Tonight's Movie: No Time for Love (1943) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

The delightful romantic comedy NO TIME FOR LOVE (1943) has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

NO TIME FOR LOVE is one of a number of films starring Claudette Colbert which are enjoying Blu-ray releases this year thanks to Kino Lorber. More reviews of a number of good films will be forthcoming, though I must say I think this one is my favorite!

I first saw NO TIME FOR LOVE in 2009. This is at least the fourth time I've watched it since then and if anything I laugh harder on each successive viewing. MacMurray is a handsome hunk, Colbert seems like she's having the time of her life, and it's all-around simply delightful.

The original plot finds Colbert playing world-renowned photographer Katie Grant, whose latest assignment is photographing "sandhogs" at work digging a tunnel. She meets ditch digger Jim Ryan (MacMurray), and despite (because of?) their varied backgrounds, sparks fly immediately.

Katie is semi-engaged to newspaper publisher Henry (Paul McGrath) but feels she has to somehow get Ryan out of her system with continued exposure, to the befuddlement of her sister Hoppy (Ilka Chase) and free-loading friend Roger (Richard Haydn), a pianist.

No one will be surprised that the more time Katie spends with Ryan, the harder she falls...

To my thinking, this is a perfect 83 minutes. It has elegant direction by Mitchell Leisen and a smart, creative screenplay by Claude Binyon, based on a Warren Duff adaptation of a story by Robert Lees and Fred Rinaldo.

Best of all are the two leads. Colbert, playing highly confident yet very confused Katie, wears gorgeous gowns by Irene and whips off a series of great one-liners. She and frequent costar MacMurray are clearly having a good time and communicate that to the audience.

And did I mention that MacMurray is a hunk? Honestly, seeing this film for the first time years ago gave me a whole new perspective on "Disney Dad" MacMurray. He even has a delightful "Superman" dream sequence with remarkably steamy undercurrents. According to my past reading, this movie was the first time Superman was seen on film.

Chase is a welcome screen presence -- I always wish she'd made more movies -- and Haydn is really good as the man who ultimately deduces that Ryan is a better match for Katie than Henry and helps to make it happen. He also sets up Colbert's great final line, a delightful wink at the Production Code.

The supporting cast abounds with great faces, starting with Rod Cameron, Rhy Williams, Tom Neal, Woody Strode, and Alan Hale Jr. working in the tunnel.

The wonderful Lillian Randolph is Katie's housekeeper. The cast also includes June Havoc, Marjorie Gateson, Bill Goodwin, George Dolenz, Murray Alper, and Charles Irwin.

The Kino Lorber print looks great, showing off the sharp black and white cinematography of Charles Lang. Blu-ray extras consist of the trailer; a gallery of 11 additional trailers for films available from Kino Lorber, most starring Colbert or MacMurray; and a commentary track by Nick Pinkerton.

This film stands up to many repeat viewings, and Kino Lorber's Blu-ray is highly recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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