Newly restored by ClassicFlix, in collaboration with the Library of Congress, Michael Curtiz' poignant Technicolor western The Proud Rebel (1958) starring Alan Ladd and Olivia de Havilland is coming to Blu-ray on May 20th!
Fans of the The Proud Rebel, which has wallowed in faded, low grade transfers to date, are in for a special treat as not only were over 300 man hours put into the restoration from a 4K scan performed by the Library of Congress, but the source material used was from a 35mm IB Tech print—a dye transfer process which strongly preserves a film's original color so viewers will get to see Rebel with the same rich colors as moviegoers did during its original theatrical release in 1958.
Several bonus features are part of the package including an audio commentary with Alan K. Rode, author of Michael Curtiz - A Life in Film, and a new interview by Rode with actor/producer David Ladd, son of Alan Ladd who played "David" in The Proud Rebel.
Also available on DVD. See below for more details.
Newly restored by ClassicFlix, in collaboration with the Library of Congress, Michael Curtiz' poignant Technicolor western The Proud Rebel (1958) starring Alan Ladd and Olivia de Havilland is now available on Blu-ray!
Wandering the North in search of medical advice for his mute son David, ex-Confederate soldier John Chandler (Alan Ladd) finds himself in Aberdeen, Illinois—the next stop in a long trail of towns where he desperately hopes to find a cure for his youngster who lost the power of speech when a traumatic fire took the life of his mother.
While many townsfolk in Aberdeen still hold a grudge against Southerners, the same can't be said for kindly doctor Enos Davis (Cecil Kellaway) who recommends John head to Minnesota where a specialist may be able to treat David's condition. Before he can leave town, however, Chandler runs afoul of Jeb and Tom Burleigh—one-armed sheep rancher Harry Burleigh's roughneck sons—who pick a fight with John after attempting to steal David's beloved dog.
Dragged before an indifferent judge, John is railroaded with an assault and battery charge and given the choice of 30 days or $30…neither of which he can afford. On hand for the trial is spinster Linnett Moore (de Havilland) who intervenes on John's behalf by offering to pay his fine while he works off the debt on her farm.
Starring Alan Ladd in one of his most sober and moving performances, and a feistily endearing Olivia de Havilland, The Proud Rebel also boasts being helmed by one of the Golden Age's most prolific directors in Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), along with beautiful cinematography by Ted McCord (Sound of Music) and a rousing score by Jerome Moross (The Big Country).
Alan Ladd's real-life son, David (in the role of David), and consummate character actor Dean Jagger are featured, with superb support from Cecil Kellaway, Harry Dean Stanton, James Westerfield, Henry Hull, Tom Pittman, John Carradine, Percy Helton and Mary Wickes.
Restored from a Library of Congress 4K scan on an IB Tech print in their collection. Aspect ratio is 1.85:1.
BONUS FEATURES: