Product Details

• Actors: Charles Boyer, Hedy Lamarr, Sigrid Gurie, Joseph Calleia, Alan Hale
• Directors: John Cromwell
• Writers: Henri La Barthe, James M. Cain, John Howard Lawson
• Producers: Walter Wanger
• Format: Black & White, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Alpha Video
• VHS Release Date: August 27, 2002
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303307914
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,258 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Item Name: Algiers; Studio: Alpha Video

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely bad DVD quality, September 19, 2002

By 

James C. Tarleton "Jim Tarleton" (New Orleans, La United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Algiers (DVD)

This movie is 1930's history. It's always fun to see a great cast like Boyer & Lamarr. But this print that was put on DVD is unwatchable. Grainy, jumpy, inaudible, faded - and this is being kind. At one point, there was even a double soundtrack being heard. I strongly advise - let's put a stop to this type of DVD being offered to the public. DVD's are a marvel to watch. It's a crime when you are subjected to this type of mess!!DO NOT BUY IT!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great movie / average DVD, January 29, 2004

By 

Ed Gibbon www.congocookbook.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Algiers (DVD)

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed "Algiers". The combination of plot, atmosphere, music, and great character acting moved the film right along and kept my interest. It's easy to see that this is what Warner Brothers had in mind when they made "Casablanca", and while "Casablanca" is a much better film, "Algiers" certainly does not deserve to sink into oblivion.

Charles Boyer does a fine job as a charming Parisian jewel thief hiding out in the "casbah" of Algiers (then a French colony); Hedy Lamarr, as the slumming tourist, is also very good. There are good supporting actors in most of the other parts, including Alan Hale (senior), father of Alan Hale (junior) who was "Skipper" on TV's "Gilligan's Island". Gene Lockhart, as the betrayer, is also a standout.

The "casbah" itself, part North African/part Hollywood, is also a star here. Lots of good set design and camerawork (James Wong Howe). I was curious about the music: it's partially credited to "Mohammed Igarbouchen" (a.k.a. Mohamed Ygerbuchen) and I found that he also did the music for the French "Pépé le Moko" of which "Algiers" was a re-make.

-- A word about the DVD: millions of dollars were not spent to restore picture and sound quality and provide lots of extras. Too bad. This DVD, from Alpha Video, is just the movie. The overall quality is not pristine. There are some scratches on the film and some noise on the soundtrack. A film from 1938 could look and sound a lot better. It looks like what's on the DVD probably came from a made-for-TV print, because the picture is slightly enlarged to completely fill the screen. This is obvious at the beginning when part of the credits text is off the edge of the screen. Still, as of this time, this is your only chance to get "Algiers" on DVD, and Alpha Video offers it at a bargain price; my recommendation is "buy it".

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Buy THIS copy not the other!, October 19, 2006

By 

S. Moseley (Chicago burbs) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Algiers (DVD)

Apparently Amazon sells two DVD versions of this movie. I bought this version because the reviews of the other version (ASIN: B00006II5I) reported extremely poor video and audio quality, and warned people not to buy it. This version has none of those reported problems.
As far as video and audio quality, it is obvious that this DVD was recorded directly from one of the old 1938 copies of the film. It has NOT been restored in any way. You see a few scratches in the film every so often, and there is a slight hiss in the audio just as you would expect while watching a movie this old. If you went to an old theater and they were running one of the original 1938 copies of this movie, this DVD is exactly what you would see. It's a matter of personal choice if you will like the authentic look of this DVD or prefer your old movies to be visually restored with enhanced audio.
The movie itself is a classic. It's a "must own" for anyone who is a collector of 1930's movies or a fan of Charles Boyer/Hedy Lamarr. This is the movie that really introduced Hedy Lamarr to American audiences after she moved to the U.S. and left her Ecstasy days behind.