Posted Tue Mar 18, 2014 at 02:00 PM PDT by Tom Landy
Sidney Lumet's 1964 classic heads to Blu-ray in April.
In an early announcement to retailers, Olive Films is working on 'The Pawnbroker' for Blu-ray on April 22.
Directed by Academy-Award®-winner (Honorary Award 2005) Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon) and released in 1964, it was the first cinematic exploration of the darkest memories and feelings of a Holocaust survivor. Filmed in stark black and white, it was also the first film approved by the Production Code that contained nudity. Newly remastered in HD for this release, 'The Pawnbroker' is also being honored with a special screening as part of the 2014 TCM Film Festival.
Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night) earned a 1965 Best Actor Oscar® nomination for his stunning performance as Sol Nazerman, a survivor of a WWII Nazi death camp where his wife, parents and children were murdered. His soul robbed of hope, he takes refuge in misery and a bitter condemnation of humanity while managing a Harlem pawnshop subjected to an endless parade of prostitutes, pimps and thieves. Jamie Sanchez (The Wild Bunch) plays Ortiz, Sol’s underprivileged and idealistic assistant who dreams of a better life. 'The Pawnbroker' features evocative black-and-white cinematography by the great Boris Kaufman (On the Waterfront), a memorable jazz-influenced score by the legendary composer/producer Quincy Jones and a stellar supporting cast also including Geraldine Fitzgerald (Wuthering Heights), Brock Peters (To Kill a Mockingbird), Raymond St. Jacques (Cotton Comes to Harlem) as well as the debut of a very young Morgan Freeman.
Steiger received rave reviews for his performance as the cynical Nazerman and the actor would cite that role as a stand-out among his impressive body of work. The film went on to be selected in 2008 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Fifty years after its initial release, 'The Pawnbroker' still stands as a truly historic piece of filmmaking whose influence and compassion is still felt today.
The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a lossless mono soundtrack, and supplements have yet to be revealed.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.95.
You can find the latest specs for 'The Pawnbroker' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it is indexed under April 22.
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