It’s spring in Rossmore, Illinois, and Professor Casanova Q. Brown returns to his hometown anxious to tie the knot with his sweetheart Madge Ferris. But Cass is in a “strange situation” and seems much more nervous than a first-time groom ought to be. Then, on the eve of their wedding, Cass receives a letter from a nearby maternity hospital he first suspects is an advertisement, but upon investigation, proves to be much more.
Gary Cooper brings the comic sensibilities he displayed in such films as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Ball of Fire to Casanova Brown, a wacky romantic comedy that reunites him with his The Pride of the Yankees leading lady, Teresa Wright. It’s old home week for Teresa as well; Patricia Collinge, who played her mother in Shadow of a Doubt, repeats that function here along with a splendid supporting cast that includes a scene-stealing Frank Morgan (as Coop’s would-be father-in-law), Anita Louise, Edmund Breon, Mary Treen and Emory Parnell.
For thoughts on Casanova Brown, please check out my piece on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
Casanova Brown makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to ClassicFlix with a 1080p master that is very striking on the whole. The lovely black-and-white photography shines in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a solid amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. While the film largely looks really nice, there are some slight variances where you can tell the source material was less than optimal. The contrast remains pretty stable throughout with deep black levels and white levels that do not veer into blooming. The new transfer shows off a solid amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The presentation does not experience much in the way of black crush or compression artifacts. ClassicFlix has once again done an impressive job with this transfer.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with an enjoyable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves capably given the age of the source material. Dialogue and background noises are represented in balance with all competing elements as it maintains a nice fidelity. The music that is present never really overpowers the dialogue or other important information. This track does present some amount of age related wear and tear and some slightly boxy sounding music at its peaks. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. ClassicFlix has delivered a solid presentation for fans.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Casanova Brown is a mostly charming, intermittently hilarious and often frustrating comedic drama which also provides some unexpected heartfelt moments. This is not one of the most well-known Gary Cooper features, but it is one worth getting to know thanks to the things it does so well. The performance from the great Frank Morgan alone is worth seeking out. A little more care put into the script could have made this one more of a stalwart, but as it is this film is still an enjoyable endeavor. ClassicFlix has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and nothing in terms of extra content. Classic film fans will want to mark this one down on their watchlist. Recommended
Casanova Brown is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.