Many have already acknowledged the passing of Jack Cardiff, one of many great cinematographers who people know better by his work than his name. For those who love his craft in any capacity behind the camera, it's time to look at where there are holes in home viewing options. He directed a few features that are still missing on DVD (already featured in our Most Wanted box), but I wanted to give as comprehensive a look as possible at all of his work and where it stands digitally. For someone so associated with the images he burned into the memories of many, I've included those titles he shot that may be on DVD, but not yet Blu-ray, knowing full well that the progression to Blu takes time.
As Cinematographer
Hepburn and Bogart
The African Queen (Huston, 1946)
Paramount has long-promised this would eventually come to DVD (and now Blu-ray), and it stands as one of the prestige catalogue titles not yet available on home video in the US since VHS. It has been available on DVD in what looks like an all-region Hong Kong dupe of questionable quality for a few years.
Still unreleased, VOD only, and Out of Print
The Awakening (Newell, 1980)
Charleton Heston is featured as an archaeologist whose daughter is possessed by an ancient Egyptian spirit. Those archaeologists and their propensity for entanglements with evil spirits! Susannah York is in it as well, and fans of the Harry Potter movies will recognize Miriam Margoyles in a small role. This title has not been on DVD in the US, though it has popped up in the UK and Australia. Americans do have the option of VOd renting through Amazon on their computer for the time being.
Death on the Nile (Guillermin, 1978)
Starz/Anchor Bay released this Ustinov-starring Poirot movie in 2001, but it has since gone out of print. It would be nice to see a DVD/Blu rerelease alongside other Poirot titles they have.
Directed by Cardiff
The Mercenaries (aka Dark of the Sun, 1968)
This is his greatest directorial effort not released to DVD. Described quite accurately as a cross between The Dirty Dozen and Heart of Darkness, Rod Taylor's performance here is raw and intricate, absolutely stellar. With the major studio release this year of a "death squad on a mission" movie (Inglourious Basterds), one could hope we see MGM or whoever controls Dark of the Sun (as many know it from VHS) give it a decent release at least in time for the Tarantino movie's home video release. That's something I'd buy five of for friends. A great discovery for many that has faded due to never seeing any kind of digital release.
Young Cassidy (1965)
John Ford started out directing this movie and then passed the reins to Cardiff when he fell ill. It tells the story of Irish playwright Sean O'Casey (here renamed Johnny Cassidy) and stars no less than Rod Taylor wrestling with choosing from two love interests: a prostitute (Julie Christie) and a bookshop clerk (Maggie Smith). Having never seen it and only read about it, this looks like a lightweight, melodramatic biopic like any other, but the headliners and supporting cast demand it be viewable. Michael Redgrave, Flora Robson, Jack McGowran, Sian Phillips, and Edith Evans are all good reasons to
Dean Stockwell and Mary Ure
Sons and Lovers (1960)
Dean Stockwell with a controlling mother bearing down on him plus early 1960s monochrome. Fox owns the rights, so who knows if we'll ever see this one. There's an Australian disc and a Hong Kong crap transfer, but that's not good enough for me. B&W deserves justice.
Marianne Faithfull
The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)
Released in 1999 and now out of print. Alain Deleon and Marianne Faithfull star. Wife leaves her husband and hits the road on a Harley.
M.I.A. on Blu
War & Peace (Vidor, 1956)
Paramount put this one out in 2002. It could be a good addition to a burgeoning catalogue selection.
The Barefoot Contessa (Mankiewicz, 1954)
MGM released a bare version of this in 2000. I don't care if they make me buy it in a 3 or 4 movie set, I would like to see it in 1080p.
Moira Shearer
The Red Shoes (Powell & Pressburger, 1948)
Black Narcissus (Powell & Pressburger, 1947)
A dance classic and an emblematic Britons-in-the-jungle story. Criterion's existing editions of both currently sit on the my top Criterion shelf (I have them separated for cataloging purposes). Now that I've seen a few pre-1960 transfers from them and WB, I'm hungry for both of these. I'll pay the upgrade cost on all the ones I already own.
Kim Hunter and David Niven
A Matter of Life and Death [aka Stairway to Heaven] (Powell & Pressburger, 1946)
This is available in a double feature package released in January (paired with Age of Consent). Sony have it, and as the progenitors of Blu-ray, this one would be a stellar catalogue title for them to get on store shelves. It's the movie that introduced me to David Niven, and I could watch it any day of the week.
Ava Gardner in Pandora
Pandora and The Flying Dutchman (Lewin, 1951)
Kino released this one in 2000. Starring Ava Gardner (also in front of Cardiff's lens in Contessa), James Mason plays a mysterious potential love interest in a picture that isn't very deep, but is great to bask in the technicolor glow of on a Sunday afternoon. The Kino DVD is currently sitting in the Blu-ray price range at $26.99 on Amazon. I'd rather wait a few years than drop that on a 9-year-old DVD at this point.
Under Capricorn (Hitchcock, 1949)
Image released this in 2003 on DVD. I'm not a huge fan of it, but for completion's sake, it should be available in HD, both due to Cardiff's work and the fact it's a Hitch title.
The Black Rose (Hathaway, 1950)
Tyrone Power, Orson Welles, and owned by Fox. This was part of their 2007 Tyrone Power box set, and I hope to see the thing just rereleased with a Blu coat of paint.
Screencap from Vikings cropped to prevent spoiling.
The Vikings (Fleischer, 1958)
Another MGM title dropped on DVD in the early 0's, the 2.35:1 photography demands a Blu-ray transfer with a cast like Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, and Janet Leigh. The DVD is ten bucks, but I'd pay $20 for Blu. Put it in a box with two other things I don't care about, and I'll buy it anyway.
Legend of the Lost (Hathaway, 1957)
John Wayne and Sophia Loren star. MGM owns it, and could pack this in a three-movie set of other Wayne movies, easy. Gorgeous frames of West Africa before a series of conflicts split it into a bunch of pieces.
Fanny (Logan, 1961)
Image released this in 2008 after many clamored for it, and I'm uncertain of the quality that came across. As with many of their releases, it's a mixed bag from what I've read, with dirt and flaws marring the opening sequence. Image does not appear to have done any cleanup or restoration, which Cardiff's photography of Marseilles demands. Some are glad it's available, but many fans stay away. Questions abound as to whether Warner Bros. still retains any rights to this title. If they do, they should slap it and a couple other non-marquee name musicals into a restored Blu box and I'd buy it.
The Dogs of War (Irvin, 1980)
Early 1980's merc movie with Walken and Berenger. Another MGM 2001 release. People buy bundles and double features. Pair it with another action movie from the same era and charge $20.