On 11 December, Indicator presents four classic Hollywood films from the thirties, each helmed by one of cinema's most celebrated directors: An American Tragedy, a dark tale of crime and punishment from director Josef von Sternberg; Dorothy Arzner's sizzling pre-Code depiction of a love triangle starring Claudette Colbert, Honor Among Lovers; Rouben Mamoulian's all-time great musical comedy, Love Me Tonight, which pairs Maurice Chevalier with Jeanette MacDonald; and Desire, a romantic crime caper starring Marlene Deitrich and directed by Frank Borzage.
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY (1931) | Blu-ray | 11 December 2023 | £15.99
In the middle of his classic series of collaborations with Marlene Dietrich, Josef von Sternberg substituted the iconic German star with Phillips Holmes (The Criminal Code) and Sylvia Sidney (You and Me) to make An American Tragedy, a shocking tale of crime and punishment.
Clyde (Holmes), a poor garment worker with a past he wishes to forget, has a shot at the good life when he meets heiress Sondra (Frances Dee). But when his clandestine girlfriend Roberta (Sidney) announces she is pregnant, Clyde considers drastic actions in order to preserve his dream of affluence.
Based on the novel by Theodore Dreiser (which would later be adapted as A Place in the Sun, starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor), and inspired by a notorious real-life murder case, An American Tragedy is a searing indictment of the American dream.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 2019 restoration from a 4K scan
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with film historian Josh Nelson (2023)
- Tony Rayns on 'An American Tragedy'(2023): extensive discussion of Josef von Sternberg's little-seen gem by the writer and film programmer
- Video essay by film historian Tag Gallagher
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive with a new essay by Imogen Sara Smith, archival interviews and articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- World premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
HONOR AMONG LOVERS (1931) | Blu-ray | 11 December 2023 | £15.99
Claudette Colbert (Bluebeard's Eighth Wife) and Fredric March (An Act of Murder) co-star in Honor Among Lovers, a romantic comedy-drama directed by Dorothy Arzner.
Wall Street trader Jerry (March) is in love with his secretary, Julia (Colbert), but she turns him down to marry Philip (Monroe Owsley). A year later, realising the mistake she has made, she borrows money from Jerry, leading Philip to become dangerously jealous…
Co-written by Gertrude Purcell (Destry Rides Again) and featuring a scene-stealing supporting turn from Ginger Rogers (Tight Spot), Honor Among Lovers is a sizzling pre-Code love triangle.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 2017 restoration from a 4K scan
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with academic and curator Eloise Ross (2023)
- Lucy Bolton on Ginger Rogers (2023): the academic assesses the early career of much-loved star
- Dororthy Arzner and WAAC: a selection of short films directed by Arzner for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, archival interviews and articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- World premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
LOVE ME TONIGHT (1932) | Blu-ray | 11 December 2023 | £15.99
From director Rouben Mamoulian (The Song of Songs), Love Me Tonight features four-time screen couple Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald (The Love Parade, The Merry Widow) teaming up once more for a much-loved musical comedy.
When the debt owed to Parisian tailor Maurice (Chevalier) becomes too great, he decides to travel to the aristocratic home of his non-paying customer. There, he falls for Princess Jeanette (MacDonald), who rejects his advances due to his low social standing. However, she changes her tune when she is led to believe he is a royal, travelling incognito.
With songs by the legendary Rodgers and Hart, including the immortal 'Isn't It Romantic?', and a supporting cast featuring Charles Ruggles (Honor Among Lovers) and Myrna Loy (The Thin Man), Love Me Tonight is one of the screen's greatest musicals.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 2019 restoration from a 4K scan
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with writers and critics Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme (2023)
- Geoff Andrew on 'Love Me Tonight'(2023): in-depth discussion of Rouben Mamoulian's classic musical by the writer and critic
- Hollywood on Parade excerpts (1932): Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald perform musical numbers from the film for the newsreel series
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive with a new essay by Phil Concannon, archival interviews and articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
DESIRE (1936) | Blu-ray | 11 December 2023 | £15.99
Marlene Dietrich (The Scarlet Empress) and Gary Cooper (Bluebeard's Eighth Wife) star in Desire, a romantic crime caper directed by Frank Borzage (A Farewell to Arms).
When jewel thief Madeleine (Dietrich) leaves Paris with a string of pearls, she conspires to smuggle them across the Spanish border with the unwitting assistance of American mechanic Tom (Cooper). But retrieving the jewels turns out to be harder than she thinks, and she finds herself falling for Tom.
Reuniting the leads of Josef von Sternberg's smash hit Morocco, and co-produced by the great Ernst Lubitsch, Desire was acclaimed by author Graham Greene as the best of Dietrich's American films.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES:
- 2022 restoration from a 4K scan
- Original mono audio
- Audio commentary with writer and critic Nathaniel Bell and film historian David Del Valle (2021)
- Nathalie Morris on Gary Cooper (2023): the film historian and curator discusses the stardom and style of one of Hollywood's most iconic actors
- Lux Radio Theatre: 'Desire' (1937): radio play adaptation of the film's screenplay, starring Marlene Dietrich with Hebert Marshall in the Gary Cooper role
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive with a new essay by Christine Newland, archival interviews and articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- UK premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 3,000 copies for the UK
All extras subject to change. |
