Posted Thu Jun 6, 2013 at 08:00 AM PDT by Tom Landy
The 1934 classic starring Leslie Howard and Bette Davis has been remastered for Blu-ray this month.
In an early announcement to retailers, Kino Video says 'Of Human Bondage: Remastered Edition' will hit Blu-ray on June 18.
'Of Human Bondage was made in 1934, during the time when Bette Davis was a contract player at Warner Bros., and she was loaned out to RKO for what would become her break-out role under the direction of John Cromwell.
Adapted from the acclaimed story by W. Somerset Maugham, the film stars Leslie Howard ('Gone with the Wind') as Philip, an artist who gives up his work to return to medical school. He becomes obsessed with a vulgar and manipulative waitress, Mildred (played by Bette Davis), which proves to be his undoing. Undeterred by her obvious contempt for him, Philip continues to lavish his affection upon Mildred, and allows his personal and professional life to fall to pieces around him as a consequence of her sadistic whims.
Bette Davis was an unlikely choice for the role of the Cockney, working-class waitress, but the complexity of her performance brought her to the attention of audiences and the studios alike, with her fearless portrayal of the character's dark and erotic qualities.
Specs have yet to be revealed, but the Blu-ray will be mastered in HD from archival 35mm elements preserved by the Library of Congress and will include the Revealing Mr. Maugham documentary (2012, 83 min.).
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.95.
You can find the latest specs for 'Of Human Bondage: Remastered Edition' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under June 18.
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