FBI agent Ed Renard (Edward G. Robinson) goes on the hunt for a Nazi spy ring bent on subverting the citizenry of America. Beginning with Nazi rabble-rouser Kurt Schneider (Francis Lederer), Renard uses his well-honed instincts to find his way to the ring leader of the espionage campaign, Dr. Karl Kassell (Paul Lukas). With the Nazi secret police rounding up any security leaks and passing them back to Germany, Renard races to extract the information that will bring down the conspiracy.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Confessions Of A Nazi Spy for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Nitrate Camera Negative. When you have an output as consistent as Warner Archive, it is difficult to come up with new adjectives to praise them. Once again they deliver the highest caliber of quality possible for this sterling image filled with nuances previously unseen on home entertainment. This black and white feature has perfectly resolved natural film grain that provides a great amount of detail to the image within elements of the production design and costumes. The presentation has a stellar amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no trace of any black crush or banding. This disc also lacks anything in the realm of digital anomalies such as sharpening or compression artifacts. Print damage is a non-issue throughout the entirety of the feature. Warner Archive has provided something special for this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds quite stable. Edward G. Robinson has a distinct vocal style that always comes through crystal clear. None of the sound effects or the moody score from an uncredited Max Steiner ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. The more thrilling sequences are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear and strain present on the track. Overall, this is a top notch audio presentation that gives the material warm life. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it.

Special Features

Back Story – Slide Show: A great text-based piece which gives some great context to the release history and controversy surrounding this film and its place in exposing the realities of the Nazi uprising.

Meet The Fleet: A nearly 21-minute live-action short which dramatizes the bootcamp experience of three navy recruits which is presented in a nice looking HD transfer. .

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

Final Thoughts

Confessions Of A Nazi Spy is probably best known for its groundbreaking place in cinematic and world history, but there is more to it than simply being a badge of distinction in the fight against Nazis. The film does indulge in some heavy-handed rhetoric and back-patting, but this is not an exclusive feature in the relationship between major studios and war-related efforts. Where it rises above this is in the captivating pace it maintains and the performances that completely sell the believability of this tale. It is important, but it is also very entertaining. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that features a 5-star A/V presentation and a couple of decent special features. This is a strong recommendation if the story intrigues you or you love Edward G. Robinson. Recommended

Confessions Of A Nazi Spy can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through 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.