On 20 March, Indicator will deliver UK-premiere Blu-ray releases of four outstanding Hollywood productions – including a pair of pre-Code masterpieces – from three of American cinema's most-celebrated auteurs: Broken Lullaby is a riveting and brilliant romantic drama from the pre-Code era from Ernst Lubitsch; A Kiss Before the Mirror is a ravishingly staged pre-Code drama of infidelity from director James Whale; Bluebeard's Eighth Wife is one of Ernst Lubitsch's greatest films; and State of the Union is fabulously witty political comedy drama from director Frank Capra.
BROKEN LULLABY (1932) | Limited Edition Blu-ray | 20 March 2023 | £15.99
Often overlooked amongst director Ernst Lubitsch's comedies and musicals, Broken Lullaby is a riveting and brilliant romantic drama from the pre-Code era, starring Lionel Barrymore (It's a Wonderful Life), Nancy Carroll (The Kiss Before the Mirror), and Phillips Holmes (The Criminal Code).
Musician Paul Renard is haunted by the memory of Walter, a German soldier he killed during the First World War. He travels to Walter's home town, and, passing himself off as a friend of the deceased, is taken in by his grieving family. But when he finds himself falling in love with Elsa, Walter's fiancée, he becomes worried that the truth will emerge...
With a screenplay by regular Lubitsch collaborator Samson Raphaelson (The Shop Around the Corner, Heaven Can Wait), Broken Lullaby was rapturously received by critics at the time, with one describing it as 'the most unusual and dramatic situation the screen has presented'.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 2K restoration
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with author and film historian Joseph McBride (2021)
- The Films of Ernst Lubitsch (2001): archival audio recording of a presentation by Scott Eyman, author of Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise, presented as part the British Film Institute's 2001 Lubitsch retrospective at the National Film Theatre, London
- The Men I Killed (2023): video essay on Broken Lullaby and François Ozon's 2016 film Frantz, comparing their different cinematic approaches to adapting Maurice Rostand's 1930 play, L'Homme que j'ai tué, and its 1931 English-language translation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald Berkeley
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Christina Newland, archival profiles of director Ernst Lubtisch, star Lionel Barrymore and screenwriter Samuel Raphaelson, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies
A KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR (1933) | Limited Edition Blu-ray | 20 March 2023 | £15.99
Director James Whale (Frankenstein) directs Nancy Carroll (Broken Lullaby) and Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz) in this mysterious and atmospheric drama.
Whilst defending a man who stands accused of murdering his wife, attorney Paul Lukas comes to suspect that his own wife is being unfaithful. Following her through the streets of Vienna, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the idea of her infidelity.
Made in between Whale's Universal horror classics The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man, The Kiss Before the Mirror is a ravishingly staged pre-Code classic.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with film historian Nora Fiore (2023)
- Mirror Images (2023): video essay comparing The Kiss Before the Mirror to James Whale's 1938 remake, Wives Under Suspicion, which was produced in the era of the Motion Picture Production Code
- Classification of Enlisted Men (1943): War Department documentary short, directed by James Whale and focusing on four inductees into the US Army
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay on the film, archival interviews and articles, and full film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies
BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE (1938) | Limited Edition Blu-ray | 20 March 2023 | £15.99
Claudette Colbert (It Happened One Night) and Gary Cooper (Morocco) play the leads in Bluebeard's Eighth Wife, a classic comedy from director Ernst Lubitsch (Broken Lullaby).
Seven-times married, the wealthy playboy Michael Brandon meets the beautiful, tempestuous Nicole, and makes her his eighth wife. Determined she won't be just another of his conquests, Nicole contrives to frustrate Michael's advances in order to keep him keen. Michael, however, believes she is trying to force him to divorce her in order to take advantage of a generous pre-nuptial agreement, and a battle of wills ensues.
One of Lubitsch's greatest films, and a huge influence on the modern romantic comedy, Bluebeard's Eighth Wife boasts a sizzling screenplay by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder (The Lost Weekend, Sunset Blvd.), and a memorable supporting turn from David Niven (A Matter of Life and Death).
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with academic and curator Eloise Ross (2023)
- The Guardian Interview with Claudette Colbert (1984): archival audio recording of the celebrated performer in conversation at London's National Film Theatre
- United States (1944): military training film, narrated by David Niven during his time away from Hollywood to serve in the RAF, and produced to instruct British troops in the history of their American allies
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, archival interviews with director Ernst Lubitsch, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies
STATE OF THE UNION (1948) | Limited Edition Blu-ray | 20 March 2023 | £15.99
The immortal screen couple Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) take the lead in this fabulously witty political comedy drama from director Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life), filmed against the background of the 1948 Presidential election.
Wealthy aeroplane manufacturer Grant Matthews is encouraged to become a presidential candidate by his girlfriend, press baron Kay Thorndyke. Forced to publicly reunite with his estranged wife Mary in order to present the illusion of a happy marriage, he comes close to nomination. But, as Grant and Mary realise that political success will mean compromising their principles, Grant has a change of heart.
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Harold Lindsay and Russel Crouse (The Sound of Music), and with supporting turns from Angela Lansbury (Gaslight) and Adolphe Menjou (The Sniper), State of the Union is a brilliant blend of political satire and romantic comedy.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with critics and writers Claire Kenny, Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme (2023)
- The John Player Lecture with Angela Lansbury (1973): archival audio recording of the celebrated star of film, stage and television in conversation with Rex Reed at London's National Film Theatre
- Lucy Bolton on Angela Lansbury (2023): the academic discusses the life and eventful career of the much-loved performer
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay on the film, archival interviews with director Frank Capra, archival set reports, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies
All extras subject to change
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