Top writers, scientists and leaders converge annually on Stockholm to take part in the awarding of the prestigious Nobel Prizes. This year, however, some honorees will find the great event eclipsed by a greater challenge: staying alive. Paul Newman is up to his famed baby blues in danger and intrigue as Andrew Craig, a hard-drinking author and Nobel winner for literature. At first dismissive of the award and only interested in the cash it brings, Craig finds his writerly instincts and wit sharpened when he senses the physics prize winner (Edward G. Robinson) is an impostor. He sets out to expose the hoax, free-falling into a Cold War ploy of secrets, pursuits, subterfuge and assassins adapted for the screen (from Irving Wallace’s best-seller) with spice and wit by Ernest Lehman (North by Northwest, Sweet Smell of Success).

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Video Quality

Warner Archive released The Prize in 2019 with a tremendous 1080p master transfer in 2.35:1 from an unknown source. Warner Archive brings this material to life with effortless grandeur on this disc. One of the most troublesome aspects of the viewing experience is the prevalence of rear projection backgrounds, but this is inherent to the movie and not an issue with the transfer. The presentation retains the natural film grain which unveils welcome texture in the image. The film does not exhibit any damage or dirt after the remaster. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such anomalies do not arise as an issue in this transfer. Black levels hold firm without giving into crush and highlights are never an issue. The film features bold colors within the setting and costumes. Every scenario delivers detail and clarity that greatly enhances the visual palette. Warner Archive always shows off with its curation.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a remastered DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that presents this film ideally with a problem-free sonic experience. There is no egregious age-related wear and tear to the track such as hissing, dropouts, or popping. Dialogue and background elements are carefully balanced in conjunction with the evocative score. Dialogue emanates clearly with no elements drowning out any exchanges. The kinetic moments are handled admirably and give the track a bit of energy. Warner Archive has lived up to its standard level of quality. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Trailer (3:30)

Final Thoughts

The Prize has its share of charms, but one cannot avoid feeling like this is a bit of a Hitchcock knockoff. There are many things that this feel does not execute as well as the Master of Suspense, yet we still find ourselves having fun thanks to the presence of Paul Newman. We wish a bit more work had gone into crafting a script that was both gripping and logical. This is not the best from anyone involved, but we still recommend it if you are a fan of the talent. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that boasts a great A/V presentation but virtually no special features. Recommended

The Prize 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.