Lifeboat

PHOTO 1 = Hitchcock's cameo in "Lifeboat"PHOTO 2 = Reduco, The Sensational New OBESITY SLAYER: In Just Four Months YOU TOO Can Be Slender! The Well-Known Director ALFRED HITCHCOCK says "In just four months I lost 73 pounds due to the splendid new Reduco System!""Lifeboat" (1944) was the seventh film in Hitchcock's Hollywood career, and the only war movie he ever directed (not to be confused with spy movies).The 2017 Kino Lorber Blu-Ray is a reissue of the 2005 DVD from Fox Home Video.All the bonus features from 2005 have been carried over to Blu-Ray:-- Audio Commentary by Drew Casper-- The Making of "Lifeboat" (20 minutes)-- Still PhotosPlus new Blu-Ray bonus features for 2017:-- A second Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas(Drew Casper called it "re-duck-o". Tim Lucas calls it "re-deuce-o", which seems more logical.)-- Hitchcock/Truffaut audio interview (with the still photos from 2005)The only losses from the old DVD:-- The Blu-Ray has the original mono soundtrack; the DVD also had a (fake) stereo soundtrack.-- The Blu-Ray has English SDH subtitles; the DVD also had Spanish subtitles.The new Blu-Ray transfer is an improvement over the old DVD.Not dramatic, but noticeable.POINTS OF INTEREST:-- Surprisingly for an action film, top-billing went to the actress Tallulah Bankhead (photo 3).The 42 year-old Bankhead had not made a Hollywood film since 1932's "Faithless" (aside from a cameo in 1943's "Stage Door Canteen"), preferring the Broadway stage.Top-billing her after a twelve year absence from Hollywood was a daring move, but it paid off in a bravura performance.She was cast in the film because Alfred Hitchcock wanted to use "the most oblique, incongruous person imaginable in such a situation".-- During filming, several crew members noted that Miss Bankhead was not wearing underwear.When advised of this situation, Alfred Hitchcock observed, "I don't know if this is a matter for the costume department, makeup, or hairdressing." (Source: IMDB)-- Only nine principal actors were used.Filmed entirely in an enormous water tank on the Fox lot.Actor Murray Alper (photo 4) had to withdraw from the film due to severe seasickness.Replaced by William Bendix.-- The confined set would seem to rule out the director's's traditional cameo appearance,but Hitchcock came up with a novel solution:@ 25:15 into the film, he appears in "before" and "after" pictures in a newspaper advertisement for "Reduco, the Obesity Slayer" (photos 1-2)--------------------------------------------------------------------ALFRED HITCHCOCK FILMOGRAPHY:Alfred Hitchcock directed 56 feature films (not counting short subjects).One film, “The Mountain Eagle” (1927) is lost."Blackmail" (1929) is counted twice - it was Hitchcock's final silent film, and was also filmed as his first talkie.All are at least on on DVD, with two exceptions:The silent version of "Blackmail", and "Mary" (1931, the German language version of "Murder!")34 films are on Blu-Ray (links are included)PART ONE: BRITISH PERIOD, 1925 - 19391925 The Pleasure Garden - silent1927 The Mountain Eagle - silent, LOST FILM1927 The Lodger - silent, BLU-RAY  The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ], coupled with "Downhill"1927 The Ring - silent1927 Downhill - silent, BLU-RAY coupled with  The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1928 Easy Virtue - silent1928 The Farmer's Wife - silent1928 Champagne - silent1929 The Manxman - silent1929 Blackmail - silent UNAVAILABLE1929 Blackmail - sound version1930 Elstree Calling [musical comedy revue with four directors]1930 Juno and the Paycock1930 Murder!1931 Mary - German language version of "Murder!" with a separate cast UNAVAILABLE1931 The Skin Game1931 Rich and Strange1932 Number Seventeen1934 Waltzes from Vienna1934  The Man Who Knew Too Much (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ] (first version)1935  The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1936 Secret Agent1936 Sabotage1937 Young and Innocent1938  The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray ]1939  Jamaica Inn [Blu-ray ] - I don’t know why it’s so expensive.PART TWO: HOLLYWOOD PERIOD, 1940 -1 976(some of them were filmed in the UK, but for American studios)All but two have been released on Blu-Tay.1940  Rebecca [Blu-ray ]1940  Foreign Correspondent [Blu-ray ]1941 Mr. & Mrs. Smith NOT ON BLU-RAY1941  Suspicion [Blu-ray ]1942  Saboteur [Blu-ray ] *1943  Shadow of a Doubt [Blu-ray ] *1944  Lifeboat [Blu-ray ]1945  Spellbound (hitchcock) [Blu-ray ]1946  Notorious (hitchcock) [Blu-ray ]1947  The Paradine Case  [Blu-Ray]1948  Rope [Blu-ray ] *1949  Under Capricorn [Blu-ray ]1950 Stage Fright NOT ON BLU-RAY1951  Strangers On A Train (BD) [Blu-ray ]1953  I Confess (1953) [Blu-ray ]1954  Dial M for Murder (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray) [1954] [Region Free ] (2-D and 3-D versions)1954  Rear Window [Blu-ray ] *1955  To Catch A Thief (1955) (BD) [Blu-ray ]1955  The Trouble with Harry [Blu-ray ] *1956  The Man Who Knew Too Much [Blu-ray ] (second version) *1956  The Wrong Man [Blu-ray ]1958  Vertigo [Blu-ray ] *1959  North By Northwest (1959) (BD) [Blu-ray ] *1960  Psycho (1960) [Blu-ray ] *1963  The Birds [Blu-ray ] *1964  Marnie [Blu-ray ] *1966  Torn Curtain [Blu-ray ] *1969  Topaz [Blu-ray ] *1972  Frenzy [Blu-ray ] *1976  Family Plot [Blu-ray ] ** Fifteen Blu-Ray box: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (2012) or 2016 reissue:  Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray ] (same contents)Fourteen Blu-Ray box (minus "North by Northwest") Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection [Blu Ray ] (2012)This is a British import.The contents of the British and American Blu-Rays are identical.Unlike most British Blu-Rays, these are region-free and should play on any US player.* Fifteen Blu-Ray box: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (2012) or 2016 reissue:  Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray ] (same contents)Fourteen Blu-Ray box (minus "North by Northwest") Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection [Blu Ray ] (2012)This is a British import.Same bonus features, but it sells for less.Unlike most British Blu-Rays, these are region-free and will play on any US player.

