The great James Cagney (The Roaring Twenties, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye) stars in the compelling spy thriller, Blood on the Sun. Cagney is Nick Condon, an American newspaperman working in Tokyo prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, who finds himself in possession of an enemy plan for world domination. Amidst political intrigue and crossed loyalties, Condon must now find a way to warn the outside world. A fine, riveting melodrama with a judo-fighting Cagney at his fiery best, Blood on the Sun was directed by Frank Lloyd (Mutiny on the Bounty) and features the spellbinding Sylvia Sidney (You and Me) with Porter Hall (The General Died at Dawn), John Emery (Spellbound), Robert Armstrong (King Kong) and Wallace Ford (Flesh and Fury).

For thoughts on Blood on the Sun, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/T7jBM3kHH9s?si=0T4_B7NMNlyfLQQ5&t=2874]

Video Quality

Blood on the Sun debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Kino Classics in 1.37:1 from a 2020 4K scan of the 35mm nitrate materials by Paramount Pictures. The presentation is very strong throughout the runtime with image stability and delineation being handled effortlessly. This transfer retains the natural film grain of the presentation with no sequences ever seeming clumpy or swarming. We did not spot any unwanted softness in the transfer as the brilliant black-and-white photography has a firm grasp on the gradients. Black levels hold up well with nearly nothing in the way of crush. Highlights are likewise firm with nothing ever blooming or appearing washed out. Instances of print damage such as nicks and lines have been cleaned up immensely with overall clarity and detail remaining high. Kino Classics has brought new life to this thriller.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that handles the material without fail. The Miklós Rózsa score maintains a persistent fidelity as it enhances the mood of the narrative. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overshadows the dialogue or other important information. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. This track shows no unwarranted signs of age-related wear and tear such as dropouts, hissing, or popping. Dialogue and background noises are balanced admirably with all complementary elements. Kino Classics has treated this one as well as the vintage source will allow. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian/Writer Julie Kirgo and Writer/Filmmaker Peter Hankoff provide a very informative commentary track in which they discuss how this film functions as a late piece of WWII propaganda, how this fits into the career of James Cagney, the background of the ensemble players, how this responds to American values, the use of yellow face, the legacy of the feature, and much more.

Trailers: The minute-and-a-half trailer for Blood on the Sun is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Never Steal Anything Small, Shake Hands With The Devil, The Gallant Hours, One Two Three, and Behind The High Wall.

Final Thoughts

Blood on the Sun is a film that features many dated elements that are unfortunate in retrospect, yet when you judge it on its story and filmmaking, it holds up pretty well. The main attraction here is James Cagney, and he does not disappoint. Sylvia Sidney seems underutilized alongside an ensemble that never matches the dynamism of the lead. Nevertheless, it is easy to get swept up in the spectacle and melodrama of the picture. If certain characters were less of a caricature then it might elevate this to the level of a “classic” rather than merely being solid. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a cool commentary track. Fans of Cagney will want to scoop this one up. Recommended

Blood on the Sun is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.