The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
I put up a passing mention of this obscure little gem on the Image Ent thread (notwithstanding our recent speaking elsewhere of fantastic double - bills), regarding the disc, and how on it the film is paired with another rare independent gem from the thirties called Prison Train (Gorden Wiles, 1938). I'm creating a thread in the hopes that more will catch the title and hopefully those who've seen it can speak up! And so that those who haven't will catch the drift. These films are magnificent:
I have just acquired the fabulous Image disc of this (these) title(s) and am absolutely enthralled. First of all the treatment of the films themselves is absolutely wonderful-- the transfer (despite the lack of digital cleanup), full progressive on both titles (on a dual layer disc), with prints taken from the original camera negative (Nora Marin) and the original nitrate workprint (Prison Train)... the first title having been restored by the UCLA Film & TV Archive... the state of both films, contrastwise, conditionwise, soundwise-- all excellent. Especially considering the fact that they are both B films, independent films produced outside of the Hollywood system during the days of early sound. The disc, visually, is wonderful.
I'll be posting a lot more on these titles, but Ive skimmed thru them and am utterly enraptured... wonderfully subjective, roving camera, hugely imaginative mise en scene, beautifully germanic lighting. And Zita Johann, 2 yrs before The Mummy! There's no doubt that these films had an effect on Welles not just viz the skewed structure of KANE (and the use of Comingore), but viz the hugely original visual style. At times Marin feels like something out of the best of Roland West, i e Alibi, or the avant visual stylings of The Bat Whispers.
Run dont walk! Hidden gems of highest caliber.
I have just acquired the fabulous Image disc of this (these) title(s) and am absolutely enthralled. First of all the treatment of the films themselves is absolutely wonderful-- the transfer (despite the lack of digital cleanup), full progressive on both titles (on a dual layer disc), with prints taken from the original camera negative (Nora Marin) and the original nitrate workprint (Prison Train)... the first title having been restored by the UCLA Film & TV Archive... the state of both films, contrastwise, conditionwise, soundwise-- all excellent. Especially considering the fact that they are both B films, independent films produced outside of the Hollywood system during the days of early sound. The disc, visually, is wonderful.
I'll be posting a lot more on these titles, but Ive skimmed thru them and am utterly enraptured... wonderfully subjective, roving camera, hugely imaginative mise en scene, beautifully germanic lighting. And Zita Johann, 2 yrs before The Mummy! There's no doubt that these films had an effect on Welles not just viz the skewed structure of KANE (and the use of Comingore), but viz the hugely original visual style. At times Marin feels like something out of the best of Roland West, i e Alibi, or the avant visual stylings of The Bat Whispers.
Run dont walk! Hidden gems of highest caliber.
- Rufus T. Firefly
- Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:24 am
- Location: Sydney, Australia
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- Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:31 am
- Location: Somerset, England
- HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
I've watched both of these films twice in three days now and can't cover them with enough praise. Nora Marin is quite simply one of the most sophisticated scripts to come out of the cinema of any country in any age, in any level of studio... not to mention this is a piece of what should have been B muck from Majestic Pictures. It boggles the mind. The way the story reveals itself thru an unfolding riccocheting to & fro thru time and standpoints... the way ellipses within ellipses occur, with the past being relived in the mind of the protagonist within the framework of the knowledge that it is being relived, and that it may (wishful thinking of course) be relived in a different manner to defy fate, etc. I don't want to give too much away because it's all so surprising, so tour de force, and feels so miraculous, given the resources at hand when it was made. The out of order unfolding is at least as avant as Epsteins Glace a trois faces, and more adventurous than the film it inspired-- Kane.
Prison Train-- made for $12,000 in 1938 (by Equity Pictures) and photographed like a funhouse mirror on acid. Like a combination of Roland West, Duvivier, and Third Man (and Monogram crime dramas)-- I've got to post caps of this thing. I could do it all day, there are so many magnificent setups in this thing.. and the disc really does it justice.
GRAB THIS DOUBLE FEATURE LEST IT GO OUT OF PRINT!
Prison Train-- made for $12,000 in 1938 (by Equity Pictures) and photographed like a funhouse mirror on acid. Like a combination of Roland West, Duvivier, and Third Man (and Monogram crime dramas)-- I've got to post caps of this thing. I could do it all day, there are so many magnificent setups in this thing.. and the disc really does it justice.
GRAB THIS DOUBLE FEATURE LEST IT GO OUT OF PRINT!
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
Coming to Blu from PD label Film Detective in what appears to be a pressed (not BD-R like most of their titles) release
- soundchaser
- Leave Her to Beaver
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 12:32 am
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
That golden ticket promotion the article mentions is bizarre, but you won't hear me complaining if I win.
- L.A.
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
I think this was an influence on Citizen Kane (1941). I remember the old Image DVD looking stellar and the other film Prison Train (1938) included on the disc being good as well. Will definitely get the Blu-ray.
That cover reminded of The Story of Temple Drake (1933) which I also must grab.
That cover reminded of The Story of Temple Drake (1933) which I also must grab.
- jwd5275
- Joined: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:26 pm
- Location: SF, CA
- thirtyframesasecond
- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:48 pm
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
It's one of the iconic Vargas works, who was famous for his terrific pin-ups - as well as album covers for The Cars!
- L.A.
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
I would appreciate it if someone gets a copy and can confirm whether it is indeed pressed.domino harvey wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:43 pmComing to Blu from PD label Film Detective in what appears to be a pressed (not BD-R like most of their titles) release
- J Wilson
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:26 am
- Contact:
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
I've ordered a copy. The listing page on the retailer they link to just says it's a replicated disc.
- The Elegant Dandy Fop
- Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:25 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
I preordered this from Film Detective’s preferred distributor, Movie Zyng. Never heard of that site until last week. Has anyone gotten their copy yet? I preordered it based alone on the enthusiasim for it in this thread.
- Cash Flagg
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:15 pm
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
Mine is on the way. If you use the code ZITA!! on the checkout page, you get $4 off, so the total was $22.36 shipped, which is 46 cents cheaper than waiting for the next DD sale.
Blu-ray.com review
Blu-ray.com review
- J Wilson
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:26 am
- Contact:
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
I received my copy of this today. I checked out the first few minutes, and it looks fine - if you've seen the restored print that last played on TCM, it's the same transfer. The disc is pressed as assumed from the listing. There's a booklet with a brief essay and pictures of period newspaper articles about the film.
- L.A.
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
Thanks, J Wilson.J Wilson wrote: ↑Tue Aug 04, 2020 2:17 pmI received my copy of this today. I checked out the first few minutes, and it looks fine - if you've seen the restored print that last played on TCM, it's the same transfer. The disc is pressed as assumed from the listing. There's a booklet with a brief essay and pictures of period newspaper articles about the film.
- L.A.
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 7:33 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: The Sin of Nora Moran (Phil Goldstone, 1933)
Caught up with this one and wow is it a tonic to the toxic the Story of Temple Drake-- Criterion, ya grabbed the wrong one! The perfs aren't exactly pitching into a league much higher than those found there (though no one here comes even remotely close to the nadir of Hopkins), but the at-times Peter Ibbetson-esque fluidity between corporeal worlds is some next level Art from a poverty row studio, and this is a strong contender for best pre-noir noir, especially in the incessant hopelessness it offers its characters. I don't think you can really read the end to this film positively, but the filmmakers sure tried to spin it to make it not a downer. Spoiler: It's a downer