Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Woman in Hiding Blu-ray Movie Review

A compelling drama with thriller undertones that Ida Lupino fans will adore.

Deborah Chandler Clark (Ida Lupino) marries the handsome Selden Clark IV (Stephen McNally) in a beautiful romance which begins with youthful promise. Things seem to be looking up for the young couple on their enchanting honeymoon when a darkness begins to lurk towards the surface. Deborah's recently deceased father (whom she believed died by accident) may have in fact been murdered by her new spouse for nefarious reasons. A thriller with edge, Woman in Hiding is a compelling dramatic-thriller from producer Michael Kraike (The Deputy, The Fighting Guardsman).

Changing her name and going on the run from her suspicious newlywed husband, Deborah high-tails it out of her hometown to save her life (and potentially her own future). She meets the tough-mannered Keith Ramsey (Howard Duff) and the pieces of the puzzle may be slowly coming into focus. He may be the key to solving the mystery... if she can survive the horror that lurks around every corner of the streets.

One of the most impressive elements of the film is no-doubt the performance by star Ida Lupino. There is simply something magical about how well she carries herself. The performance adds a great amount of emotional gravity to the exceptional filmmaking and leads the production to heights it would not have been able to achieve otherwise. With subtle touches of dramatic magnitude which make all the difference on the storytelling, Lupino proves again why she is one of the most mesmerizing of all classic film stars. The performance truly soars and the film is worth seeing for her natural charisma alone.

A thrilling drama with a star performance by Ida Lupino

Featuring beautiful costumes designed by Orry-Kelly (An American in Paris, Casablanca), the cast wears impressive gowns that add to the production. There is real beauty to the film and its splendid creativity. My enormously talented mother previously taught costume design classes and always spoke about how costumes significantly impacted art: Woman in Hiding is a perfect example of how costumes can make a huge difference on the foundations of performance. The results on display help to bring out the best from Lupino.

With splendid black-and-white cinematography by the brilliant William H. Daniels (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, How the West Was Won), Woman in Hiding crafts a spell. Inspired by the nail-biting Saturday night serialized story of “Fugitive from Terror”, Woman in Hiding features a first-rate screenplay written by none-other than Oscar Saul (A Streetcar Named Desire, The Silencers). The story is tense and gripping. Throughout the entire experience, Lupino delves into her role with razor-sharp precision.

Michael Gordon (An Act of Murder, Pillow Talk) crafts a compelling experience. The film may not be one of the all-time best for Lupino but it's a standout performance and a quality film that fans will be thrilled to experience. Woman in Hiding has immense creativity and there is real beauty to how it can unfold with thrills and pathos in equal order.

Woman in Hiding Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bursting on to the scene, Woman in Hiding has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The transfer is remarkably filmic throughout and preserves fine detail in the image. There are some moments with minor scratches and blemishes but for the most part this is an excellent transfer which has good detail and depth in the image.

It would have been nice if even more extensive restorative work was done to the print but the end result is still generally satisfactory. Outside of some scratches being an occasional eye-sore, the transfer has good detail and will satisfy viewers. The picture-quality is generally exceptional and makes the cut. Black levels impress and the print is in generally superb shape. The remarkable black and white cinematography certainly adds to the undertones of the filmmaking.

Woman in Hiding Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Featuring a stunning sound presentation, Woman in Hiding has a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mono soundtrack. Dialogue reproduction is exceptional throughout and is easy to understand. The music also adds to the engaging dynamics of the experience.

There is no doubt that this is a quality track which is impressive at reproducing the sound from beginning to end. While the soundstage itself is somewhat limited by the mono audio, the clarity impresses and the overall fidelity sounds quite good given the age of the source elements. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Woman in Hiding Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger

The release also includes a selection of trailers for other releases from distributor Kino Lorber: Naked Alibi (HD, 2:18), He Ran All the Way (HD, 2:14), Cry of the City (SD, 2:33), and It Always Rains on Sunday (SD, 2:38).

Woman in Hiding Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a splendid surprise Woman in Hiding turned out to be. Surpassing expectations, Woman in Hiding is a dramatic-thriller that works in spades. Ida Lupino delivers a first-rate performance which should be considered a must-see for fans of the beloved actress. The Blu-ray features an impressive presentation and comes highly recommended for fans. Worth a look.