Algiers is a classic drama-romance film that has gone under the radar from many fans of the classics, due to lack of exposure on television and social media. And for those who are aware of the picture and had wanted the movie to be in their Blu-ray collection because of several shoddy DVD releases by a who’s who of public domain labels for over a decade, that day has arrived!
Algiers is a 1938 film and is a remake of the 1937 French film Pépé le Moko, which starred screen legend Jean Gabin. In Algiers, Charles Boyer stars as Pepe and Hedy Lemarr makes her American film debut!
Per the Film Masters Press release “Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr are the ill-fated couple in this Hollywood remake of the French classic Pepe le Moko. Boyer is Pepe, the jewel thief hiding out in Algiers’ maze-like and mysterious Casbah. Pepe is a master criminal who rules his field, but when he meets the beautiful Parisian Gaby (Lamarr, in her American film Debut), he begins to question his shady existence. Directed by John Cromwell (Dead Reckoning, The Prisoner of Zenda) with dialog by noir master James M. Cain, Algiers was an influence on everything from Pepe Le Pew cartoons to the making of Casablanca. Newly restored from a 5K scan of a 16mm print, this title is Limited Edition.”
Algiers is a wonderful romance classic that features many screen legends! In addition to Charles Boyer (Gaslight, Red-Headed Woman, Flesh and Fantasy) and Hedy Lemarr (Boom Town, The Strange Woman, Dishonored Lady), Joseph Calleia (After the Thin Man, The Glass Key), Alan Hale (The Adventures of Robin Hood, Manpower, They Drive by Night), Gene Lockhart (Star of Midnight, His Girl Friday, Meet John Doe) and Sigrid Gurie (Dark Streets of Cairo) all have key roles. Boyer is fantastic as Pepe le Moko and the cast as one would expect, hand in terrific performances! I am surprised this movie hadn’t received a decent DVD or Blu-ray release until now because of its legendary status and influence on American films and the cartoon character Pepe le Pew!
Previously released on DVD from various labels (Alpha Video, Reel Vault, American Pop Classic, Film Detective), Film Masters has given Algiers a long-awaited Blu-ray release. It is a mixed bag in terms of the image quality. There was some stock footage used in Algiers of the actual city, and those parts of the film do not particularly look good. Stock footage usually never looks all that glamourous on home video (even in 4K!), based on various movies that I have seen! Worth mentioning is the film’s cinematographer James Wong Howe shot some backgrounds and exteriors of Algiers and were later incorporated into the film.
The picture quality shows that the movie has been cleaned up quite a bit, and there are plenty of scenes where there are some strong, solid details and the picture looks remarkable, but on the flip side, there are some areas where the movie appears fuzzy, plus a few areas that are a bit too dark. There are some good details including close-ups of the actors’ faces and interior shots that are satisfactory. Film grain is present throughout. Print damages, vertical lines also appear from time to time. So, no it’s not perfect by any stretch of imagination, but it most likely has to do with the elements used. Because Film Masters has a great reputation for restoring a bevy of classics, I am certain that they did the best they could with the materials used to restore Algiers.
Algiers features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that to me sounded loud and clear, with action scenes coming across as most aggressive. Diagloue is easy to follow and is rendered cleanly. Age-old anomalies such as hissing and popping occur, but I felt they were minimal and undistracting, but otherwise I thought the soundtrack was pleasant. The scores by composers Vincent Scotto and Mohamed Ygerbuchen are clear, strong and balanced with the dialogue. English subtitles are available.
The Blu-ray of Algiers has one extra, an audio commentary track by Film Historians Karie Bible and Roy Windham.
Film Masters’ release also includes an insert booklet, featuring an essay by Roy Windham, and an attractive slipcover as well. I love the yellow color of it!
After all that has been said and done, the Blu-ray of Algiers isn’t a perfect grand slam home run, but overall, I found it enjoyable to watch and listen to, but don’t expect it to look like something from Warner Archive or Criterion, again mainly due to the elements used. The film is a classic that has long deserved to be in high definition and not in the hands of subpar public domain DVD labels. We should all give credit to Film Masters for giving the film a Blu-ray release. Recommended!
Algiers
Director – John Cromwell
Cast- Charles Boyer, Hedy Lamar
Country of Origin-USA
Distributor –Film Masters
Number of Discs –1
Reviewed by – David Steigman
Date- 7/25/2025