5 Card Stud
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Synopsis
After a player is discovered to have cheated his way to winning at a high-stakes card game, he’s sentenced to a no-trial hanging, despite the objections of fellow player, Van Morgan. Although the men responsible for the murder go unpunished, it’s not long before a cowboy-garbed killer begins stalking those involved with the crime and killing them off one by one. Is Van dispensing his own breed of outlaw justice or could another, even more vengeful assailant be responsible for the bloodshed?
A creative blend of old-fashioned Hollywood Western sensibilities with a twist-filled whodunit, acclaimed Western director Henry Hathaway’s (True Grit) unique thriller 5 CARD STUD stars Academy Award® nominee Robert Mitchum (The Night of the Hunter), Rat Pack member Dean Martin (Ocean’s 11), cult character actor Roddy McDowell (Fright Night), two time Emmy® nominee Inger Stevens, plus an early performance from future star Yaphet Kotto (Alien). Juxtaposing exciting action sequences with unexpectedly mean-spirited murders, all leading to a very giallo-esque final act, Vinegar Syndrome Labs proudly brings this unique Hollywood genre hybrid to Blu-ray for the first time, freshly restored in 4K from its 35mm camera negative!
Picture 9/10
Vinegar Syndrome presents Henry Hathaway’s genre-blending murder-mystery/slasher/western 5 Card Stud on a dual-layer Blu-ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The 1080p/24hz high-definition presentation is sourced from a new 4K restoration, scanned from the 35mm original negative.
Vinegar Syndrome has done an outstanding job with this transfer and restoration, meticulously cleaning up the film while leaving only a few minor blemishes (a noticeable improvement compared to the heavily damaged clips seen in the supplemental features). The film’s grain is beautifully captured, and the encode handles it exceptionally well, rendering a clean and natural image even against the bright, open skies.
Colors lean slightly towards red but remain well-saturated overall, and black levels are rich and deep with impressive shadow detail, particularly in the nighttime scenes, which feature crisp highlights. In all it looks great, making it a bit of a shame that it wasn’t also given a 4K release.
Audio 7/10
The two-channel monaural presentation is equally impressive. Dialogue is sharp and clear, and the film’s music—including the catchy title number—exhibits broad range and excellent fidelity. Damage is not an issue, and there are no signs of heavy filtering or distortion.
Extras 7/10
The film receives a modest special edition with a handful of decent features. Film historian Brian Hannan contributes a new audio commentary that examines the movie within the broader context of director Henry Hathaway’s career and the Western genre’s waning popularity at the time. Hannan offers a solid defense of the film, appreciating its genre-blending elements and Hathaway’s framing and construction of scenes. He also compares the film to the novel it’s based on, noting the removal of overt racism present in the source material. It’s a worthwhile track that covers the film’s production, Hathaway’s direction, and provides a reasoned argument in favor of the film.
Two interviews expand on themes from Hannan’s commentary: Walter Chaw delivers a 21-minute discussion on Henry Hathaway’s career, while Lizzie Francke, appearing via a somewhat distorted FaceTime call, explores the career of screenwriter Marguerite Roberts in a 14-minute segment. Francke’s look at Roberts is particularly compelling, tracing her journey from her early days at Fox to her later success with True Grit, despite years of being blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Chaw also does a fine job highlighting Hathaway’s subtle directorial touches, including small, humanizing moments that might easily go unnoticed.
The release is rounded out with a booklet featuring an essay by Jim Healy, which, whether intentionally or not, serves as a solid summary of the on-disc content.
While the special features aren’t extensive, they’re insightful and add appreciable context to the film.
Closing
Vinegar Syndrome's new Blu-ray offers a commendable defense of the film, paired with a sharp and impressive high-definition presentation.
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