Based on the smash Broadway hit, the gritty and gripping drama of Detective Story explodes onto the big screen under the capable direction of William Wyler (The Good Fairy, Ben-Hur). Set amidst the hectic activity of a New York City police station, Kirk Douglas (Paths of Glory) stars as the principled, rigid detective whose personal code has become twisted from dealing with too many criminals. Eleanor Parker (Caged) is his wife, tormented by a guilty secret. While the business of the precinct swirls around them—from a case involving a frightened shoplifter (Lee Grant, The Landlord) to an amusing burglar (Joseph Wiseman, Dr. No)—the couple’s personal conflict reaches an explosive, unforgettable climax. Academy Award nominations went to Wyler (for Best Director), Parker (Best Actress), Grant (Best Supporting Actress) and the writing team of Robert Wyler (The Big Country) and Philip Yordan (The Big Combo) for their vivid screenplay. Co-stars William Bendix (Lifeboat), Cathy O’Donnell (They Live by Night) and George Macready (Gilda) also give sterling performances in this classic cop noir.
For thoughts on Detective Story, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Detective Story makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p transfer from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative courtesy of Paramount. While this film may be over 70 years old, this presentation holds up really well despite a few small deficiencies slipping through the remastering gauntlet. The new transfer exhibits a grand amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The police station is not an expansive setting, but the way it is shot makes it feel like a formidable space.
Black levels are deep with no obvious occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is strictly defined, and the track only experiences momentary instances of flicker and density fluctuation in the print. You do have the occasional stray line or speck of damage, but it is obvious that it has been spruced up considerably. The fetching black-and-white photography shot by Lee Garmes shines in high definition with natural grain intact. You get a pleasing amount of detail present with textures on the clothing and within the carefully considered production design. Kino Classics has provided a really impressive presentation for this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie well considering its age. The track can admittedly sound a bit thin when it comes to the music, which likely can be attributed to the age of the source elements. Luckily, the music does not overwhelm the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background elements are represented in harmony with all competing elements. This track does present a minor amount of age related wear and tear and some faint hissing, but it is not a persistent issue. Kino Classics has done a nice job here. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Author/Film Historian Alan K. Rode delivers a really informative commentary track in which he talks about how this film fits into the career of William Wyler, the background of the ensemble players, how it compares to the original play, the fight to get around censorship, the uncertainty you feel towards the protagonist, the costumes featured in the film and many other topics. This is a well-researched track that is worth checking out.
- Trailers: There is a two-and-a-half minute trailer provided for Detective Story. There are also trailers for Paths Of Glory, Lonely Are The Brave, A Lovely Way To Die, The Web, Cry Of The City, Kiss The Blood Off My Hands, The Turning Point, Deadline U.S.A. and 99 River Street.
Final Thoughts
Detective Story is a palpable drama from the great William Wyler which paints an unpleasant portrait of a flawed man. Kirk Douglas does a really great job of playing a character who is really great at being a detective, but is a failure in most other aspects of his life. The dynamic he has with his neglected wife can be hard to watch, but she is at least given some degree of agency within the overarching narrative. You might not be the most cheerful after watching this one, but it does keep you glued to the screen. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports a great A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a fan of the cast or the director, be sure to add this to your list. Recommended
Detective Story 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.