Tonight's Movie: The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The Warner Archive Collection has recently released some enjoyable romantic comedies on Blu-ray, including the previously reviewed IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER (1937) and I LOVE YOU AGAIN (1940).

Another romantic comedy out from the Warner Archive in the last few weeks is THE BRIDE CAME C.O.D. (1941), starring a pair of powerhouse actors, James Cagney and Bette Davis.

Somehow I had never managed to see this one before, and I quite enjoyed it.

Is it the greatest film Cagney or Davis ever made? Of course not. And no, it's not really even a top-drawer rom com.

What it *is* is a diverting, enjoyable 92 minutes, a good time with an amazing cast. I watched it during a stressful week -- clearing out my childhood home due to my mother's recent passing -- and it was exactly what I needed. Nothing too deep or demanding, just fun. Go in without the high expectations one might have with these names attached, sit back, and enjoy.

Davis plays the wealthy, flighty daughter of Eugene Pallette, who has impulsively decided to elope with narcissistic nightclub singer Jack Carson after knowing him only four days. Carson's blithely oblivious character is one of the best things about the movie.

Davis's outraged father hires a pilot (Cagney) who needs to earn money fast to kidnap his daughter and fly her to meet him in Amarillo.

The plane is forced down and lands safely in the California desert, where Davis and Cagney stumble across a ghost town inhabited by an old man (Harry Davenport) who thankfully has plenty of food.

Father and fiance eventually show up in the ghost town, with the media and law enforcement trailing along, but in the meantime Cagney and Davis have discovered a spark of attraction...

The spark between Cagney and Davis admittedly isn't much, but it was just enough to make me smile, as they acted out a script written by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein, based on a story by Kenneth Earl and M.M. Musselman.

Davis looks great in a wardrobe by Orry-Kelly, and she seems to be having fun with her change-of-pace role, sandwiched in between the drama of THE GREAT LIE (1941) and THE LITTLE FOXES (1941).

Cagney could play this kind of pugnacious character (who's, of course, really a nice guy) in his sleep, and I enjoyed his interactions with actors such as Davenport, Carson, and Pallette.

One of the best things about the film is the extensive supporting cast. The players not already named above include Stuart Erwin, Edward Brophy, George Tobias, William Frawley, Douglas Kennedy, William Hopper, Herbert Anderson, Chick Chandler, John Gallaudet, James Flavin, and Richard Travis. They simply don't make casts like this anymore, and it's a true delight seeing all these faces on the screen.

Look for Mary Brodel as a phone operator early in the film; classic movie buffs will recognize her instantly, as she looks just like her sister, Warner Bros. star Joan Leslie. Leslie, of course, starred with Cagney in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) the following year.

THE BRIDE CAME C.O. D. was directed by William Keighley and filmed in black and white by Ernie Haller. Locations included Burbank Airport and Death Valley.

The Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It looks and sounds great.

Plentiful extras include the trailer, plus a trailer for the Warner Bros. film HONEYMOON FOR THREE (1941); a newsreel; the shorts CARNIVAL OF RHYTHM (1941) and FORTY BOYS AND A SONG (1941); the cartoons: PORKY'S POOCH (1941), SADDLE SALLY (1941), RHAPSODY IN RIVETS (1941), and THE BIRD CAME C.O.D. (1942); and best of all, a December 1941 Lux Radio Theater production of the story starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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