The reviews back in the day slammed it for showing the German as knowledgeable of sea survival. He was the only sailer in the lifeboat. Why not?

Great Alfred Hitchcock movie. Really shows the human condition when survival is at stake.

Apparently very popular with critics, but I'm no "critic". It was ok, and interesting, but not in my top ten Hitchcock movies. Certainly worth a viewing ....

Lifeboat is probably one of Alfred Hitchcock's most underrated films. I don't know why more people don't talk about this one. No, it isn't as suspenseful as some of his others, but it is a wonderful exploration of human nature. I am someone who loves dialogue, and this has great dialogue. The characters are all fascinating and Hitchcock is a master at using a small space to tell a story. If you haven't seen this before, give it a shot!

FORMAT: DVD UPC: 0-24543-17226-0 RELEASED: 2005-10-18TITLE: Lifeboat (1944) • NR • 1:37:26 Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull Alfred Hitchcock (Director) I purchase this movie by mistake (the movie I REALLY wanted was  Abandon Ship (1957) [a.k.a.—Seven Waves Away ], which I figured out AFTER I received this movie from Amazon) in November of 2013 — and, because it was NOT "Abandon Ship", I let it sit on a shelf until very recently (because, I remembered watching "Lifeboat" in the early 1980s and being fairly unimpressed with it at that time). Boy, what a difference a few decades make — because, this movie sure has changed! (It can't possibly be ME that's changed, so it HAS to be the movie that's changed, right?) Watching this movie now, I wonder what was wrong with me then, that made me not like it at that time! This movie features several great actresses and actors giving excellent performances under the steady hand of Alfred Hitchcock's direction. It has an excellent plot, that has a laser-like focus on the foibles and natures of humans under stress — and having your ship torpedoed, and sunk, from under you, in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, and winding up, cast adrift, in a under-provisioned lifeboat, along with a crew-member of the German submarine that sank your ship, is certainly a stressful situation. (Now, that I've recently come to my senses) highly recommended. See the other reviews for more detail and/or other opinions regarding the plot of the movie.VIDEO: 1.33:1 • B&W • 480p • MPEG-2 (8.5 Mbps) Within the confines of the DVD format, this film exhibits excellent picture quality — due, in part, no doubt, to a much higher than average bit-rate than is normally used for an "old" B&W movie. Also, it appears that Fox Home Video has done some level of restoration and re-mastering, because there are very few discernible instances of artifacts such as black specks and white dots. Nor do I recall seeing any occurrences of hair-lines or dropped frames. In addition, sharpness and detail (for a DVD) are VERY good (and, frequently excellent) — with the textures of most clothing, hair-styles and other objects being readily apparent. Lastly, contrast and gray scale (again, for a DVD) are very good overall, and in some scenes, even excellent. Overall, the picture quality of this disc is very pleasing.AUDIO: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dual-Mono, 192 Kbps) Fox Home Video has apparently also done some clean-up work on the film's soundtrack, because there are no loud bumps nor objectionably high levels of hiss. Also, dialog is very clear and all voices are easily understood. However, dynamic range is limited, and there is not much bottom-end nor any top-end to speak of (which makes the musical score and the Foley work all sound a little 'thin' and less than realistic). Otherwise, considering the age of the source elements and the fact that this is a monophonic, dialog-driven, movie from the mid-1940s, this film's audio presentation has acceptable sound quality.EXTRAS: Commentary by Film Professor Drew Casper Theatrical trailer Still gallery The Making of Lifeboat None of the extras were reviewed.

