Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54702 in DVD
• Brand: Alpha Video
• Released on: 2002-08-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Customer Reviews

Extremely bad DVD quality
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!

Great movie / average 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".

Don't Buy Alpha Version, Buy Another
First, 4 stars for the film, 0 for this version! This Alpha Video version (DVD) has a dreadful 20 minute sequence where some stupid Sci-Fi movie's audio dominates this movie's sound. Alpha should not produce/sell any more of these unless they correct the problem. Amazon sells another version, ASIN: B0002CR4GY (Release date 09/28/2004, one of the ones without a picture as of this review date, you can see the picture on another site perhaps) that does NOT have that problem. Buy that one instead if you want to see this film.

As enticement... the film opens thus: "Algiers. Where blazing desert meets the blue Mediterranean, and modern Europe jostles ancient Africa. A stone's throw from the modern city, the native quarter, known as the Casbah, stands like a fortress above the sea. Its population includes many tribes and races, drifters and outcasts from all parts of the world --- and criminals who find this a safe hiding place from the long arm of the law. Supreme on these heights rules one man --- Pepe le Moko --- long wanted by the French police."

I loved it. This is a remake of the foreign film "Pepe le Moko" about this criminal (Charles Boyer) who is the ruler of what is also his prison, the Casbah, a dark and layered labyrinth that frustrates all of the French and Algerian authorities, except for one man. Slimane (Joseph Calleia), Pepe's rival and friend, slyly introduces the stunningly beautiful Gaby (Hedy Lamarr) to entice Pepe to leave the protection of the Casbah. Will it work? Or will the conniving plans of others get in the way? If you want to know, then as Boyer said (actually, the cartoon character Pepe LePew said this), you'll have to "Come with me to the Casbah!"