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Summary:

Preserved by the Film Noir Foundation in 2013 and now beautifully restored through UCLA Film & Television Archive, Never Open That Door (No abras nunca esa puerta) is a significant example of the cross-cultural cinematic legacy shared by the United States and Argentina during the post-WWII era. Based on two short stories by American master of suspense fiction Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window, Phantom Lady, The Bride Wore Black), the film is brilliantly directed by Argentine filmmaker Carlos Hugo Christensen with extraordinary cinematography by Pablo Tabernero. Says FNF founder Eddie Muller about this recent restoration, "It is a revelation to experience the work of an all-American author, in Spanish, and rendered as well - or perhaps better - than any Hollywood adaptation of his work."

Contributors:

Christensen, Carlos Hugo, 1914-1999 , film director, film producer

Casona, Alejandro, 1903-1965 , screenwriter

Magaña, Angel , actor

Dumas, Renée , actor

Córdoba, Diana de , actor

Fregues, Nicolás , actor

Escalada, Roberto , actor

Giménez, Norma , actor

Otero, Luís, 1911-1979 , actor

Pirovano, Ilde , actor

Tabernero, Pablo , director of photography

Bautista, Julián, 1901-1961 , composer

Gallego, José , editor of moving image work

Woolrich, Cornell, 1903-1968

Estudios San Miguel , production company, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/prn

Flicker Alley (Firm) , publisher, http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/pbl

Film Noir Foundation

UCLA Film and Television Archive

Languages:

Spanish
English

Language Notes:

Spanish dialogue; English subtitles.

Main Work:

No abras nunca esa puerta (Motion picture)

Included Works:

If I should die before I wake

Related Works:

Motion picture adaptation of: Short stories [of Woolrich, C.] (Selections)

Alternate Titles:

Title translation: Never open that door

Subjects:

Families — Drama

Good and evil — Drama

Revenge — Drama

Argentina — Drama

Families

Good and evil

Revenge

Argentina

Genres:

Motion pictures

Thrillers (Motion pictures)

Film noir

Anthology films

Feature films

Fiction films

Video recordings for the hearing impaired

Drama

System Details:

DVD; NTSC, region 0.

Performers:

Cast: Angel Magaña, Renée Dumas, Diana de Córdoba, Nicolás Fregues, Roberto Escalada, Norma Giménez, Luís Otero, Ilde Pirovano.

Production Credits:

Director of photography, Pablo Tabernero ; music, Julián Bautista ; editor, José Gallego.

General Notes:

Spanish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH)
Closed captioned in English
"Based on the short stories "Somebody on the Phone" and "Hummingbird Comes Home" by Cornell Woolrich (as William Irish)"--UCLA.edu.
Originally released as a motion picture in 1952.
"From the Film Noir Foundation ; restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive"--Container.
Special features: Audio commentary by author and film historian Guido Segal; If I should die before I wake (1952) (Si muero antes de despertar): an exceedingly rare archival conversation scan of Carlos Hugo Christensen's third part of the film trilogy; Cornell Woolrich: fear has no borders (2024) by Steven C. Smith and writer/film historian Alan K. Rode; Preserving memory: Fernando Martín Peña on Argentine cinema (2024).
Description based on: Title from container.

Physical Description:

1 videodisc (85 min.) : sound, black and white ; 4 3/4 in.

Physical Characteristics:

4 3/4 in.; monochrome

Audio Characteristics:

digital; optical; sound

Video Characteristics:

NTSC

Digital Characteristics:

video file; DVD video; all regions

Call Numbers:

NEV 1952 DVD

Other Standard Numbers:

Universal Product Code: 617311688591 (set)
Publisher Number, Flicker Alley: FA0085

OCLC Numbers:

1444260105