From the number of bad DVDs out there, I get the idea that "DOA" is one of those films where the copyright slipped through the cracks. John Hess on "filmmaker IQ" does a good job telling the complicated story of the copyright on "Its A Wonderful Life". I'm sure that the story on "DOA" is no less complicated, except that no one has been able to re-claim the rights.
shareYeah, Netflix is distributing the 2007 Westlake Entertainment DVD of this. Obviously, no restoration of a really deteriorated film.
Sound on the film is bad enough, so you'll not understand a lot of the dialogue, which comes at you fast and furious in parts. To make that worse, subtitles in any language are not available on the Westlake.
Frames missing and just about any other technical film defect you care to name.
Sad that a very weird - but wonderful - noir like this would not have been restored by some organization for release on DVD. But, it probably was a failure to renew copyright that led to what we're stuck with.
E pluribus unum
Of course it was a failure to renew copyright problem. There are many such movies, a handful of which are quite good.
The best copy I've come across of DOA(1950), after searching a long time, is available at a website called free-classic-movies dot com.
Thanks for the info, melnar1
I'll give that a try. Warners Archives and Criterion Collection seem to do the best job at restoring original prints that have been left to deteriorate. But, restoration is a pricey option when sound and images on the original have become very bad.
The price to the consumer of that restored film is then passed on to the current customer.
E pluribus unum