MovieChat Forums > Raw Deal (1948) Discussion > TCM print is awful; How are the DVDs?

TCM print is awful; How are the DVDs?

posted 10 years ago by gortx
5 replies | jump to latest

Just watched it on TCM. This was the worst print of theirs I've seen in years. Looked like a smeary old VHS with tons of pixellation and blown out contrat. The print itself was poor as well with lots of surface damage and a very hissy soundtrack.

I know there are a couple of DVDs out there. Are any of them better than this? You could tell that Alton's photography and Mann's direction were impressive, but the TCM broadcast was wretched (and I watch a LOT of TCM).

[–] whiskeyTango-06 10 years ago

it indeed is still heavily degraded!!

[–] mbrindell 8 years ago

I agree; TCM's print of "Raw Deal" is mediocre at best. Regardless, a fine noir.

I have a two-disk, Roan Group Archival Entertainment DVD set dated 1999. "Raw Deal" is on one DVD bundled with "T Men" and "He Walked By Night." Roan's print is slightly darker than TCM's, but it doesn't suffer from the many scratches and similar artifacts that are present on TCM's copy. Roan's sound is better too. At the end of the day, I'd say it was a draw between the two copies.

[–] jonkennedy 7 years ago

The print I saw from TCM off my DVR from October 14th wasn't that bad. There were some linear scratches, depending on the reel, and there were contrast issues, especially in very dark scenes (like inside cars at night). But the sound was good, I thought, but then I'm no audiophile. Maybe they have cobbled together a better version by finding reels in better condition since 2014?

[–] mikethemartian (6067) 2 years ago

I just saw it on TCM’s Noir Alley last night and they had a restored 2K print where they mentioned scratches and other blemishes had been removed.

[–] liscarkat (16530) 2 years ago

I just saw it on TCM (July 31, 2022) and it looked very good. Restored!