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A Free Soul (1931)
A Free Soul (1931) poster

A Free Soul (1931)

Drama, Romance • 1h 33m

Director: Clarence Brown

Cast: Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable, James Gleason, Lucy Beaumont, Roscoe Ates, Ann Brody, Edward Brophy, James Donlan, Bess Flowers, Francis Ford, George Irving, Edward LeSaint, Sam McDaniel, Frank Sheridan, Larry Steers, Carl Stockdale, E. Alyn Warren

HD Streaming

Video format

HD Streaming

Best English-friendly & video release · updated 10 months ago

Overview

An alcoholic lawyer who successfully defended a notorious gambler on a murder charge objects when his free-spirited daughter becomes romantically involved with him.

Release details

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Length
93 mins
Type
Movie

Featured in Pre-Code Films

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Director: Edgar Selwyn

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration

Director: John Ford

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Sources: ibb.co (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Warner Archive Blu-ray is 4K restoration from nitrate projection elements

Germany Filmjuwelen Blu-ray is AI upscaled https://ibb.co/album/mCJ7RQ

Director: Howard Hawks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Frank Capra

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Frank Capra Boxset Blu-ray

Director: William Dieterle

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Forbidden Hollywood Collection: Volume 4 DVD

Director: Lloyd Bacon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive DVD

Director: George W. Hill

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive DVD

Director: David Butler

Video format: Only Unofficial Sources

Sources: archive.org (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

The DVD isn't an official one, and according to a user review on Amazon:

This DVD comes from Archive.org, where the movie can be viewed for free. The original source, comes from the Fox Movie Channel

Director: W.S. Van Dyke

Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Best Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray, 4k scan

Director: Victor Halperin

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

More from Clarence Brown

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Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Clarence Brown

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray, 2K restoration

More Drama on Blu-ray

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

BD LPCM 5.1

Audio Notes:

The DTS-HD on the UHD has been dynamically compressed, has had its center channel boosted, and surrounds lowered (typical modern nearfield mix for soundbars).  Very different from the BD and DVD tracks.  The BD LPCM is basically just a lossless version of the DTS and AC3 from the original DVD (the AC3 actually being the superior mix on that particular release).

Directors: Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · filmalert101.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

FiM encode and none of the low-pass filtering present on the Criterion 4K, resulting in more detail and better handling of highlights on Imprint
Review, comparisons

Best Audio:

ITV UK Blu-ray or Indigo DE Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

All HD and 4K sources use the same 2009 restoration. Criterion's master (also used by Imprint) is a bit more rolled off, though the difference is minor.

Director: Tony Scott

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

70mm 6-track mix in 5.1: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Dolby Stereo mix in 2.0: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Additional Info:

The 70mm 6-track mix has a higher bitrate on the Paramount 1998 DVD, but is more limited than on the THX LaserDisc The Paramount 1998 DVD also has open matte versions in fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 instead of the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1, but the 2.00:1 widescreen presentation is non-anamorphic. The THX LaserDisc is available in both fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 variants.

Director: Lloyd Bacon

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Julien Duvivier

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration

Director: Norman Taurog

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration

Director: Preston Sturges

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Video Notes:

No information on French Elephant Films Blu-ray

Director: Ralph Bakshi

Best English-Friendly & Video:

OOP Germany Ascot Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Tentative alternative is US Xenon DVD

Director: Martin Scorsese

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Other releases have horrendous DNR

Director: Sofia Coppola

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

MUBI UK 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Lionsgate US release has incorrect gamma

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 10 months ago

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