Films
/
Heat Lightning (1934)
Heat Lightning (1934) poster

Heat Lightning (1934)

Crime, Drama • 1h 3m

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Cast: Aline MacMahon, Ann Dvorak, Preston Foster, Lyle Talbot, Glenda Farrell, Frank McHugh, Ruth Donnelly, Theodore Newton, Willard Robertson, Harry C. Bradley, James Durkin, Jane Darwell, Edgar Kennedy, Muriel Evans, Jill Dennett, Sam Hayes, Chris-Pin Martin, Margareta Montez, Eddie Shubert

Best English-friendly & video release

Updated 11 months ago


About the film

Olga runs an isolated gas station and restaurant in the stifling hot American desert with her discontented younger sister Myra. When two escaped criminals stop for a bite to eat, Olga is reminded of the past she left behind.

Featured Lists

Featured in Pre-Code Films

See more →

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: William Dieterle

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Directors: Ernest B. Schoedsack & Merian C. Cooper

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: Marion Gering

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: Leo McCarey

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal DVD

Upcoming Release:

Universal Blu-ray Nov 10th

Directors: Irving Pichel & Ernest B. Schoedsack

Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK MoC Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

MoC Blu-ray offers both restored and an unrestored tracks

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

More from Mervyn LeRoy

See more →

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Sources: mega.nz (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Warner Bros 2011 Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

The older track sounds significantly more natural. The WAC BD uses a new mastering which sounds much worse. A lot of the dialogue sounds off, sort of echoey, garbled or even artifacted. Its overzealous click removal also erased some sounds. Its only positive is a new EQ that brings out the bass more making some of the score more effective.

It seems that the new mastering likely uses AI "enhancement" or some other form of aggressive filtering, resulting in extended peaks despite losing real high end detail (most pronounced on sample 3).

Samples (WAC is mislabeled as UHD)

Additional Info:

Commentary is mono on the Blu-rays and panned stereo on NTSC DVD (different channels for each speaker).

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

VCI Blu-ray

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Directors: John Ford & Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

More from Warner Archive

See more →

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive DVD

Director: Roy Del Ruth

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration of the original 3D left eye and right eye camera negatives

Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Vincent Sherman

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: George Pal

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Compton Bennett

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from original technicolor negatives

Director: Jack Conway

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

Director: George B. Seitz

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

Director: Jack Conway

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

Edit history

1 edit

Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 11 months ago

Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.