after years of living away also gathers the courage to settle an old score.

The legendary director William Wyler recreates the explosive drama from Jesse Hill Ford’s novel with casual yet breathtaking efficacy. Part of the trick is Wyler’s ability to flawlessly mix the ugly, which is plenty, with light humor and produce astonishing contrasts. Also, instead of manipulating these contrasts so that the audience reacts accordingly at the right time, Wyler treats them as inevitable developments that all of the prominent characters in his film have learned to tolerate for various ‘good’ reasons. Needless to say, the ugly in the drama, which again is plenty, hits indescribably hard.

The other part of the trick is that Wyler directs an incredible group of actors whose grasp of the gray in the drama, which humanizes their characters, is impeccable. For example, there is racism galore in this film, but there are very different layers of it, created for different reasons. Some of the characters are classic bigots who simply believe that the color of their skin makes them superior human beings, and therefore, they have different rights. However, several more have learned to coexist with them because they have accurately determined that their reality is too strong to alter at once. These characters are not spared the shame they deserve, but Wyler’s direction correctly identifies them as a force that will slowly evolve and, at the right time, initiate the change. It would just take time and a lot more of the ugly drama that is chronicled in the film.

Other cast members include Lee Majors, Barbara Hershey, Chill Wills, Arch Johnson, Dub Taylor, Ray Teal, and Zara Cully.

Wyler worked with Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Surtees, who lensed the iconic Ben-Hur, The Sting, The Graduate, Quo Vadis, The Bad and the Beautiful, and several more legitimate classics.

The Liberation of L.B. Jones Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Liberation of L.B. Jones arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

Earlier this year, we reviewed this Australian release of The Liberation of L.B. Jones, which was sourced from an older remaster supplied by Sony Pictures. This release is sourced from the same remaster.

While it is very easy to tell that a new 4K master will give the film a fresher appearance, it is also very easy to tell that the current remaster retains many of the film's native organic qualities, which is why it still produces pretty decent visuals. They are simply a tad softer and, in some areas, look a bit dated. (Many close-ups look surprisingly good, even very good). Colors could be slightly more convincing, too, and if they are, the dynamic range of the visuals will also benefit. There are no serious stability issues. In summary, while not ideal, the current remaster still produces a fine technical presentation of the film. (If you have a 4K system and choose to upscale this release, you will be very pleasantly surprised. The 4K upscaling significantly strengthens the visuals and makes the entire film look very attractive). This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content). My score is 3.25/5.00.

The Liberation of L.B. Jones 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.

I do not have any new comments to add about the quality of the audio track. In our review of the Australian release of The Liberation of L.B. Jones, I mentioned that the audio is excellent, and even if the film is redone in 4K, it is unlikely that any areas -- like stability, clarity, or dynamic strength -- will be improved in any meaningful ways. While revisiting the film last, I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report.

The Liberation of L.B. Jones Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive audio commentary was recorded by critics Bryan Reesman and Mike Sargent.

• Neil Sinyard: Dignified Rage - in this new program, critic Neil Sinyard discusses The Liberation of L.B. Jones. In English, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Josiah Howard: Southern Injustice - in this new program, critic Josiah Howard discusses The Liberation of L.B. Jones and its disappointing reception. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• Isolated Music & Effects Track - presented as LPCM 1.0.

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage stills.

• Booklet - a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Fintan McDonagh, archival interviews with writer Jesse Hill Ford and actor Roscoe Lee Brown, archival production report, and technical credits.

The Liberation of L.B. Jones Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The legendary director William Wyler recreates the explosive drama from Jesse Hill Ford's novel with casual yet breathtaking efficacy, and several cast members who step in front of his camera are so good they should have earned Oscar statuettes. So, as far as I am concerned, The Liberation of L.B. Jones fits between In the Heat of the Night and The Klansman, and convincingly outdoes both. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' upcoming release is sourced from an older but pretty decent remaster supplied by Sony Pictures. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.