Kino Lorber announces the release of Felix E. Feist’s extraordinary 1933 disaster film DELUGE, in a new restoration from the original 35mm film elements by Lobster Films, now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Special features include an audio commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith, and a special bonus film, the complete 1934 film Back Page, starring Peggy Shannon (the star of DELUGE). The SRP for the Blu-ray is $29.95, and the SRP for the DVD is $19.95.
DELUGE is a tour-de-force of astonishing special effects that rank alongside those of other such classics of the decade as King Kong and San Francisco. Triggered by a series of earthquakes on the West Coast of the United States, a massive tidal wave circles the globe and — in a prolonged and spectacular special effects sequence — wipes out New York City. Sidney Blackmer stars as a man who, separated from his family, must begin to rebuild civilization in the wake of the catastrophe.
For decades, DELUGE was a lost film of almost mythical status, until horror/sci-fi archivist Forrest J. Ackerman discovered an Italian-dubbed print in 1981. Viewing this poor-quality print was an arduous experience and was only a dim substitute for the original film. But all this changed in 2016 when Lobster Films unearthed a 35mm nitrate negative with the original English soundtrack.
Film preservationist (and Lobster Films CEO) Serge Bromberg says, “Thanks to film archivist George Willeman (Library of Congress), we located the nitrate dupe negative in the archives of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée in France. Although this element was partly decomposed, the latest digital technologies allowed us to restore the image to its original sharpness. Our sound department, LE Diapason, performed extensive sound restoration to both the French and English soundtracks.”
The restored DELUGE had its premiere at L’Étrange Festival in Paris on September 18, 2016, followed by a limited theatrical release by Kino Lorber.
Bromberg says, “DELUGE is a magnificent film, and what was at the time certainly nightmarish seems today full of thrills and almost poetry. KING KONG was not the only fantastic film at RKO in 1933!”
Synopsis:
Earthquakes in the Pacific send a massive tsunami around the globe, reducing New York City to rubble. Martin Webster (Sidney Blackmer, Rosemary’s Baby) survives the catastrophe but is separated from his wife (Lois Wilson) and children. Pairing up with a headstrong young woman (Peggy Shannon), Webster struggles to rebuild civilization and cultivate a new post-apocalyptic moral code amidst the pillagers and vigilantes that remain.
For years considered a lost film, DELUGE is the holy grail of disaster movies, and has been restored from the original 35mm film elements by Lobster Films. Directed by Felix E. Feist (The Devil Thumbs a Ride, Donovan’s Brain), DELUGE lives up to its near-mythic reputation.
DELUGE (1933)
Blu-ray and DVD Street Date: February 21, 2017
Blu-ray SRP: $29.95
DVD SRP: $19.95
Director: Felix E. Feist
Screenplay: John Goodrich and Warren B. Duff, from the book by S. Fowler Wright
Starring Peggy Shannon, Lois Wilson , Sidney Blackmer,
Starring Peggy Shannon, Lois Wilson , Sidney Blackmer,
Matt Moore, Fred Kohler, Edward Van Sloan
Special Features:
Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
The Complete 1934 Feature Film BACK PAGE Starring Peggy Shannon, the Star of Deluge
1933 | B&W | 73 minutes | 1.33:1 | 1920x1080p | Not Rated
JournalStone Audio
From JournalStone
