Tonight's Movie: Rose-Marie (1936) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The great releases keep coming from the Warner Archive Collection, with a packed slate of fantastic titles scheduled all summer long.

One of the Blu-rays I've been most excited to see is the brand-new release of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in one of their most beloved films, ROSE-MARIE (1936).

I reviewed the Warner Archive DVD of this film a decade ago, in 2016, and it was a joy to return to it via the Blu-ray. The Blu-ray, from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the "best available preservation elements," looks and sounds terrific.

Jeanette plays Marie de Flor, a famous Canadian opera singer who is distressed when she learns her brother John, nicknamed Jack (James Stewart), a convicted felon, has escaped prison after learning his application for parole was denied.

Marie heads into the wilds of Canada hoping to find and help her brother, motivated more by love than common sense, especially given that Jack killed a Mountie as he fled prison.

Once in Canada she is robbed and abandoned by her guide (George Regas), but Mountie Sergeant Bruce (Eddy) comes to her aid. Sergeant Bruce and Marie develop feelings for one another, but his sworn duty to find and bring in Jack necessarily complicates their burgeoning love.

MacDonald and Eddy are magical together; she's a firecracker opposite his calmer persona, but it's worth noting that Eddy is way better than some critics would suggest. The duo's personas balance once another in the best ways; there are good reasons they were such a popular team.

Much of the movie was shot outdoors, in the Lake Tahoe area, and the "fresh air" setting combined with MacDonald and Eddy's singing makes the film very special. Their duets are moving; when they reprise "Indian Love Call" at the end of the film, it gets me every time. There's just something about the beautiful music, the innocent performances, and the lovely music that makes me tear up.

The movie also has some real dramatic heft. The scene where Sergeant Bruce and Jack ride away from Rose-Marie is quite powerful, as Jack tells the sergeant something he'd like him to share with his sister in the future. Stewart only has a couple of scenes, but he makes the most of them.

The screenplay of this 113-minute film was by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and Alice Duer Miller, from the play by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach.

The movie was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and filmed in black and white by William Daniels.

The excellent supporting cast includes Reginald Owen, Alan Mowbray, Una O'Connor, Robert Grieg, and, in a single scene, David Niven (billed Nivens in the opening credits).

Disc extras consist of a cartoon, LITTLE CHEESER (1936); the short: HOLLYWOOD: THE SECOND STEP (1936); the trailer; and multiple radio shows including a Screen Guild Players production of ROSE-MARIE with Nelson and Eddy. The Blu-ray also includes a song selection menu for instant access to replay favorite musical moments.

I'm hoping that this is the first in a series of MacDonald-Eddy Blu-rays and encourage their many fans to support this release in order to help make that dream a reality.

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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