Tonight's Movie: Dear Ruth (1947) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

One of this year's most delightful movie surprises was the announcement that Kino Lorber would be releasing DEAR RUTH (1947) on Blu-ray.

I was charmed by DEAR RUTH when I first saw it in 2010, and to my knowledge it has not been previously available on VHS or DVD. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting it thanks to Kino Lorber.

It's 1944 and Lt. William Seacroft (William Holden) arrives on leave in the United States with just one goal in mind: Meeting his lovely penpal Ruth Wilkins (Joan Caulfield).

Bill has no idea that he was actually writing to Ruth's teenaged sister Miriam (Mona Freeman). Ruth not only has no idea who Bill is, but she's just become engaged to a fussy banker, Albert (Billy De Wolfe).

Oh, what a tangled web Miriam has weaved...woven?

Edward Arnold, who plays Ruth and Miriam's father, starred in a series of charming family comedies in the '40s, including not only DEAR RUTH and its sequels DEAR WIFE (1949) and DEAR BRAT (1951) but JANIE (1944), JANIE GETS MARRIED (1946), and WALLFLOWER (1948).

All of them are good, featuring Arnold as the head of loving families in cozy homes, but DEAR RUTH, written by Arthur Sheekman from the play by Norman Krasna, is probably the best of them all.

The comedic situations escalate so beautifully in DEAR RUTH that by the end I'm laughing out loud, especially at Arnold's reactions; my favorite moment is when he advises his befuddled wife (Mary Philips) "Just drift."

Freeman's deadpan line deliveries tickle my funnybone. She was 20 when this was filmed, playing a 16-year-old, and does so very effectively; indeed, Freeman would alternate playing leading ladies and teenagers until she was in her mid 20s!

Freeman's earnest, emotional Miriam makes a nice contrast with Caulfield's Ruth, who starts out as a sensible young woman marrying for security but inevitably finds her feelings floating in the direction of Bill instead of Albert.

My one criticism of the film remains that the screenwriters should have given Ruth more of a chance to show emotion and conflict as her feelings develop for Bill.  Some of this is Caulfield's acting choices, but the script could have given her more opportunities.  Still, that's a minor quibble for a very enjoyable 95 minutes.

DEAR RUTH was directed by William D. Russell and filmed in black and white by Ernest Laszlo.

Kino Lorber's print is for the most part excellent. A couple of random scenes suddenly go a bit fuzzy, but overall it looks very good, with strong sound.

The lone extras are a trailer gallery for five other films available from Kino Lorber and a soundtrack by the always-worthwhile Farran Smith Nehme.

I enthusiastically recommend this delightful film, which would be a marvelous film to share with family during the upcoming holiday season, and I hope for the eventual Blu-ray release of the film's two sequels.

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

Tweet