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Adam's Rib (1949)
Adam's Rib (1949) poster

Adam's Rib (1949)

Comedy, Drama, Romance • 1h 40m

Director: George Cukor

Best video release

Only Spain Regasa has Blu-ray, otherwise 35mm

Updated 1 year ago


About the film

A woman's attempted murder of her uncaring husband results in everyday quarrels in the lives of Adam and Amanda, a pair of happily married lawyers who end up on opposite sides of the case in court.

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National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 1992

Featured in National Film Registry

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Director: Mike Nichols

4K · Solid

Director: Michael Curtiz

Director: Ridley Scott

4K · Solid
Best Video:

Final Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray (Caveat: No Dolby Vision from Streaming)

Other Cuts: WB Blu-ray

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set for a better AVC encode

Best Audio:

1982 Theatrical Mix: Embassy Video releases, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

International Cut Dolby Stereo: Criterion Collection LaserDisc, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

1992 Director's Cut Dolby Stereo: WB CAV LaserDisc 2.0 PCM-best fidelity of any mix, HD-DVD for the 70mm 6-track mix

Workprint: WB 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Set DTS-HD MA 5.1

2007 Final Cut remix: Blu-ray Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Additional Info:

WB 4K Blu-ray only has Final Cut and contains a bad Atmos remix with new sound effects. Original Final Cut mix was removed.

Director: Quentin Tarantino

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

2025 Taiwan Deltamac 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

2025 Taiwan Deltamac 4K Blu-ray > US Paramount 4K Blu-ray (Taiwan 4K Blu-ray is not low passed as the US 4K Blu-ray and has better grain and fine detail retention)

Best Audio:

Matrixed Dolby Stereo: 1995 Miramax LaserDisc 2.0

Original 5.1 Discrete Mix: 2012 Japan Warner Bros Blu-ray, 1996 Criterion LaserDisc, 2002 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD

5.1 DTS Mix: 1997 Miramax LaserDisc, 2002 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best Video & Audio:

US Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

US Criterion 4K Blu-ray > UK MoC 4K Blu-ray > Australia Imprint > US Kino Lorber better encoding

The MoC, Criterion and Imprint UHDs were encoded by FiM making all 3 very close. The higher bitrate helped in deciding and some luck; however Criterion is the most consistent one of all 3. Imprint has some scenes with more splotchy grain while MoC is quite close to Criterion but has some more blocking in dark scenes (e.g.: comp #27). With Criterion’s superior audio, it ensures complete consistency.

Audio Notes:

From cbc: "I'm personally quite fond of the restored track on Eureka's 4K Blu-ray. It does have spots with objectively worse fidelity, but for the most part, it sounds a lot more natural and less shrill, particularly dialogue. It seems to be a new mixdown of stems. Technically a remix, so not everyone's cup of tea, but it's not revisionist like most new movie mixes tend to be"

Additional Info:

Both Imprint (included in their set) and Capelight (on its own/individually) offer remastered BDs. All other BDs, including the one included in The Complete Kubrick, are sourced from the same older master from around 2010.

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray vs Criterion

Audio Notes:

Three masterings of the original Dolby Stereo SR mix exist: the original Orion video releases, the Criterion (which is from their LD) and the Arrow. All three are excellent with slight mastering differences between them. The original Orion still is probably the one with the most fidelity, the Criterion is the cleanest with a kind of warm feel to it and the Arrow has a bit of both aspects. The Arrow mastering has a tiny almost imperceptible bit of audio bleeding into the surround that isn't on the Criterion. Each has their own pluses and minuses but you can't go wrong with any of them. Whatever you do though: DO NOT WATCH WITH THE 5.1 REMIX. It is another MGM botch job that fundamentally alters the impact of many scenes. It is vastly inferior to the original mix in every way.

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras, Arrow UHD has the most extras of any release

Director: Hal Ashby

4K · Excellent

Director: Anthony Mann

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2008 Universal DVD mono

Audio Notes:

The mono on the Criterion is severely filtered resulting in it sounding incredibly muffled. It is nearly as filtered as the 2003 original Universal DVD which had extreme filtering and sounds horribly thin. The 2008 DVD remaster and original LaserDisc analog mastering are mostly left alone. The original LD master is from a worn element but otherwise sounds very natural. The 2008 DVD is the highest quality version we have without the heavy filtering and the defects of the LD master. It isn't perfect but easily the best of the main four sources by a dramatic margin. 

Additional Info:

The existing 4K SDR restoration looks excellent, but the Criterion extras are limited and disappointing. The classic Stewart interview commentary from the LD is ported over but given a new mastering. Compared to past releases it has been very slightly noise reduced.

Director: Richard Brooks

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: George B. Seitz

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

More from George Cukor

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Director: George Cukor

Best Video:

Theatrical cut / Roadshow cut: 35mm scans

Restored cut: WB Blu-ray

Director: George Cukor

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion 4k transfer

Best Audio:

1986 MGM LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

1987 VHS probably even better

Director: George Cukor

4K · Excellent

Director: George Cukor

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 4k transfer

Director: George Cukor

Director: George Cukor

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

US Twilight Time Blu-ray or UK Signal One Blu-ray are basically the same see cap

Director: George Cukor

Best Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: George Cukor

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: George Cukor

Director: George Cukor

More Comedy on Blu-ray

Director: Mike Cheslik

Best Video & Audio:

UK Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> US Blu-ray

Director: Tom Holland

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Eureka Blu-ray's stereo or LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

sounds better than the Sony 4K Blu-ray , https://slow.pics/c/pJfES0fl

Additional Info:

Twilight Time has an isolated score

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Best Video:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Director: Frank Oz

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: Steve Gordon

Best Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jack Conway

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

Director: Jack Conway

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

Director: William Dieterle

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 1 year ago

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