Despite your best efforts, your preconceived notions about a film can often supersede what you feel in the moment until you have had the proper time to process the reality. My first exposure to the 1933 pre-Code feature Dinner At Eight from director George Cukor (My Fair Lady, The Philadelphia Story) was its inclusion in a Classic Comedies Collection that Warner Bros. released on DVD back in the day. The word “comedy” in relation to this film is a bit suspect, even if it is technically true. Sure, you could say a film such as It’s A Wonderful Life is a comedy, but that would not change the fact that the weighty drama and themes are the most memorable parts of this tale. Perhaps it is due to the Depression-era setting of the story or the fact that the thematic elements were not dampened by the Hays Code, but Dinner At Eight is ruthless in its execution and character dynamics. Edna Ferber‘s 1932 play of the same title on which this is based captured a very particular atmosphere of the country and the entertainment industry, and this film translates it quite effectively. You just need to know what you are getting yourself into.
Dinner At Eight is technically very impressive in how it juggles so many characters and the complex web that connects them. This New York tale begins when high society lady Millicent Jordan (Billie Burke, The Wizard Of Oz) receives word that Lord and Lady Ferncliffe, the richest couple in England, have accepted her invitation to attend a dinner party. If there is one thing we have learned from the Downton Abbey movie, it is that rich people get in a tizzy when they have to impress other rich people. Throughout the remainder of the movie, Millicent will be singularly focused on the execution of this dinner and everything that gets in the way of executing it flawlessly; growing and shrinking guest lists, food preparation nightmares and copious amounts of personal drama – this movie has it all! What makes this movie so fascinating is the perspective in which it puts wealth – old money vs. new, the precarious nature of high society living, etc. – and how that plays into how people interact with one another. This dinner is set to be filled with schemers, lost souls, cheaters and more. Everyone is worried about whether or not they can make more money or hold onto what they have. No one seems happy.
Did we mention this is a comedy? As we mentioned, despite the presence of some well-placed acidic barbs, this is much more drama-heavy than you might believe. Once you accept that fact, you can really relish in the top-notch performances being given by this stacked ensemble. Oliver Jordan (Lionel Barrymore, Key Largo) is the husband to the hostess who is going through both tough financial and health times that put the movie into perspective more so. Maybe not as much as the character played by his brother, Larry Renault (John Barrymore, Grand Hotel), a former silent screen star who is feeling the crushing defeat of modernity. As much as this is a film about classic dynamics, it serves as a sobering look at the rough transition from silent film to talkies that many performers faced. Did we mention that there was infidelity? Be it the young, inexperienced Paula (Madge Evans) or the young, vivacious Kitty (Jean Harlow, Libeled Lady), about half of these characters are messing around with people they should not be.
For much of this feature, these characters are pretty miserable. They often ignore when someone else is clearly in distress, only thinking about their own immediate problems. They even occasionally intentionally inflict pain upon one another, such is the case with Kitty and her newly wealthy husband, Dan Packard, Wallace Beery, Viva Villa!). A late-film argument between the two is incredibly cutting in a way you do not often see in old Hollywood films. The film takes you to the depths of human ugliness and attempts to shock you out of it by putting what is important into clearer context. At nearly two hours in length, the film takes a bit too long to get to this point, but the amount of character arcs and beats that they manage to fit into this narrative allows you to forgive this a bit. Dinner At Eight has a lot to say about the problems surrounding extreme wealth, and it mostly handles it quite deftly. This film has comedic elements, but it is not explicitly a comedy. George Cukor has put together a pretty intriguing drama that holds together underneath immense pressure.
Video Quality
Dinner At Eight makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Warner Archive with a brand new 1080p master from a 4K scan of the best surviving preservation elements. You can always count on the Warner Archive to provide a truly marvelous presentation. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s various interior settings. Each individual setting features some distinct production design that can be more clearly seen now more than ever before. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, especially in the various stunning outfits sported by Kitty. The stunning black-and-white photography shot by William H. Daniels sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. Black levels are very deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found. Warner Archive continues its hot streak of restorations with another brilliant effort.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a lovely DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie perfectly well. The warmth and vitality of the William Axt score sounds as lovely as ever here. Despite the strength of the music, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. This track shows little discernible age related wear and tear outside of a small amount of hissing and few instances of distortion that likely dates back to the source elements. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Warner Archive has delivered a rock solid effort here.
Special Features
- Harlow – The Blonde Bombshell: A 47 minute Turner Pictures documentary hosted by Sharon Stone which explores the life and career of Jean Harlow. It is fascinating to see how the on-screen persona stood at odds with the real-life upstanding young woman that came from simple means. This piece does a nice job of exploring the early life of the performer along with her break in Hollywood and her career which made such an impression on cinema. This is a fantastic addition to the set which fans should eat up.
- Come To Dinner: A 22-minute satirical short from 1933 which parodies Dinner At Eight complete with look-alike performers. This is an amusing alternative to the feature that shows people could have fun with the material.
- Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Dinner At Eight is a delicately executed comedy-drama that surprises in the tough themes it chooses to tackle in the guise of a lighthearted comedy. The impressive ensemble impresses at every turn with Harlow, the Barrymore siblings and Marie Dressler proving to be the standouts in the feature. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a pleasing array of special features. If you are a fan of old Hollywood films that still had a bit of bite before the Hays Code kicked in, this one is well worth a look. Recommended
Dinner At Eight can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.
