Tonight's Movie: Lady in a Jam (1942) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

Kino Lorber has just released a pair of films starring beloved actress Irene Dunne, LADY IN A JAM (1942) and HIGH, WIDE AND HANDSOME (1936). I'll be reviewing both of them here.

First up is LADY IN A JAM, which I saw on DVD a dozen years ago, in 2011. I wasn't particularly impressed at that time, but my admiration of Dunne is such that I was curious to revisit the movie via its new Blu-ray release and see if I liked it any better.

I think I enjoyed it a little more this time around, simply knowing what I was getting into from the outset. It's still not a particularly good movie, due mostly to a weak script from a trio of writers, but despite that I found it a rather enjoyable 78 minutes.

Dunne plays Jane Palmer, who has long ignored the advice of her business manager (Eugene Pallette) that she's throwing away her money and will soon be broke.

Jane is childlike and obstinate in ignoring the warnings, but when the sheriff auctions off her furniture it's time to finally face reality.

Jane goes to live with her aunt (Queenie Vassar) in a desolate spot in Arizona. She's accompanied by a psychiatrist (Patric Knowles, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD) employed by a medical foundation founded by her family. The doctor's challenge is to try to help her grow up and become a more likeable person who can operate in the real world.

Jane does begin to evolve...and she also begins to fall for her doctor.

Dunne is an endlessly charming and funny actress, but the problem here is that in the early going she is made so completely unlikeable, if not downright crazy. Jane isn't giddy in the manner of a lighthearted screwball heroine; she's downright mean to the people who have her best interests at heart.

As I wrote in 2011, it's also somewhat of a problem that she has weak chemistry with her leading man, who was substantially younger; a more mature actor in the role would have worked better. The lack of chemistry is particularly apparent in the final scene, where Knowles' reaction to her determined romantic overtures is more painful than funny.

All that said, I'm glad to say the film was somewhat better than I remembered in the intervening years. Ralph Bellamy -- who memorably appeared with Dunne in THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937) -- is a stitch as a singing Arizona cowboy, and once Jane begins to reform the movie goes down more easily. It's one of those films good for a lazy Sunday afternoon, with the cast providing pleasant company even if their material has shortcomings.

The film was directed by Gregory La Cava, who had recently worked with Dunne on the much better UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1941). UNFINISHED BUSINESS was just shown at the TCM Classic Film Festival, but it's never made it to DVD or Blu-ray despite UCLA having a very beautiful 35mm print. Like LADY IN A JAM, it's a Universal Pictures film, and I would certainly love to be surprised one day by a Blu-ray release.

Kino Lorber's LADY IN A JAM Blu-ray looks and sounds fine. The black and white cinematography of Hal Mohr isn't anything particularly noteworthy, but the print is sharp. Location filming in Arizona gives the film an extra "plus."

Blu-ray extras are a commentary track by Allan Arkush and Daniel Kremer, plus half a dozen trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

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

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