Physical Media Releases (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) spent decades in home video limbo. The film's rights passed from CBS/Fox to MGM, which issued a non-anamorphic DVD around 2000 and a bare-bones Blu-ray in 2011 with nothing but a trailer. Kino Lorber's 2016 Blu-ray was the first edition to treat the film as something worth documenting — adding two commentaries and interviews with Hector Elizondo, editor Gerald Greenberg, and composer David Shire. The 2022 Kino 4K UHD, scanned from the original camera negative, is the current reference. An Arrow Video Limited Edition 4K UHD follows in June 2025 with Arrow-exclusive featurettes including an Owen Roizman interview.
CBS/Fox and MGM issued VHS through the 1980s and 1990s
CBS/Fox Video released the first VHS in 1983 (catalog #4647) in a Fox Box clamshell. MGM/UA reissued the film on VHS in 1996 (catalog #M205814) in a slipcase. Neither edition is confirmed as widescreen; both are almost certainly pan-and-scan. An MGM/UA laserdisc in letterboxed widescreen also circulated. (vhscollector)
The MGM DVD was non-anamorphic and had no extras
MGM Home Entertainment released the only DVD around 2000. The transfer was 2.35:1 widescreen but non-anamorphic — requiring manual zoom on 16:9 displays, with visible softness and crushed shadow detail in the tunnel sequences. Audio was Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. No special features. No anamorphic remastered DVD was ever issued. (polkaudioforum)
The 2011 MGM Blu-ray was a minimal upgrade
MGM released the first Blu-ray on May 29, 2011, on a BD-50, region-free. The transfer was 1080p AVC at 2.35:1 with a healthy 38.63 Mbps average bitrate. Audio was DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. The only extra was a theatrical trailer. No commentary, no featurettes, no menu. Blu-ray.com rated the extras 0.5/5 and called the bare-bones packaging "inexcusable." (blu-ray.com, whysoblu)
Kino Lorber's 2016 Blu-ray commissioned the first commentaries and interviews
Kino Lorber Studio Classics released a 42nd Anniversary Edition Blu-ray on July 5, 2016. The disc used the same 2011 scan but added the supplementary material the film had never received:
- Audio commentary by Pat Healy and Jim Healy (new)
- "12 Minutes with Mr. Grey" — interview with Hector Elizondo (12 min)
- "Cutting on Action" — interview with editor Gerald B. Greenberg (9 min)
- "The Sound of the City" — interview with composer David Shire (9 min)
- Trailers From Hell with Josh Olson (3 min)
- Production stills gallery, theatrical trailer
The 2022 Kino Lorber 4K UHD is the current reference edition
Kino Lorber released The Taking of Pelham One Two Three on 4K UHD + Blu-ray on December 20, 2022. The transfer was a new 16-bit 4K scan of the original camera negative, presented in HEVC H.265 at 2160p in Dolby Vision with HDR10 fallback on a BD-100 triple-layer disc. Audio included both DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. (blu-ray.com, highdefdigest)
The 4K scan transformed the tunnel sequences
The tunnel interiors — shot by Owen Roizman on pre-flashed 100-speed negative with minimal lighting — had been the weakest element on every prior home video version. The 4K scan from the camera negative resolved shadow detail that the earlier HD master could not extract.
Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits assessed the transfer as a significant upgrade, though not reference material — the anamorphic format and 1970s stock impose their own limits:
"The result is impressive, offering a significant visual upgrade over MGM's 2011 Blu-ray and KLSC's own 2016 Blu-ray as well. It is, however, an upgrade that isn't likely to impress those who aren't already familiar with this film—this is not what one would call reference-quality. The image is nicely detailed and cinematic looking however, with a pleasing uptick in detail, save for the usual (and expected) anamorphic softness around the edges of the frame." — Bill Hunt, The Digital Bits (2022)
The HDR grading brought out nuance in the earth-toned palette without overcorrecting it:
"Contrast is improved over the previous Blu-rays, with deep shadows and a little bit more detail visible within them. There's still a bit of black crush here and there, but that's inherent in the negative. Highlights are naturally bolder and more detailed, while the muted and Earth-toned colors of 1970s attire and grimy subway stations exhibit a bit more nuance. The yellow of Walter Matthau's tie is richer looking." — Bill Hunt, The Digital Bits (2022)
Kino added a second commentary
- Audio commentary by Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson (new for this release)
- Audio commentary by Pat Healy and Jim Healy (carried from 2016)
- "The Making of Pelham One Two Three" — vintage featurette featuring transit policeman Carmine Foresta, who appears in the film as a train expediter
- All 2016 featurettes carried forward (Elizondo, Greenberg, Shire interviews)
- Theatrical trailer, TV spot, radio spots, image gallery
Blu-ray.com rated the release 4.5/5 for video, 5.0/5 for audio, and 5.0/5 for extras.
