Tonight's Movie: Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

A couple days ago, when I watched Disney's MELODY TIME (1948), I commented that "comfort viewing" was just the ticket during these uncertain days.

More prime comfort viewing can be found in the comedies of director Ernst Lubitsch, and happily Kino Lorber will release Lubitsch's BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE (1938) next week. The movie is out on Blu-ray on March 31st.

Gary Cooper stars as American multimillionaire Michael Brandon, who meets Nicole De Loiselle (Claudette Colbert) on the French Riviera and falls head over heels for her.

Michael and Nicole promptly wed, but Nicole is shocked to learn immediately after the ceremony that her new husband has been married before, not once, not twice, but seven times.

Nicole is reluctant to continue risking her heart on Michael, fearing she'll be dumped in a short time like all his other wives, while another part of her hopes to tame him. They remain wed in name only, with $100,000 a year going to Nicole if they divorce -- a key clause since Nicole's father (Edward Everett Horton) is an impoverished member of the nobility. Nicole strings Michael along, teasing him and attempting to make him jealous, hoping he'll realize his feelings are serious and marriage is for keeps.

I first reviewed this film here in 2008; I've seen it at least one more time since, but not for many years. In truth, it's not my favorite Lubitsch, as the second half of the film becomes rather relentlessly one note, as Michael and Nicole endlessly battle despite -- because of -- their love for one another. The film's 85 minutes slow down to a crawl for a while; the marriage section really needs better pacing.

At the same time, there are so many individual moments of delight, thanks to the director, cast, and the script by written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, based on a play by Arnold Savoir. Michael and Nicole's meeting while purchasing pajamas -- he only wants the top, she wants the pants -- is deservedly well known. There are other wonderful bits, including Michael attempting to put himself to sleep by spelling Czechoslavakia backwards.

Just as delightful are some absolutely hilarious scenes with David Niven, who plays a friend of Nicole's who also works for one of Michael's companies. I'd venture to say that Niven steals every scene he's in; he's laugh out loud funny in this.

Cast members such as Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, and Warren Hymer also bring a smile to the face. The stars and the film's sets, as filmed by Leo Tover in shimmering black and white are glorious -- the less said about the film's many back projections, the better -- and the movie might be worth the price of admission just to look at Colbert's dazzling Travis Banton gowns!

In the end, even lesser Lubitsch is still quite good, and immersing oneself in his beautiful, lighthearted world is always a wonderful thing, now more than ever.

The Kino Lorber release has a commentary track by Kat Ellinger, along with a trailer gallery for half a dozen films also available from Kino Lorber.

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

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