“Powder your nose, baby,” the craggy-voiced skipper bellows. “We’re coming into Hong Kong.” Getting there wasn’t easy for wily Merchant Marine Capt. Tom Wilder. But it’s exciting – and all an action fan might expect from a movie teaming legends John Wayne, Lauren Bacall and director William A. Wellman. Wilder braves dangerous waters and pursuing Red Chinese forces while steering a boatload of Chinese refugees and a doctor’s daughter (Bacall) along a 300-mile waterway to freedom’s shores. Wellman and his crew cram the CinemaScope frame with riches both scenic (Northern California locales authentically stand in for the Formosa Straits) and action-packed. This ship is under full steam. Destination: Blood Alley!

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Blood Alley with a decent 1080p master transfer released in 2017 in its original 2.55:1 Cinemascope aspect ratio sourced from a 2K scan of Interpositive. While this was made the same year and used the same photographic process as The Sea Chase, this transfer does not quite reach the same level of quality. This was shot using WarnerColor, a source discontinued not long after its introduction and known for being unstable when it comes to the restoration process. This is paired with Cinemascope photography which reveals some spatial distortion near the edges. The results are from from a disaster, but it cannot quite reach the heights you associate with the label.

The film exhibits no egregious signs of damage or debris, with only fleeting shots exhibiting a brief bit of softness likely due to the conditions of the source material or optical transitions. The most inconsistent shots are those featuring fog or mist as they exhibit exceptionally coarse grain. We are glad DNR has not been applied so the picture can remain natural, but the source has some shortcomings. We did not spot any unwanted digital nuisances such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. The colors luckily hold up when exploring the villages or observing certain articles of clothing. Black levels are pretty strong and highlights hold firm. Even with a few reservations in tow, this is a solid disc.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that is even more impressive than the video side of things. This has been maintained quite well with no obvious age-related wear and tear to the track such as drop-outs, hissing, or popping. The dialogue is a prominent feature of the narrative, and all exchanges come through with the necessary clarity. Whenever the movie livens up with cannon fire, the track digs deep and packs a punch. Dialogue and background noises work perfectly together along with the triumphant score from Roy Webb. No sounds ever overpower the focal elements. Warner Archive has done a very nice job with the audio track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Pathé Newsreel Footage: A four-minute collection of newsreel footage including John Wayne receiving an award, delivering a speech at a fundraiser, and more.

1955 Promo on Blood Alley #1: A nearly eight-minute piece in which John Wayne talks to Gig Young about his background and career.

1955 Promo on Blood Alley #2: Another eight-minute promo featurette with John Wayne and Gig Young that takes a closer look at the Cinemascope process and gives an overview of the San Francisco set.

Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Blood Alley is another solid adventure from John Wayne on the high seas. This time out the performer is playing more in his wheelhouse, and he spreads the charm to his ensemble. We do not quite buy into the romance with Lauren Bacall, but they do have a nice rapport in general. The suspense from the action and covert operation scenes goes a long way toward keeping you glued to the screen. The Duke is known more for his work on a horse than on a ship but this is worth checking out nonetheless. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation and a fun assortment of vintage featurettes. John Wayne fans can proudly add this to their collection. Recommended

Blood Alley can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.