The Big Combo: Special Edition – Ignite Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Dates: USA, 1955 (The Big Combo), USA, 1949 (The Crooked Way)
Director: Joseph H. Lewis (The Big Combo), Robert Florey (The Crooked Way)
Cast: Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, Jean Wallace, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Earl Holliman, Helen Walker, Jay Adler, John Hoyt, Ted de Corsia, Helene Stanton (The Big Combo), John Payne, Sonny Tufts, Ellen Drew, Rhys Williams, Percy Helton, John Doucette, Charles Evans, Greta Granstedt (The Crooked Way)

Release Date: December 15th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 88 Minutes 25 Seconds (The Big Combo), 90 Minutes 32 Seconds (The Crooked Way)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 (The Big Combo), 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 2.0 Mono English, DTS-HD 1.0 Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono Spanish (The Big Combo), DTS-HD Mono English (The Crooked Way)
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazil), Swedish (The Big Combo)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD, Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $34.95

"Cornel Wilde plays police lieutenant Leonard Diamond, whose relentless campaign against powerful crime boss Mr. Brown (Richard Conte) has become as personal as it is professional. Diamond's obsession is intensified by his feelings for Brown's troubled mistress Susan Lowell (Jean Wallace), whose desperation to escape the gangster's control may provide the opening he needs to finally bring Brown down.

The Big Combo builds its underworld story around shifting loyalties, buried secrets and an increasingly destructive contest between two determined men. Brian Donlevy plays former syndicate boss Joe McClure, while Robert Middleton appears as Brown's associate Dreyer and Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman portray the inseparable hitmen Fante and Mingo. Helen Walker also figures prominently in Diamond's investigation." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (The Big Combo), 3.75/5 (The Crooked Way)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "This digital restoration of The Big Combo was undertaken by Ignite Films, working from a 35mm Fine Grain Answer Print and a 35mm Optical Sound Negative. The picture was restored in 4K by The Grainery, while the audio was sourced from an UCLA restoration funded by The Film Foundation. The color grading was carried out by Gosia Grzyb under the supervision and approval of Scott MacQueen."

The Big Combo comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 60.7 GB

Feature: 54.2 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

The Crooked Way comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.7 GB

Feature: 26.5 GB

Although the source of The Crooked Way is not as pristine as that of The Big Combo, it still looks great, aside from some minor blemishes. Flesh tones appear accurate, and both image clarity and black levels are strong. There are no compression issues, and the image maintains an organic quality.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD 2.0 Mono English - The Big Combo, DTS-HD 1.0 Mono English - The Big Combo), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono - The Crooked Way)

The Big Combo comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD 2.0 mono mix in English, a DTS-HD 1.0 mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in German, and a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish. For this release I only listened to the English tracks. Both tracks are in excellent shape; dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. The removable subtitle options include English, English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazil), and Swedish.

The Crooked Way comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. There are no subtitles. The track sounds clear and balanced, and range-wise it is satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer for The Big Combo (2 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by Scout Tafoya titled How a Guy Makes a Living—How a Little Combo Made The Big Combo (18 minutes 29 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author and critic Philippe Garnier, who discusses The Big Combo (16 minutes 16 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Eddie Muller, the “Czar of Noir” and founder of the Film Noir Foundation, and an audio commentary with film historian and noir expert Imogen Sara Smith.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an archival interview with film critic and curator Geoff Andrew, who discusses The Bog Combo (19 minutes 20 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival appreciation titled Wagon Wheel Joe by David Cairns, who discusses director Joseph H. Lewis (19 minutes, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and a bonus feature film, The Crooked Way (90 minutes 32 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles). 

Other extras include reversible cover art.

Summary:

The Big Combo: Joseph H. Lewis directed The Big Combo. He’s known for Invisible Ghost, The Mad Doctor on Market Street, My Name Is Julia Ross, So Dark the Night, Gun Crazy, Cry of the Hunted and Terror in a Texas Town.

