HOT 4K NEWS
CELEBRATING Warner Brothers’ 100th anniversary, three motion picture classics from the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s – make the jump to 4K Ultra HD on April 4.
“The Maltese Falcon” (1941) stars Humphrey Bogart in John Huston’s directorial debut, as San Francisco private detective Sam Spade, who gets involved with a deadly band of international thieves who will lie, double cross and murder to obtain a small, jewel-encrusted statue known as The Maltese Falcon.
Sam Spade’s (Bogart) partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), accepts a job protecting a young woman (Mary Astor). Neither Spade nor Archer believe the woman or the story she tells them, but they do believe her money. Then, when Archer is murdered, Spade's search for the killer drags him in the web of lies and death spun by the desperate people seeking The Maltese Falcon. The screenplay is by Huston and is based on the 1930 novel by Dashiell Hammett. The film stars Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, and Sydney Greenstreet. “The Maltese Falcon” was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet) and Best Adapted Screenplay (John Huston). Considered one of the greatest films of all time, it was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the National Film Registry.
“Rebel Without a Cause” (1955) stars James Dean in his performance that still electrifies the screen nearly 70 years after his untimely death prior to the film’s release. In this archetypal drama of teenage angst and rebellion, three high school students who should lead idyllic lives in their stable, comfortable suburban families explode with violence and sexuality that their parents cannot understand.
It was directed by Nicholas Ray from a story by Ray, a screenplay by Stewart Stern and an adaptation by Irving Shulman. It is produced by David Weisbart and James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen, and William Hopper.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Mineo), Best Supporting Actress (Wood), and Best Writing (Ray). In 1990, “Rebel Without a Cause” was added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
“Cool Hand Luke” (1967) stars Paul Newman with George Kennedy in this story of a man who will not surrender to authority, even at the cost of his life. When Luke Jackson (Newman) is sentenced to a Southern prison for a minor infraction, his intelligence, calm under pressure and inability to accept defeat soon gain him the respect of his fellow inmates on the chain gang, and the nickname Cool Hand Luke.
But they also earn Luke the enmity of the warden, who cannot allow any inmate to challenge his authority. When Luke's mother dies, he decides to escape ... and he will not allow anyone to stop him.
The film was directed by Stuart Rosenberg and the screenplay is by Donn Pearse and Frank R. Pierson and is based on Pearce’s 1965 novel of the same name. The film is produced by Gordon Carroll and stars Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J.D. Canon, Robert Drivas, Lou Antonio, Strother Martin, and Jo Van Fleet. “Cool Hand Luke” was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Actor (Newman), Best Supporting Actor (Kennedy) and Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium (Don Pearce and Frank Pierson), and Best Original Music Score (Lalo Schifrin) and won for Best Support Supporting Actor.
SPECS:
Video - All three were mastered in 4K from the original camera negatives and best-surviving elements. “The Maltese Falcon” (1.37:1 aspect), “Rebel Without a Cause” (2.55:1) and “Cool Hand Luke” (2.35:1).
All three have the standard HDR10 grading on the physical disc but Dolby Vision grading could be available on the digital versions.
Audio - “The Maltese Falcon” English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD MA, “Rebel Without a Cause” 5.1 DTS-HD & “Cool Hand Luke” 2.0 Mono DTS-HD