An unsung master of French cinema meets an undisputed master of detective fiction in Cécile is Dead, as Maurice Tourneur (The Devil's Hand) brings Georges Simenon's crime novel to the screen. Simenon's beloved sleuth Inspector Maigret appeared in 75 novels and 28 short stories written over five decades, along with innumerable radio, film and television adaptations – and here Tourneur directs one of the very finest among them.
Inspector Maigret (Albert Préjean) of the Parisian police has recently been bothered rather too often by Cécile Pardon (Santa Relli), who insists on speaking to him every few days. Each time, she reports to Maigret that someone has been breaking into the house she shares with her elderly aunt late at night, but the Inspector is much too busy investigating a gang of counterfeiters to look into her fanciful claims. He can't ignore Cécile for long, though – for soon Cécile is dead, murdered in the very same police station in which she has been pleading for his help.
One of three Inspector Maigret films made in occupied France during World War II, Cécile is Dead boasts noirish cinematography by Pierre Montazel, art direction by Guy de Gastyne – a set designer for Marcel L'Herbier and René Clair – and music by Roger Dumas, who scored Tourneur's The Devil's Hand. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this French crime classic on Blu-ray, marking its first release on home video in the UK.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
PREVIOUSLY RESTORED BY GAUMONT
Original French mono audio
Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
Introduction to the film by Christine Leteux, author of Maurice Tourneur: réalisateur sans frontières (2015)
New audio commentary by crime cinema expert Sergio Angelini, host of the Tipping My Fedora podcast
My Friend Maigret – new discussion of Inspector Maigret from page to screen with film historian Martin Hall
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on Cécile is Dead and adaptations of French literature under German occupation by Andrew Watts [2000 copies]
In the mid-1960s, eleven films produced by DEFA – the state-operated film studio of the German Democratic Republic – were either pulled from theatres or barred from release due to their supposedly anti-socialist themes. The most infamous of these films was Trace of Stones, an intense and accomplished political drama directed by one of East Germany's most talented filmmakers, Frank Beyer (Jakob the Liar).
Hannes Balla (Manfred Krug) is the bullish leader of a crew on an East German worksite and is not averse to indulging in some questionable tactics – including the theft of scarce materials – if it will keep his projects on track. In order to tame Balla, the ruling Socialist Unity Party installs Secretary Werner Horrath (Eberhard Esche) to oversee the site's day-to-day operations. At the same time, a new engineer arrives: Kati Klee (Krystyna Stypułkowska), a lone woman in an all-male environment. As a love triangle develops between Klee, Balla and Horrath, tensions both personal and political threaten to boil over.
A nuanced exploration of the everyday workings of socialism in practice, Trace of Stones was perceived as an attack on the GDR's national ideology and withdrawn from cinemas in 1966. Frank Beyer did not direct another feature film until 1975, while Trace of Stones was suppressed until after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this extraordinary film, available on Blu-ray for the first time.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
RESTORED BY DEFA
Original German audio
Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
The 11th Plenum: A Cultural Devastation – substantial archival documentary on the 11th Plenum, which resulted in the banning of several DEFA productions including Trace of Stones
Trace of Time: Director Frank Beyer – feature-length archival documentary on Trace of Stones director Frank Beyer, widely recognised as one of the most important East German filmmakers
Children's Home (Angelika Andrees & Petra Tschörtner, 1978) – DEFA documentary on the residents of an East German children's home, banned until after the fall of the Berlin Wall
Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Carly A-F [2000 copies]
Limited edition booklet featuring a new essay on the response of East German audiences to the banning of Trace of Stones by DEFA expert Michael Wedel [2000 copies]
Buster Keaton was arguably the greatest comedian of the silent era and certainly one of the funniest and most talented performers to ever work in the movie business. The General is his masterpiece: co-directed, co-written, co-produced and starring Keaton, it is a side-splitting document of a comedy genius at the peak of his powers and boasts some of the finest slapstick set pieces ever committed to film.
Western & Atlantic Railroad train engineer Johnnie Gray (Keaton) loves two things: his sweetheart Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his prized locomotive, The General. When the Civil War breaks out, Johnnie intends to enlist in the Confederate Army, but is rejected – ending his budding relationship with Annabelle. As the war rages on, though, spies working for the Union steal Johnnie's beloved engine and inadvertently kidnap Annabelle, leading him to doggedly pursue them both across enemy lines.
Featuring what is perhaps the most thrilling chase sequence ever committed to film, The General is a perennial classic and stands with the very finest examples of silent comedy, including Charlie Chaplin's City Lights, Harold Lloyd's Safety Last! and Keaton's own Sherlock Jr. The Masters of CinemaSeries is honoured to present The General on 4K Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
PREVIOUSLY RESTORED IN 4K
DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTAITON OF THE FILM
Score by Carl Davis
New audio commentary by film historian David Kalat
New video essay on The General by Imogen Sara Smith, author of Buster Keaton: The Persistence of Comedy (2008)
New video essay on locomotives in the films of Buster Keaton by film critic and editor Luke Ryan
Interview with film scholar Peter Kramer
Introduction by Orson Welles
Introduction by Gloria Swanson
Tour of Filming Locations featurette
Video Tour archival featurette
Home movie footage
Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring package design by Nick Wrigley [2000 units]
Limited edition booklet featuring archival material and essays by critic Philip Kemp [2000 units]