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Duck and Cover (1952)
Duck and Cover (1952) poster
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Duck and Cover (1952)

Animation, Family • 9m

Director: Anthony Rizzo

Cast: Robert Middleton

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IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Library of Congress official HD Streaming https://www.loc.gov/item/2022604365/

Video format

HD Streaming

Best English-friendly & video release · updated 4 months ago

Overview

An instructional short aimed at school-aged children of the early 1950s that combines animation and live-action footage with voice-over narration to explain what to do to increase their chances of surviving the blast from an atomic bomb.

Release details

Featured Lists
National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2004

Length
9 mins
Type
Movie

Featured in National Film Registry

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Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, work done to un-Nolan the 4K master, the first ever appearance of the 35mm mono track on physical media and a new restoration/remastering of the 70mm 6-track mix.

Video Notes:

(early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)

Best Audio:

1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming on October 20th with FiM encode

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD has additional features not found on the 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, new restoration of mono mix which should be better than what was on the WB 4K Blu-ray and 1999 DVD and revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1971.

Best Audio:

WB 4K 5.1: a remix but has higher fidelity

Mono: 4K Blu-ray/1999 DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, both the US and the International Cut, new restoration/remastering of the mono mix which should be better than the 1999 WB DVD, revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1980 and for the first time ever on physical media, the film will be in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

Best Audio:

1999 WB DVD

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.

The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray. 

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode

Best Audio:

1994 LaserDisc (marginally)

Director: F. W. Murnau

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

MoC OOP Blu-ray

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

Upcoming Release:

Flicker Alley 4K confirmed for 2027 https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24404584&postcount=1

Director: John Huston

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1992 MGM VHS

Director: Charles Burnett

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray new restored 4K digital transfer approved by Charles Burnett

Best Audio:

iTunes version from 2018 see blah-ray

Director: William Wyler

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

HD Streaming

Director: John Ford

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Apple TV HD Streaming

More from Library of Congress

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Director: Frank Tuttle

Video format: Only Unofficial Sources

Best Video:

Unofficial Streaming

Complete copies survive in Library of Congress

Director: William A. Seiter

Video format: Only Unofficial Sources

Best Video:

Unofficial sources ripped from TCM

Library of Congress has completed a digital restoration around 2018 but no release yet

Director: Frank Borzage

Video format: Only Unofficial Sources

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

Best Video:

Only has really bad public domain copies

New restoration done by Library of Congress with DCP has no release yet 

Director: A.C. Abadie

Video format: HD Streaming

Director: Billy Bitzer

Video format: HD Streaming

Directors: William Heise & William K.L. Dickson

Video format: HD Streaming

Director: Enoch J. Rector

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

3min excerpt available on HD Streaming by Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/2023602024/

Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

No full copy available

Directors: William K.L. Dickson & William Heise

Video format: HD Streaming

Director: Edward Bland

Video format: HD Streaming

More Animation on Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2025 Discotek US Blu-ray SteelBook

Video Notes:

4K Blu-ray is denoised

The 2025 SteelBook uses the same transfer as the 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and 2015 Discotek US Blu-ray but with better white balance.

Best Audio:

Japan: 1995 Japan LaserDisc 

English: 2012 UK Blu-ray

Director: Mamoru Oshii

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Audio:

2008 Japan Blu-ray (BCXA-0085)

English-Friendly Notes:

Has English subtitles, better than 2015 Maiden Blu-ray which lacks the original mix

Audio Notes:

Bandai 4K Blu-ray? vs 2008 Japan Bandai Blu-ray (BCXA-0085): same video but includes Bandai English dub and original mix

Best Video:

2026 Bandai 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

But completely DNR'd.

For grain, most release starting from 2007 Japan Bandai Blu-ray (BCXA-0003) are ok.

Directors: Bill Roberts & Paul Satterfield & Wilfred Jackson & Ben Sharpsteen & James Algar & T. Hee & Hamilton Luske & Samuel Armstrong & Jim Handley & Norman Ferguson & David Hand & Ford Beebe Jr.

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Censored: 2010 Disney Blu-ray
Uncensored: 35mm Scan

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

Video Notes:

See caps of Blu-ray vs DVD

Best Audio:

1991 CAV LaserDisc

Audio Notes:
  • 1991 CAV LaserDisc includes an approximation of the original Fantasound mix in Dolby Surround using the surviving magnetic mixdown, using Stokowski's original mixing notes as a reference. Original aggressive pans and dynamic range are left in tact.

  • The 2000 DVD uses this same mix in discrete 5.0, but with some unnecessary dynamic range compression + a redub of all Deems Taylor audio with Corey Burton.

  • The 7.1 mix on the 2010 Blu-ray sounds poor, having been hit with excessive noise reduction, dynamic range compression, original aggressive pans no longer in tact, and the channel usage no longer resembles Stokowski's original intended sound design. 

Director: Michael Arias

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray is a sharpened upscale. Caps

Best Audio:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray has a true lossless English dub and correct volume levels for the Japanese audio

Additional Info:

GKIDS has correct English subtitles that change a few lines from the director-approved dubtitles, to match with the Japanese dialogue better while still remaining true to director Michael Arias' intent. The corrected GKIDS subtitles are director-approved.

Director: Henry Selick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

2D Version: Laika/Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

3D Version: 2011 3D Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

2D Version: Laika/Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

3D Version: 2011 3D Blu-ray caps 

Director: Jan Švankmajer

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Blu-ray or Athanor The Films of Jan Svankmajer Blu-ray

Best Audio:

BFI Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

BFI Blu-ray for both original Czech and English dub audio in lossless format

Additional Info:

Athanor The Films of Jan Svankmajer Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray announced for a November 25, 2026 release

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: 2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray/US GKIDS Blu-ray

English dub (Disney): 1998 US Disney VHS has better sounding vocals despite altered music and sound effects, the US Disney LaserDisc has limited audio

Releases from 2010 onward have the original music and sound effects, but distorted vocals

English dub (Streamline): 1996 Japan LaserDisc, available in Ghibli Aa Ippai Collection boxset

Additional Info:

2012 US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles. US GKIDS Blu-ray has bonuses that are absent on the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Mamoru Oshii

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

US GKIDS 4K Blu-ray authored by FiM

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

US GKIDS/Australia Umbrella 4K Blu-ray authored by FiM

Video Notes:

US GKIDS/Australia Umbrella 4K Blu-ray authored by FiM with identical encodes

UHD vs BD comparisons

Best Audio:

4K restoration includes a high-fidelity Dolby Atmos remix sourced from new transfers of original magnetic elements, with inconsequential content differences from the original mono mix. Umbrella 4K Blu-ray only includes a 5.1 mixdown of the remix, other discs have it in Dolby Atmos.

Umbrella/GKIDS 4K Blu-ray's 2.0 track is a stereo downmix. Older BDs and LDs have the original mono mix in varying quality, but are all inferior in fidelity to the new Dolby Atmos remix. The digital track on the Bandai/Emotion Japan LaserDisc BELL-942 is the best of the bunch.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23714400&postcount=159

Only the GKIDS 4K Blu-ray has the English dub.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit

Best Audio:

All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray has more bonuses than the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Japan Studio Ghibli RM4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray

UK StudioCanal Blu-ray for the English dub

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray includes the original 5.1 mix in its unaltered form, all other releases after the LaserDisc had its dynamic range lowered.

US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles.

For the English dub, the UK StudioCanal Blu-ray is the least limited mix.

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vanshady

· last reviewed 4 months ago

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