Restoration supervision is unconfirmed
One screening listing credits the transfer as "supervised by director of photography Owen Roizman and approved by director Joseph Sargent." However, Sargent died on December 22, 2014, and the 4K scan was commissioned for the 2022 release. Roizman died on March 6, 2022 — it is plausible he supervised the scan before his death, but this has not been confirmed by a primary source. Kino Lorber's own product page describes only a "Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative" without crediting either Roizman or Sargent with supervision. The Digital Bits review by Bill Hunt likewise does not mention supervision. The claim remains unverified. (kinolorber, thedigitalbits)
Kino Lorber issued a 50th Anniversary Blu-ray reissue in 2024
On December 10, 2024, Kino Lorber released a standalone 50th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray sourced from the same 4K scan downconverted to 1080p. It carries both commentaries and the full extras suite at a list price of $12.49. (blu-ray.com)
Arrow Video's 2025 Limited Edition adds exclusive featurettes
Arrow Video releases a Limited Edition 4K UHD on June 9, 2025 (UK, region-free). The disc uses the same 4K scan from the camera negative in Dolby Vision. Audio is English LPCM mono (lossless) plus DTS-HD MA 5.1. (arrowfilms, blu-ray.com)
Arrow commissioned new material:
- "The Mapping of Pelham One Two Three" — location tour by Bryan Reesman with Jodi Shapiro (curator, New York Transit Museum)
- "Central to Pelham One Two Three" — appreciation by Barry Forshaw
- Isolated score selections and interview with David Shire (new)
- "Above and Below" — Owen Roizman interview (2018) on shooting in the subway
- "Taking the Ride" — NYC locations featurette (2018)
- "Shades of Grey" — second Hector Elizondo interview
- All Kino-era featurettes carried forward
- Collector's booklet with essays by Priscilla Page, Glenn Kenny, Mark Cunliffe, and Guy Adams
- Reversible sleeve with original poster art and new artwork by Sam Hadley
A Region B Blu-ray-only edition releases simultaneously. (arrowfilms)
Release history at a glance
| Format | Year | Label | Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VHS | 1983 | CBS/Fox Video | US | Fox Box clamshell |
| Laserdisc | ~1990s | MGM/UA | US | Letterboxed widescreen |
| VHS | 1996 | MGM/UA | US | Slipcase reissue |
| DVD | ~2000 | MGM | R1 | 2.35:1 non-anamorphic, DD 2.0, no extras |
| Blu-ray | 2011 | MGM | Region-free | 1080p AVC, DTS-HD MA 2.0, trailer only |
| Blu-ray (42nd Ann.) | 2016 | Kino Lorber | Region A | Same scan, first commentary + Elizondo/Greenberg/Shire interviews |
| 4K UHD + Blu-ray | 2022 | Kino Lorber | Region-free | New 16-bit 4K scan of OCN, Dolby Vision, 2 commentaries |
| Blu-ray (50th Ann.) | 2024 | Kino Lorber | Region A | 4K scan downconverted, same extras, $12.49 |
| 4K UHD | 2025 | Arrow Video | Region-free | Same OCN scan, LPCM mono, new featurettes + booklet |
| Blu-ray | 2025 | Arrow Video | Region B | Same extras as Arrow 4K |
Technical specifications — Kino Lorber 4K UHD (2022)
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Disc type | BD-100 (4K) + BD-50 (Blu-ray) |
| Video codec | HEVC H.265, 2160p |
| HDR | Dolby Vision / HDR10 |
| Aspect ratio | 2.39:1 |
| Audio | English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono, English DTS-HD MA 5.1 |
| Subtitles | English SDH |
| Source | 16-bit 4K scan of original 35mm camera negative |
Sources
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three — VHSCollector.com
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three DVD — Polk Audio Forum
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three MGM Blu-ray — Blu-ray.com
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three MGM Blu-ray — WhySoBlu
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 42nd Ann. Blu-ray — High Def Digest
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 4K UHD — Blu-ray.com
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 4K UHD — High Def Digest
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 4K UHD — HighDefWatch
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 50th Ann. Blu-ray — Blu-ray.com
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Arrow 4K UHD — Arrow Films
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Arrow 4K UHD — Blu-ray.com
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 4K restoration — HD Report
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 4K UHD Review — The Digital Bits (Tim Salmons / Bill Hunt, 2022)
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (4K UHD) — Kino Lorber