Christ In Concrete (NTSC Region 1)

This important work of American literature became the basis for a hard-hitting and intense film by director Edward Dmytryk (Murder My Sweet, Crossfire, The Caine Mutiny). Blacklisted in Americe for refusing to testify to the House Un-American Activities Commission, Dmytryk mounted his production in England. On London soundstages, his art designers created an extraordinary reproduction of New York streets and tenements, lit with stunning grace and beauty by cinematographer C. Pennington Richards. A blend of neo-realism and film noir, Christ in Concrete (also variously released under the titles Give Us This Day and Salt to the Devil) won the Grand Masterpiece Award at the Venice Film Festival. It also won the Paris Press Prize for Direction and an honor for Dmytryk from the Czechoslovakian Film Fest. Widely praised as a masterwork, it remained Dmytryk’s personal favorite of his films.

Unfortunately, thanks to the director’s notoriety as one of the Hollywood Ten, coupled with the blacklisting of the film’s producer and star and the story’s bitter indictment of the American Dream, Christ in Concrete barely played in the US at all, and was withdrawn under protest from the Legion of Decency. It has remained out of circulation in all media, in all countries, for half a century. Indeed, as long ago as 1966, it was believed that all copies of the film had been lost or destroyed.

All Day Entertainment has worked closely with the Di Donato family to restore Christ in Concrete from its archival 35mm nitrate originals at the British Film Institute for this exclusive DVD presentation.

• NTSC Region 1
• Digitally mastered from 35mm nitrate originals
• Audio Commentary by Fred Gardaphe (Director of Italian-American Studies at SUNY at Stony Brook), Norma Barzman (author of The Red and the Blacklist), Richard di Donato (son of Pietro di Donato) and David Kalat
• Isolated music track with commentary by Pietro di Donato
• Archive of original stills and artwork
• Home movie footage of Pietro di Donato
• "Memories in Concrete" featurette
• 1960s recording of Harold Seletsky’s musical monodrama adaptation of Christ in Concrete, performed by Eli Wallach
• DVD-ROM supplement with original documents tracing the history of the film's production and distribution