Soy fan del legendario director de cine Alfred Hitchcock, y cuando supe que la empresa Kino Lorber había restaurado en formato Blu-Ray su clásico de 1944 "Lifeboat" o Náufragos, la compré de inmediato. Se ve mejor que nunca, muy limpia y llena de vida. Llegó en perfectas condiciones y muy rápido

Toller Film. Blitzversand. Super Preis. Vielen Dank.

During World War 2, Alfred Hitchcock did many productions set around that political climate. To tell great stories set in that period and out of patriotism. To do his part in encouraging the public to involve itself during this conflict. Either at home or on the battlefield.And among the movies he did, Lifeboat is one of those patriotic adventures.A drama developed from an idea Hitchcock got, with a story conceived by John Steinbeck, and a script from Jo Swerling.In its simple concept, an imaginative storyline. During the war, two boats sink; one from the Allies, the other from the Enemies. Amidst its survivors – all of them stuck on a single lifeboat – reporter Constance Porter, six boat comrades named John Kovac, Stanley Garrett, Alice Mackenzie, Joe Spencer, Gus Smith, and Willi; Mrs. Highley and her baby, and a Nazi survivor named Willi. A man who might be the captain of the enemy boat that the Allies just sank.Through the weeks of survival on the boat, this team of people, with Kovac as Skipper, endures weathers & mental pressures while trying to survive. Among them hunger, thirst, despair, death, and fear toward the Nazi survivor. Who, as a navigator, may guide the crew into a trap. Especially as he claims to guide them in a specific direction, while looking at a hidden pocket compass which shows that he is guiding them the wrong way. So when will they find out the truth about this double-crosser? Will they get out of their sea nightmare or will they be doomed to a death at sea?In its concept, the film is an incredible huis-clos. Within a boat. Amidst an open space of water, wind, sun, and stars. Making it quite an oppressive and suspenseful atmosphere for the film. No way can they leave this boat, no way can they escape the others and their torments/clashes. For though there might be a few times of laugh, dramas of all sorts will happen. Including some hair-raising ones I won’t reveal here.In the cast, all the actors and actresses are excellent. Through various high winds and boats, they endure the work on that boat set. And as explained in the making-of, several of them either got ill or wounded during filming, which at times shut down the production. And of the main actress Tellullah Bankhead, everyone who worked on the film attested that she was difficult with the cast and crew.Except for the opening and ending credits which has a great music theme from Hugo W. Friedhofer, the movie has no soundtrack. A great idea since it makes the drama on Lifeboat more tense and realistic. Without any melodramatic melodies; nor any pleonastic tunes. Only the actors and their performance giving the most sincere ambience to the story. And for that, only an excellent director could make his actors perform with the amazing quality we see on Lifeboat. Furthermore, it shows how you can make a great movie without wasting time with a soundtrack. How you can use your silences and your actors to create a soundtrack as memorable as a great radio drama.Which is interesting since a radio adaptation was done of Lifeboat. And depending on the Blu-Rays or DVDS you get, that radio drama might be available on its special features. So watch carefully the edition you purchase, it might offer this great treat.Though the movie is talkative, the film offers nice camera effects. Including impressive weather moments; with the rain and wind blowing on the survivors. And in its concept, the potential for a theatre production is there. As to how it could be produced, it would be quite a feat for the artists who might be interested in doing it.For the script, the dialogues are excellent; and for each character, their personalities are perfectly expressed and different on screen. Some insolent, others ironic, another sarcastic. Various emotions on screen that make us realize how the life on this boat is a struggle maybe, but quite an experience for them all. And at 97 minutes, the story goes by in a great breeze. You never see time pass, and when the big dramas at the finale happen, you will be on the edge of your seat.To conclude, though the film never got the big success it should have got, Lifeboat is a great display of Hitchcock’s talent as storyteller and filmmaker. Again, it has great potential to be done as a play. But many also noted it to be one of his best movies.So if you are of Alfred Hitchcock and of war movies, give Lifeboat a try.

Otro clásico de Hitchcock que ofrece un drama vigoroso, una variada e interesante galería de personajes, constante suspenso y acción sostenida en el único ámbito de un bote salvavidas. El Blu-ray mantiene los niveles de calidad a que nos ha acostumbrado Masters of Cinema. Un chef d'oeuvre.

I was very disappointed last night when this movie did not play in our multiplayer. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to watch it prior to the return date. So please be aware.