Why do you make me do it?” New York cop Jim Wilson asks the hoodlum he’s about to smash senseless. Jim has seen it all on the city’s shadowy streets: killers, thugs, pimps, sadists. And the experience has cost him his soul. Ironically, his redemption may come in his next case, a brutal murder that brings him into the open sky and white light of the countryside…and into the arms of a beautiful blind woman.

Directed with intensity by Nicholas Ray (Rebel Without a Cause, They Live by Night) and featuring a haunting score by Bernard Herrmann (Psycho), On Dangerous Ground is a taut, rapid-paced manhunt with two fine stars at its tortured heart. Noir master Robert Ryan captures Jim’s agonized self-hatred. And Ida Lupino burnishes the screen as the sightless angel whose compassion gives him one last chance at life.

For thoughts on On Dangerous Ground, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/-SIE4ZmeBEA?si=20LQg16jhUrOrNaG&t=61]

Video Quality

Warner Archive brought On Dangerous Ground to Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer during the early days of 2016 sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. This moody noir serves as one of the most fetching efforts during this period from the company that is so associated with top-tier quality. Given they were working with the original unblemished source, this transfer is a true beauty. Print damage is virtually nonexistent to these eyes, which shows how much care has been put into the preservation. The presentation has a substantial amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. This black-and-white feature maintains the natural film grain throughout which provides a notable amount of detail to the image. Warner Archive has provided a great transfer for this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that showcases this soundscape with ease. Dialogue emanates clearly in all environments. None of the sound effects or the dramatic score from Bernard Herrmann ever overpowers exchanges on this release. This is not the most vital soundscape, but it holds up without any issues. There does not appear to be any damage or age-related wear and tear to the track. This is a solid audio presentation that fans should appreciate. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Glenn Erickson provides a thorough commentary track in which he discusses the history and legacy of the film, the initial rejection from the critics, the casting of the ensemble, the impact of RKO on the post-production process, and more.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

On Dangerous Ground is a fairly compelling film noir that depicts the evolution of a man wrestling with his wickedness. Robert Ryan does a terrific job playing both sides of this authority figure, and Ida Lupino does what she can with a role that is not written with the utmost care. Some moments of terror quicken your pulse in a surprisingly effective manner. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a great commentary track. If you are a film noir fan, this should be on your list. Recommended

On Dangerous Ground 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.