‘Passage To Marseille’ Blu-Ray Review – Humphrey Bogart Tackles Wartime Reflection

Unfolded in a complex flashback-within-flashback structure, this is the story of Jean Matrac, a freedom-loving French journalist who sacrifices his happiness and security to battle Nazi tyranny. The film opens as French liason officer Freycinet, stationed in London, tells Mantrac’s story to a British reporter. Freycinet reveals that Mantrac, happily married to Paula, was framed by pro-fascists and sentenced to Devil’s Island. Here he engineered a daring escape with such lost souls as Marius, Garou, Petit and Renault. Adrift in a lifeboat, the escapees were picked up by a French vessel commandeered by pro-fascist Major Duval. With the help of Mantrac and the prisoners, the ship’s patriotic captain thwarted Duval’s evil machinations, enabling Mantrac to continue his battle against Nazism as a member of the RAF.

For thoughts on Passage to Marseille, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: 

Video Quality

Warner Archive brought Passage to Marseille to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer back in the early days of the label’s shift to Blu-Ray in 2015 sourced from a 2K scan of the Fine Grain Master Positive. Bogart is one of the most celebrated stars from the Golden Age of Warner Bros., and the team at the label made sure his shift to HD was handled with the appropriate care. The black-and-white feature maintains a firm contrast while retaining its sumptuous natural film grain. Thanks to this transfer you are treated to so much detail in the image including the impressive set design and outfits. Print damage has been cleaned up well thanks to the care put into the preservation. The presentation has a favorable amount of depth to it including in the dark corners where there are no signs of black crush. This transfer is a top-tier effort for the time with very few drawbacks encountered. Warner Archive puts forth great work. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono track that serves the film well within its reserved sonic ambitions. The dialogue comes through well in all situations with no trace of sibilance. None of the sound effects or the Max Steiner score ever cover up exchanges on this release. There does not appear to be any serious damage or age-related wear and tear to the track. This is a perfectly fine audio presentation that fans should appreciate. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided.

Special Features

• Warner Night At The Movies

• • Uncertain Glory Theatrical Trailer: A two-minute trailer for an Errol Flynn film. 

• • Newsreel: A 56-second newsreel about “women marines”. 

• • I Won’t Play: An 18-minute live-action short film about a soldier sharing tales about his time in Hollywood.

• • Jammin’ the Blues: A ten-minute live-action short film about a jazz jam session. 

• • The Weakly Reporter: A seven-minute animated Merrie Melodies short that continues the war theme of this section. 

• The Free French – Unsung Victors: A 17-minute archival featurette is provided in which various historians give context to the historical events that serve as the background of the film. 

• Breakdowns: A seven-minute gag reel from various different films. 

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

Final Thoughts

Passage to Marseille is not a top-tier outing from Humphrey Bogart, but even mid-level work from the star is better than a lot of films from the era. The nonlinear structure occasionally ruins the flow of things, but for the most part, it proves to be effective. There is some obvious care put into the crafting of the film, and the ensemble supports Bogart quite well. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and some great special features. Fans of old-school Hollywood should certainly pick this up. Recommended 

Passage to Marseille 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.