Nothing Sacred: Kino Classics Edition (1937)

I've seen other versions of this movie on VHS and DVD and was always let down somewhat by the prints used, so I had high hopes for the Blu-ray. Alas, the print was far from pristine and there seems to have been no effort to restore it. Also, aside from some trailers, there are no extras. They didn't even bother to add subtitles for people with hearing impairment--that's just wrong. I could understand this from a company that puts out cheap DVDs, but not from Kino.

That being said, this is still a terrific, funny film and this is likely the best it will look. Don't let my disappointment with the Blu-ray put you off from seeing this classic. Carole Lombard is at the top of her game as a comedic actress and Frederic March works wonderfully with her. Put them together with Ben Hecht's darkly cynical script and a Who's Who list of classic character actors and you're in for a treat.

Though the Technicolor is not as stunning as that seen in ROBIN HOOD or WIZARD OF OZ, this Kino Blu-Ray edition is an absolute improvement over all previously available commercial issues. Spectrum contains true greens, blues, yellows, and browns, rather than the familiar limited rose cast. Tighter grain offers greater detail than I've ever seen in the many times I've viewed the film in the past. Three to four times the cost of public domain releases, worth every cent to the true collector.

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Lucille Ball once publicly stated in an interview that she considered Carole Lombard to be her single greatest comedic influence. Meryl Streep has also gone on record to say that Lombard is one of her favorite actresses. To this very day, Hollywood casting directors still search for the "Carole Lombard" factor when seeking the qualities of a consummate female comic actress. Lombard's heartfelt and adept performance in Nothing Sacred remains a classic.

Back in December 2003, a spectacularly restored print of Nothing Sacred struck from the original three strip camera negatives was shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The clarity was pristine and the technicolor just popped off of the screen. For the life of me, I do not understand why such an inferior existing print was utilized to produce the recently released blu-ray. Love the movie and adore Carole. However, the quality of the disc left a lot to be desired.

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This Blu-ray copy is not all that great and this film could use the careful guiding hands of preservationists, but as an early example of three strip technicolor it's o.k. I didn't buy this DVD to complain about early technicolor or the quality of the film. I just wanted a complete and unedited copy of this film which defined the era of screwball comedy and demonstrates better than any book could the talent and allure of Carole Lombard that is generally lost to modern audiences unless they are hooked up to cable legend TCM 24/7.

In this gem Lombard plays hapless Hazel Flagg who becomes involved in a deception that involves a cooked up story about her imminent death from a fatal malady. This movie is riddled with snappy performances and easy and even more rapid dialogue as Hazel tries to dig herself out of the predicament she's in and also find true love with none other than super handsome Frederic March.

Lombard's comedy often turns physical with hilarious results. As Hazel, she seemingly is always just one step away from disaster or discover. Despite the less than stellar technical quality of this print, this film is the perfect example of why Lombard is irreplaceable and the best copy of this film currently available.

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Some movies are simply meant to be seen in their optimal condition. "Nothing Sacred," the definitive screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard and Frederic March (both at the height of their beauty and appeal, though not done near justice by those ugly statuettes of them during the opening credits) certainly fills that bill. Whether this new Blu-ray edition is worth its price is a little less easily declared.

Those who were hoping that the picture quality of this new release would be up there with other Technicolor films of its period which had the good fortune not to have fallen into public domain ("Robin Hood," "The Wizard of Oz," "Elizabeth and Essex," the fashion show sequence in "The Women," and of course "Gone With the Wind") may be a little disappointed. It still looks like a colorized black and white movie. The flesh tones are still pale pink and tan, and the dress on one woman in the nightclub scene is a suspiciously bright yellow. There's also some dirt on the film. Some budget-minded purchasers may hesitate to pay such a price for frankly not proportionately improved quality over low-priced previous editions or what they can record for themselves off Turner Classic Movies.

Still, "Nothing Sacred" is a must-have in anyone's film collection, and if this is the absolute best the Selznick estate can offer us, we should be thankful for small favors. If you can afford it, go for it.

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