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The Black Masks (1913)
The Black Masks (1913) poster
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The Black Masks (1913)

Crime, Drama, Adventure • 13m

Directors: Francis Ford & Grace Cunard

Cast: Francis Ford, Grace Cunard, Harry Schumm, Tony Jeannette, Edgar Keller

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IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Best English-friendly release

Undercrank The Craving Blu-ray HD extra

Updated 5 months ago

Best video release

Undercrank The Craving Blu-ray HD extra, 2K restoration

Also available in HD Streaming by George Eastman Museum


About the film

In the film, Cunard plays a jewel thief pursuing the same wealthy marks as another thief, played by Francis Ford.

Featured Lists
National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2014

Alternative Titles
Unmasked

Featured in National Film Registry

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Director: Richard Brooks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Director: George B. Seitz

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Video Notes:

4K restoration from safety preservation elements

Director: Elaine May

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Cinématographe 4K Blu-ray > MoC > Olive Films. From nicolas:

The master is good but it’s not that big an upgrade from the Olive Films disc and Vinegar Syndrome’ encode has some blocky highlights. A shame that they didn’t hire David Mackenzie here.

Audio Notes:

Cinématographe has unnecessary noise gating not present on the previous releases.

Director: Sidney Lumet

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber US / Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K  / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K

Video Notes:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K  / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K but low pass filtered

Comparison between the 4Ks, Criterion on the AR choice

Audio Notes:

Other discs have unnecessary filtering and sound worse, the difference isn't substantial but audible

Director: Dennis Hopper

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: F. W. Murnau

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

MoC OOP Blu-ray

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

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

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

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

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Plaion Germany Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

4K Blu-ray said to be coming from Criterion, per Bill Hunt

Video Notes:

Includes Director's Cut and Roadshow Version

Same master as old WB Blu-ray but better encoding

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K

Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

An undeniably significant improvement from the BD yet still severely flawed. See DFIC's review.

Best Audio:

1984 MGM Hi-Fi VHS

More from Francis Ford

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Directors: Francis Ford & John Ford

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray, 2K scan of Eye's 35mm preservation print

More from Undercrank

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Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Undercrank Frank Borzage: 1922 Silents Blu-ray

Director: Frank Borzage

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Undercrank Frank Borzage: 1922 Silents Blu-ray

Director: Robert Z. Leonard

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray new 2K restoration

Director: Sidney Franklin

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray 4K scan of 35mm nitrate print

Director: George W. Hill

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2K scan from a 35mm safety duplicate negative made from an original tinted nitrate print in the Marion Davies Collection at the Library of Congress.

Director: Lynn Reynolds

Best English-Friendly:

Undercrank Blu-ray

Best Video:

Undercrank Blu-ray 2K restoration

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 5 months ago

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