Search - Topaz on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Violence, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1969 DVD Release: 03/06/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 23 mins Studio: Universal Studios Members Wishing: 1 Genres: Spy Film, Political Thriller See Also: Topaz

Filmed on locations ranging from Denmark to the Universal backlot, Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz is based on a novel by Leon Uris. Frederick Stafford, a veteran of European-filmed James Bond rip-offs of the 1960s, is cast as Andre Devereaux, a French secret agent assigned to snoop around Cuba in the months prior to the 1962 missile crisis. Someone is supplying Castro -- and, by extension, Moscow -- with NATO secrets; it is up to Devereaux to liquidate the "mole." Aiding Devereaux is CIA agent Nordstrom (John Forsythe) and aristocratic anti-Castro Cuban Juanita (Karin Dor), who happens to be the girlfriend of pro-Castroite Rico Parra (John Vernon). The director seems to be in awe of the fact-based storyline, and as a result, the film is more cut-and-dried than most Hitchcock efforts. Three different endings were filmed for Topaz; the Laserdisc version carries all three, as does the print available to the American Movie Classics cable service. According to the MPAA, the film was originally rated M but later changed to PG; however, a number of home-video issues of Topaz officially list it as "Not Rated." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frederick Stafford - Andre Devereaux
Dany Robin - Nicole Devereaux
John Vernon - Rico Parra
Karin Dor - Juanita De Cordoba
Michel Piccoli - Jacques Granville

Alfred Hitchcock directed this espionage thriller, which has been given a polished presentation for its release on DVD. Topaz has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The audio has mastered in Dolby Digital Mono; the dialogue is in English, with optional subtitles in Spanish and French. Bonus materials include a documentary on the picture from noted film historian Leonard Maltin, three unused alternate endings, production storyboards and photographs, notes on the making of the picture, biographies of the key cast and crew members, and the original theatrical trailer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide