KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1950)
Label: Warner Archive
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 102 Minutes 34 Seconds
Audio: English DTS HD-Master Audio Dual Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Full Frame (1.37:1)
Director: Compton Bennet & Andrew Martin
Audio: English DTS HD-Master Audio Dual Mono 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Full Frame (1.37:1)
Director: Compton Bennet & Andrew Martin
Cast: Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger, Richard Carlson
In the 1950 MGM produced Oscar-nominated adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's classic 1885 novel King Solomon's Mine Stewart Granger (The Wild Geese) plays the prototype action-adventurer Allan Quatermain, the African safari leader hired by English siblings John Goode (Richard Carlson, The Amazing Mr. X) and his siter Elizabeth Curtis (Deborah Kerr, Eye of the Devil) to guide their expedition into uncharted African territory in search of Curtis’ estranged husband who has gone missing while searching for the fabled treasure of the titular King Solomon's Mines. Despite the fact that no safari has yet to return from uninhabited regions of the continent Quatermain agrees with the promise of $5K whether they find her husband or not. With a dubious hand written map in hand, and a troupe of hired tribesman to carry supplied they embark on a journey of a lifetime. Shot on location in Africa we treated to the thrills of grasslands, the scorching desert, the dense jungle, treacherous river crossings, and mountainous terrain. There's no shortage of wildlife, we have encounters elephants, lions, hippos, and alligators all captured gorgeously in sharp-looking Technicolor. One of the most thrilling wild life encounters is that when the safaro is caught up in a zebra stampede and barricade themselves behind an outcropping of rocks as the zebra (and gazelle) whizz by, expertly shot so that you feel like the actors are actually there and in certain danger of being trampled. Of course we get a trip to the fabled mines with some wonderfully moody torch-lit cave interiors, and a mono-y-mono battle for supremacy between a despot tribal leader and the rightful heir to the throne of a local tribe. Aside from the wonderful action-adventure and safari elements we get a terrific romance story between Quatermain and Elizabeth who are initially quite opposed to one another, but on the adventure they begin to fall for one another as tense moments reveal deeper feelings of love, compounded by the fact that they're on a safari to hopefully rescue her missing husband.
In the 1950 MGM produced Oscar-nominated adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's classic 1885 novel King Solomon's Mine Stewart Granger (The Wild Geese) plays the prototype action-adventurer Allan Quatermain, the African safari leader hired by English siblings John Goode (Richard Carlson, The Amazing Mr. X) and his siter Elizabeth Curtis (Deborah Kerr, Eye of the Devil) to guide their expedition into uncharted African territory in search of Curtis’ estranged husband who has gone missing while searching for the fabled treasure of the titular King Solomon's Mines. Despite the fact that no safari has yet to return from uninhabited regions of the continent Quatermain agrees with the promise of $5K whether they find her husband or not. With a dubious hand written map in hand, and a troupe of hired tribesman to carry supplied they embark on a journey of a lifetime. Shot on location in Africa we treated to the thrills of grasslands, the scorching desert, the dense jungle, treacherous river crossings, and mountainous terrain. There's no shortage of wildlife, we have encounters elephants, lions, hippos, and alligators all captured gorgeously in sharp-looking Technicolor. One of the most thrilling wild life encounters is that when the safaro is caught up in a zebra stampede and barricade themselves behind an outcropping of rocks as the zebra (and gazelle) whizz by, expertly shot so that you feel like the actors are actually there and in certain danger of being trampled. Of course we get a trip to the fabled mines with some wonderfully moody torch-lit cave interiors, and a mono-y-mono battle for supremacy between a despot tribal leader and the rightful heir to the throne of a local tribe. Aside from the wonderful action-adventure and safari elements we get a terrific romance story between Quatermain and Elizabeth who are initially quite opposed to one another, but on the adventure they begin to fall for one another as tense moments reveal deeper feelings of love, compounded by the fact that they're on a safari to hopefully rescue her missing husband.
Audio/Video: King Solomon's Mines (1950) gets a region-free Blu-ray from Warner Archive with a new 2023 4K scan of original Technicolor camera negatives, presented in 1080p in the original full frame (1.37:1) aspect ratio, looking marvelous. The filmic clarity, depth and detail are premium, and the colors pop quite nicely, Kerr's wildfire red hair and porcelain skin looking quite wonderful, as does Granger's bronzed safari-tanned skin and chiseled leading man chin. The grand vistas of the grasslands to the mountainous areas are really quite stunning as well. There are some minor imperfection that pop-up in addition to some softer looking imagery and stock-footage that's pretty obvious, but overall this was a mid-century Technicolor stunner. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. Everything sounds great, the dialogue comes through clear and precise, the sounds of the African continent's wildlife, the thunder of a zebra stampede, the roar of raging waters, the piercing gunfire, and Elizabeth's screams when under attack by a leopard or accidentally stepping on a alligator - it all sounds great, appropriately vintage, but clean and well-balanced,
Archival extras include a 10-min Behind-the-Scenes featurette “Jungle Safari” and the 4-min Original Theatrical Trailer. It's pretty obvious that both Dodge and Coca-Cola either co-footed the bill for the film paid for the making-of doc. If you played a drinking game and took shots overtime you heard the words "Dodge", Cocoa-Cola", or "Metro-Goldwyn Mayer" while watching it I am 100% certain you would be long dead before it was over. The trailer is also pretty great in that it shows you just how wonderful this new restoration is compared to the admittedly not-that-great looking trailer. The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the original illustrated movie poster, which is also featured on the disc inside.
Special Features:
Special Features:
- Behind-the-Scenes featurette “Jungle Safari” (9:48) HD
- Original Theatrical Trailer (3:31)
Screenshots from the Warner Archive Blu-ray:
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