There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
Western • 2h 3m
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Burgess Meredith, John Randolph, Lee Grant, Arthur O'Connell, Martin Gabel, Michael Blodgett, C.K. Yang, Alan Hale Jr., Victor French, Claudia McNeil, Bert Freed, Jeanne Cooper, Barbara Rhoades, Gene Evans, Pamela Hensley, J. Edward McKinley, Karl Lukas, Larry D. Mann, Ann Doran, Paul Prokop, Bart Burns, E.J. André, David Armstrong, Bob Bennett, Bill Borzage, Danny Borzage, Buff Brady, David Cadiente, Vincente Cadiente, Harry Caesar, Virginia Capers, James J. Casino, Donald Chaffin, Al Checco, Robert Cleaves, John Davey, Barbara Eaton, Duke Fishman, Byron Foulger, Bruce Garrick, Lars Hensen, Bob Herron, George Hickman, Harry Holcombe, Clyde Howdy, Michael Jeffers, Henry Kingi, Ron Kinwald, Monty Laird, Jacquelyn Landrum, John Lawrence, Norman Leavitt, Ian McLean, John McCook, Boyd 'Red' Morgan, Paul Newlan, Terry L. Nichols, Carol Nicholson, Gerry Okuneff, Renee Paul, Jack Perkins, Red Perkins, Bill Peterson, Mel Pittenger, Roberta Randall, Clark Ross, James Seay, Vincent St. Cyr, Ron Stein, Kelly Thordsen, George Tracy, Rick Traeger, Jesse Wayne, Napoleon Whiting, Guy Wilkerson, Ilona Wilson, Will Wyler
Best English-friendly & video release · updated 11 months ago
Overview
Arizona Territorial Prison inmate Paris Pitman, Jr. is a schemer, a charmer, and quite popular among his fellow convicts — especially with $500,000 in stolen loot hidden away and a plan to escape and recover it. New warden Woodward Lopeman has other ideas about Pitman. Each man will have the tables turned on him.
Criterion 4K Blu-ray scheduled for Dec 2026 release
Warner Archive Blu-ray in October
More Western on Blu-ray
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Arrow Video Blu-ray
Arrow's deluxe presentation is a fantastic package with great supplements, art and printed materials. Sadly the master is a heavily processed Paramount affair. It has seemingly been severely grain managed and the mono audio is horribly thin when it shouldn't be. Stereo and 5.1 options are also given but they seem to be more of home video remixes. They do not have the fidelity issue of the compromised mono but also show marked differences as if they were remixed from stem sources. This seems to have suffered lesser degrees of the problems that plagued The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance's 4K master. This is the best version to date but one wishes Paramount could leave scans alone.
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Arrow Video Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
The Arrow Video Blu-ray is the best iteration so far coming from a new restoration complete with great supplements and package. The original limited edition version included a second disc with the alternate 2.0:1 framed version. The primary disc is 1.85:1. Older releases pre-2008 were all in Academy ratio. 1.85 is the best compromise ratio for the visuals. As good as this release is, the master is showing its age and sadly has a number of frozen grain artifacts.
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Blu-ray reissue (4K restoration)
Massive picture upgrade as the 4K restoration addresses the massive color fringing that has plagued all previous dated masters. Oddly the titles are a different color now.
4K restoration is a gigantic and essential picture upgrade but only available on the Kino Blu-ray reissue. No UHD has been made or announced by anyone.
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Eureka MOC Blu-ray
The film only exists in MGM letterbox masters and the HD version upgrades the DVD presentation. Sadly the film still needs a modern restoration and a better audio source. The master holds up very well today regardless and has a very natural appearance. The Eureka BD is far superior to the Kino in encode and extras making it easily the only version to consider.
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Criterion Blu-ray upgrade removes the pictureboxing of their old DVD transfer. New HD discussion extra added to the DVD supplements package and reprints the rare out of print source novel as a paperback.
Director: James Neilson
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Blu-ray
2003 Universal DVD
The Universal HD master is appalling. This is a large format early Technirama film that has been hit with a massive amount of DNR resulting in a smeary appearance throughout with little detail. On one hand it is still a better scan than the old DVD with better color and element issues addressed. On the other it is barely above the DVD upscaled in other moments. The mono audio has been horribly processed to sound thin, canned and lacking in overall fidelity. The DVD clearly uses the same source element for picture and sound and here the sound is left alone. It sounds miles better. The Kino BD is technically the best US release but this master has been released in Europe where it likely has better encoding. The Kino BD adds a basic commentary. This film needs a proper transfer and audio presentation desperately. The HD master is so lackluster that the DVD despite its age is arguably preferable in visuals and certainly far superior in audio.
Director: Anthony Mann
Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
2008 Universal DVD mono
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.
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.
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