Tonight's Movie: The Bride Comes Home (1935) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

THE BRIDE COMES HOME (1935) was just released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

It's part of what one might call a summer of Claudette Colbert from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. A few days ago I reviewed her in NO TIME FOR LOVE (1943), and there are more Colbert reviews still to come!

THE BRIDE COMES HOME is one of those fun Depression-era comedies about the problems of the wealthy, or in this case formerly wealthy. This particular type of film almost always holds appeal for me, and I think in these troubled times watching it was just as much a balm as it might have been for audiences struggling through the '30s.

Lovely Jeannette (Colbert) learns that her supposedly rich father (William Collier Sr.) is flat broke, so she goes to work for longtime friend Jack (Robert Young) at the magazine he owns.

Jack has hired his previous bodyguard Cy (Fred MacMurray) as the magazine editor. Cy is none too thrilled with having a poor little rich girl added to his staff, and he and Jeannette fight like crazy...only to eventually realize that they're crazy about each other.

The pair decide to marry, then split apart over their arguing. Jack proposes to Jeannette himself, but although she says yes, it's clear her heart is still with Cy...

This was my first time to see THE BRIDE COMES HOME since 2011. Although I agree with some reviewers that the male roles played by MacMurray and Young aren't particularly well-written, I very much enjoyed revisiting it, thanks largely to the wonderful chemistry between Colbert and MacMurray.

Colbert and MacMurray appeared in seven films together between 1935 and 1947, and watching this it's easy to see why. There's an "opposites attract" electricity between them, her sassy elegance contrasting with his more rough-edged appeal. They clearly enjoy zinging lines back and forth, and the audience enjoys it right along with them.

In the '30s Young was often stuck playing jerks, which is a shame as he was excellent in the right roles. In the '40s he came into his own in films such as JOURNEY FOR MARGARET (1942), CLAUDIA (1943), THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE (1945), CROSSFIRE (1947), and THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1947). He actually plays another jerk in the latter film, but was gifted with a really fascinating role as a homme fatale, and he dove into playing it fearlessly.

Collier is appealing as Jeannette's father, and the cast is rounded out by Donald Meek, Edgar Kennedy, Richard Carle, and Edward Gargan.

The movie was directed by Wesley Ruggles and filmed by Leo Tover. It runs 83 minutes.

The Blu-ray print is quite good, though I'd class it as slightly rougher than the typical Kino Lorber print. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and have no hesitation in recommending it. Sound quality is solid.

Blu-ray extras consist of the trailer, a gallery of trailers for seven additional films available from Kino Lorber, and a commentary track by Lee Gambin.

Future Claudette Colbert Blu-ray reviews on the way include her first film with MacMurray, THE GILDED LILY (1935), along with DeMille's FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE (1934) and a really interesting film with Ray Milland, ARISE, MY LOVE (1940).

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

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