PHOTO 1 = Hitchcock's cameo in "Lifeboat"PHOTO 2 = Reduco, The Sensational New OBESITY SLAYER: In Just Four Months YOU TOO Can Be Slender! The Well-Known Director ALFRED HITCHCOCK says "In just four months I lost 73 pounds due to the splendid new Reduco System!""Lifeboat" (1944) was the seventh film in Hitchcock's Hollywood career, and the only war movie he ever directed (not to be confused with spy movies).The 2017 Kino Lorber Blu-Ray is a reissue of the 2005 DVD from Fox Home Video.All the bonus features from 2005 have been carried over to Blu-Ray:-- Audio Commentary by Drew Casper-- The Making of "Lifeboat" (20 minutes)-- Still PhotosPlus new Blu-Ray bonus features for 2017:-- A second Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas(Drew Casper called it "re-duck-o". Tim Lucas calls it "re-deuce-o", which seems more logical.)-- Hitchcock/Truffaut audio interview (with the still photos from 2005)The only losses from the old DVD:-- The Blu-Ray has the original mono soundtrack; the DVD also had a (fake) stereo soundtrack.-- The Blu-Ray has English SDH subtitles; the DVD also had Spanish subtitles.The new Blu-Ray transfer is an improvement over the old DVD.Not dramatic, but noticeable.POINTS OF INTEREST:-- Surprisingly for an action film, top-billing went to the actress Tallulah Bankhead (photo 3).The 42 year-old Bankhead had not made a Hollywood film since 1932's "Faithless" (aside from a cameo in 1943's "Stage Door Canteen"), preferring the Broadway stage.Top-billing her after a twelve year absence from Hollywood was a daring move, but it paid off in a bravura performance.She was cast in the film because Alfred Hitchcock wanted to use "the most oblique, incongruous person imaginable in such a situation".-- During filming, several crew members noted that Miss Bankhead was not wearing underwear.When advised of this situation, Alfred Hitchcock observed, "I don't know if this is a matter for the costume department, makeup, or hairdressing." (Source: IMDB)-- Only nine principal actors were used.Filmed entirely in an enormous water tank on the Fox lot.Actor Murray Alper (photo 4) had to withdraw from the film due to severe seasickness.Replaced by William Bendix.-- The confined set would seem to rule out the director's's traditional cameo appearance,but Hitchcock came up with a novel solution:@ 25:15 into the film, he appears in "before" and "after" pictures in a newspaper advertisement for "Reduco, the Obesity Slayer" (photos 1-2)--------------------------------------------------------------------ALFRED HITCHCOCK FILMOGRAPHY:Alfred Hitchcock directed 56 feature films (not counting short subjects).One film, “The Mountain Eagle” (1927) is lost."Blackmail" (1929) is counted twice - it was Hitchcock's final silent film, and was also filmed as his first talkie.All are at least on on DVD, with two exceptions:The silent version of "Blackmail", and "Mary" (1931, the German language version of "Murder!")34 films are on Blu-Ray (links are included)PART ONE: BRITISH PERIOD, 1925 - 19391925 The Pleasure Garden - silent1927 The Mountain Eagle - silent, LOST FILM1927 The Lodger - silent, BLU-RAY The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray], coupled with "Downhill"1927 The Ring - silent1927 Downhill - silent, BLU-RAY coupled with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]1928 Easy Virtue - silent1928 The Farmer's Wife - silent1928 Champagne - silent1929 The Manxman - silent1929 Blackmail - silent UNAVAILABLE1929 Blackmail - sound version1930 Elstree Calling [musical comedy revue with four directors]1930 Juno and the Paycock1930 Murder!1931 Mary - German language version of "Murder!" with a separate cast UNAVAILABLE1931 The Skin Game1931 Rich and Strange1932 Number Seventeen1934 Waltzes from Vienna1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (first version)1935 The 39 Steps (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]1936 Secret Agent1936 Sabotage1937 Young and Innocent1938 The Lady Vanishes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]1939 Jamaica Inn [Blu-ray] - I don’t know why it’s so expensive.PART TWO: HOLLYWOOD PERIOD, 1940 -1 976(some of them were filmed in the UK, but for American studios)All but two have been released on Blu-Tay.1940 Rebecca [Blu-ray]1940 Foreign Correspondent [Blu-ray]1941 Mr. & Mrs. Smith NOT ON BLU-RAY1941 Suspicion [Blu-ray]1942 Saboteur [Blu-ray] *1943 Shadow of a Doubt [Blu-ray] *1944 Lifeboat [Blu-ray]1945 Spellbound (hitchcock) [Blu-ray]1946 Notorious (hitchcock) [Blu-ray]1947 The Paradine Case [Blu-Ray]1948 Rope [Blu-ray] *1949 Under Capricorn [Blu-ray]1950 Stage Fright NOT ON BLU-RAY1951 Strangers On A Train (BD) [Blu-ray]1953 I Confess (1953) [Blu-ray]1954 Dial M for Murder (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray) [1954] [Region Free] (2-D and 3-D versions)1954 Rear Window [Blu-ray] *1955 To Catch A Thief (1955) (BD) [Blu-ray]1955 The Trouble with Harry [Blu-ray] *1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much [Blu-ray] (second version) *1956 The Wrong Man [Blu-ray]1958 Vertigo [Blu-ray] *1959 North By Northwest (1959) (BD) [Blu-ray] *1960 Psycho (1960) [Blu-ray] *1963 The Birds [Blu-ray] *1964 Marnie [Blu-ray] *1966 Torn Curtain [Blu-ray] *1969 Topaz [Blu-ray] *1972 Frenzy [Blu-ray] *1976 Family Plot [Blu-ray] ** Fifteen Blu-Ray box:Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (2012)or 2016 reissue: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (same contents)Fourteen Blu-Ray box (minus "North by Northwest")Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection [Blu Ray] (2012)This is a British import.The contents of the British and American Blu-Rays are identical.Unlike most British Blu-Rays, these are region-free and should play on any US player.* Fifteen Blu-Ray box:Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (2012)or 2016 reissue: Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] (same contents)Fourteen Blu-Ray box (minus "North by Northwest")Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection [Blu Ray] (2012)This is a British import.Same bonus features, but it sells for less.Unlike most British Blu-Rays, these are region-free and will play on any US player.