When a determined police lieutenant is ordered to cease his investigation into the notorious crime boss, Mr. Brown, he decides to take matters into his hands. Each time he gets close to capturing his target, Mr. Brown always seems to be one step ahead, successfully thwarting the lieutenant's efforts. In his one last attempt to bring Mr. Brown to justice, the lieutenant finds an ally in Mr. Brown’s girlfriend who despises him.

Made at what is considered the end of film noir’s original cycle, The Big Combo is one of the few latter cycle film noirs that holds up extremely well. In its opening moments, the narrative grabs with a scene where a woman is frantically running away from two men. From there, the narrative does an excellent job creating tense moments that build upon each other, culminating in an intense finale. When it comes to pacing and creating momentum, The Big Combo delivers in spades.

The Big Combo is a film that strictly deals with good and bad; there are no grey areas—it is always clear where any character stands morally. Obsession is a recurring theme in numerous Film noir, and in The Big Combo, the narrative revolves around the police lieutenant’s fixation on bringing Mr. Brown to justice. Another prevalent theme explored is the way the criminal justice system often safeguards those criminals who know how to manipulate it to their advantage.

All around, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Richard Conte's (Thieves' Highway) menacing portrayal of Mr. Brown. Another performance of note is Jean Wallace’s (Jigsaw) portrayal of Mr. Brown’s girlfriend. The rest of the cast is filled with recognizable faces, with Cornel Wilde (Leave Her to Heaven) in the role of police lieutenant Leonard Diamond, Brian Donlevy (Impact), and Lee Van Cleef (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) portraying henchmen killers.

The Big Combo is a film where everything perfectly comes together. Besides a well-crafted narrative and excellent performances, the visuals are another area where the film excels. The Big Combo’s striking use of light and shadow greatly enhances the mood. Another area where the visuals excel is how well they work with the sound design. There is a torture scene with a hearing aid and a killing of a deaf gangster where the combination of sight and sound is outstanding. Ultimately, The Big Combo is an exemplary crime film that stands out as one of the high-water marks of film noir, making it a must-see for fans of the genre. 

The Crooked Way: Robert Florey directed The Crooked Way. He’s known for Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Face Behind the Mask, and The Beast with Five Fingers.

A war hero with amnesia returns to a place that holds the key to unlocking his memories. Immediately upon his arrival, he’s met with hostility from the locals who offer him little to go on. From there, he slowly uncovers the truth and is forced to confront his criminal past.

The premise includes all the elements typically associated with a protagonist facing an extraordinary situation where their past resurfaces. Instead of trying to clear his name, the protagonist runs toward danger when an event puts him in the crosshairs of the police. That said, until the protagonist fully confronts his past, he has no future.

While the opening setup effectively establishes the groundwork for the unfolding events, the narrative truly gains momentum in the latter half. From there, the narrative is a tense ride that does an excellent job building momentum to a confrontational finale that ends in a hellfire of bullets. The narrative also excels in how it reveals information about the protagonist's past.

When it comes to the performances, they suit the story that unfolds well. John Payne (Kansas City Confidential) is cast in the role of the protagonist, Eddie Rice, also known as Eddie Riccardi. He delivers a convincing portrayal of a man with no memory of his past. Another performance of note is Ellen Drew’s (Isle of the Dead) portrayal of Nina Martin, Eddie’s ex-girlfriend. Although the bad guy characters are your typical stereotypes, the actors who portray them all deliver highly entertaining performances.

Robert Florey’s direction finds a satisfying balance between arresting visual set pieces and letting the performance be the focal point. The most memorable moment is saved for the shootout final, where Eddie faces off against his former partner who’s now a crime boss. Ultimately, The Crooked Way is a well-crafted crime drama that’s infused with Film noir style.

The Big Combo gets an exceptional release from Ignite Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, a bonus film, and informative extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

                                            The Crooked Way Blu-ray Screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer