A Few Words About A few words about...™ Love Me or Leave Me -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I saw Love Me or Leave in theatrically, in 1955, and while I would hope that it looked nice, I'm certain that it looked nothing like Warner Archive's new Blu-ray.

If you know old film elements, you know within a few frames where things are going, and where this particular Blu-ray takes us makes itself known the moment Mr. Cagney enters the frame, in a black overcoat, and that coat is Black!

It's not navy or medium, or flag blue.

It's absolutely, gorgeous black!

Flesh tones on Love Me or Leave Me are perfect throughout.

Grain structure? Check.

Shadow detail? Check.

Resolution? Check.

2.55:1 aspect ratio? Check, along with a full screen credit for still early CinemaScope.

5.0 stereo? Check.

A terrific M-G-M musical, directed by Charles Vidor (Cover Girl, Gilda), and starring Doris Day, as Ruth Etting, and James Cagney, as her mobster manager, Marty Snyder.

For anyone who loves Hollywood musicals, this is a Blu-ray that fully reproduces the looks, sounds and textures of what would have been seen on screen six decades ago...

only with better color and resolution.

Yet another example of Warner Archive's continuous desire for perfection.

Say you loved Mr. Cagney in Public Enemy and White Heat?

Here's your chance to see him play a different side of Cody Jarrett, finally something close to the real life story of Ruth Etting, and it aint' pretty.

An absolutely glorious Blu-ray!

Image - 5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended

RAH

 

[John Hermes]

Great news....I'll be getting this for sure.

 

[Thomas T]

I was going to purchase it regardless but this makes it all the more exciting. Sorry to nitpick but it's Ruth ETTING.

 

[Robert Harris]

I was going to purchase it regardless but this makes it all the more exciting. Sorry to nitpick but it's Ruth ETTING.

Nitpick away. Am aware, and finally able to correct. Auto-correct in action.

 

[Matt Hough]

Or as Cagney's Snyder calls her, "Ettling."

Adore this movie almost as much as any other movie ever made. The songs are all first-rate, and Doris is at the peak of her talent as a vocalist. Plus, it's about the richest dramatic material she ever got to play, and she doesn't put forth a false step. Can't wait to add it to my collection.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Glad to see this passes with high marks. I loved how Warner's Pete Kelly's Blues looked & sounded and this appears to be more of the same. Can't wait.

 

[Robert Harris]

http://greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com/2013/04/doris-day-as-ruth-etting.html

 

[RMajidi]

http://greatentertainersarchives.blogspot.com/2013/04/doris-day-as-ruth-etting.html

"...Day cared about everyone who was disturbed by her characterization, and she answered every piece of mail, explaining the necessity for realism, and that it was essential to separate actress Doris Day from character Ruth Etting. She felt that as a performer, she had the same responsibility to the public that a politician has to the electorate."


If only politicians displayed the same responsibility towards their electorate that Doris Day did to the public.

Doris Day - a class act in every way!

 

[Robin9]

Larry Adler knew Marty Snyder slightly, and he said the real Snyder was far more unpleasant than shown in this film!

 

[Virgoan]

Imagine Mr. Robert A. Harris being such a TEASE! After the first sentence or two, I just knew he was going to call this BD a dud. And then something amazing happened.

Can't wait to get this!

 

[Virgoan]

For what it's worth, Percy Faith was the music director on this film. MGM musicals were generally done by Johnny Green, Roger Edens, Lennie Hayton, George Stoll, Saul Chaplin, Adolph Deutsch and Andre Previn. This was Faith's only major film musical at MGM, but he did a stunning job with the music. (Ditto Carmen Dragon, the atypical music director on MGM's major musical "Lovely To Look At").

 

[ArnoldLayne]

For what it's worth, Percy Faith was the music director on this film. MGM musicals were generally done by Johnny Green, Roger Edens, Lennie Hayton, George Stoll, Saul Chaplin, Adolph Deutsch and Andre Previn. This was Faith's only major film musical at MGM, but he did a stunning job with the music. (Ditto Carmen Dragon, the atypical music director on MGM's major musical "Lovely To Look At").

Percy Faith was no slouch. Thanks for mentioning!

 

[OliverK]

Reading a glowing review like this of a title that certainly wasn't easy to handle I cannot help but wish that Warner would double, triple or quadruple their output! To me of all major studios Warner strike the best balance of still doing their own releases and also giving us good to often excellent quality.

 

[alter filmnarr]

Reading a glowing review like this of a title that certainly wasn't easy to handle I cannot help but wish that Warner would double, triple or quadruple their output! To me of all major studios Warner strike the best balance of still doing their own releases and also giving us good to often excellent quality.

I'm getting older and older, and hoping every month for "Around The World in 80 Days" and "Ryan's Daughter". I even did not open my DVDs until now, because I could not imagine, that we have to wait THAT long...

Dear George Feltenstein, give us a sign!

 

[OliverK]

I'm getting older and older, and hoping every month for "Around The World in 80 Days" and "Ryan's Daughter". I even did not open my DVDs until now, because I could not imagine, that we have to wait THAT long...

Dear George Feltenstein, give us a sign!

Around the World in 80 Days, Ryan's Daughter and Raintree County for me are the three most important missing large format releases from Warner and for that matter with any studio so I agree that the waiting is really hard.

By now I guess that most of us would be happy with less than perfect releases as Warner is unlikely to spend in the grand old Ben-Hur style for titles with much lower sales potential. So Warner we would be happy with "normal" Blu-rays with less cleanup and no reconstructed cut scenes and the like, just keep it simple if otherwise we won't get anything at all for another decade!

 

[alter filmnarr]

By now I guess that most of us would be happy with less than perfect releases as Warner is unlikely to spend in the grand old Ben-Hur style for titles with much lower sales potential. So Warner we would be happy with "normal" Blu-rays with less cleanup and no reconstructed cut scenes and the like, just keep it simple if otherwise we won't get anything at all for another decade!

...yes, and (if we still are alive), we promise to buy a "perfect follow up release", a few years later, as well!

 

[Robert Harris]

Around the World in 80 Days, Ryan's Daughter and Raintree County for me are the three most important missing large format releases from Warner and for that matter with any studio so I agree that the waiting is really hard.

By now I guess that most of us would be happy with less than perfect releases as Warner is unlikely to spend in the grand old Ben-Hur style for titles with much lower sales potential. So Warner we would be happy with "normal" Blu-rays with less cleanup and no reconstructed cut scenes and the like, just keep it simple if otherwise we won't get anything at all for another decade!

The three films you mention are three totally different technological case studies, with three very different price tags.

Two are extremely complex, one is not.

Of the two problem titles, one may be worth the investment, while the other may not. One will never make back its cost, and there is no inexpensive way of saving either.

RAH

 

[Robert Crawford]

RAH, so that it's clear to all of us which of those two titles are you specifically talking about?

 

[alter filmnarr]

RAH, so that it's clear to all of us which of those two titles are you specifically talking about?

I suspect "80 Days" and "Raintree" are the "problematic" ones - with "80 Days" worth the investment. "Ryan's Daughter" should not be a problem. But maybe, I'm terribly wrong.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I suspect "80 Days" and "Raintree" are the "problematic" ones - with "80 Days" worth the investment. "Ryan's Daughter" should not be a problem. But maybe, I'm terribly wrong.

From what I've read in their respective topics, RAINTREE COUNTY'S prospects appear by far the bleakest of the three, made all the more depressing by the fact it doesn't even have a legitimate DVD release, but so it goes!

RYAN'S DAUGHTER should be the easy one, as a decent HD download version does already exist!

CHEERS!