Few directors could tap into the chill-inducing thrill of romance in the way that Frank Borzage could in his films. From his directorial debut in 1915 onward, the man had tackled all manner of different subject matter, but the emotional charge that accompanied his romantic pictures are what made him beloved by so many. It is true that a common theme was young lovers attempting to triumph over adversity, but each picture found a way to make the experience unique, from societal issues such as World War I to more personal subject matter. One of his greatest feats came over twenty years into his career with the enticingly titled History Is Made At Night from 1937. The production of the film is almost as exciting as the final product, as Borzage was drawn in only by the title and two pages of an unfinished script. Even by the time they were going into production, the script was still being written – a process that continued well into the shoot. This might seem like a recipe for disaster, but the thrill of spontaneity and abandonment seeped its way into the script to create one of the most satisfying pictures of that year.
This tale of unexpected love funnily enough begins with the dissolution of a marriage. Famous shipbuilder Bruce Vail (Colin Clive, Frankenstein) is the type of insufferable person who most people would shirk away from if he was not so rich. Yet, even money is not enough to keep his wife Irene (Jean Arthur, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington) from filing for divorce. He is convinced that another man is to blame, but honestly the fact that he is a controlling, jealous jerk is the only reason Irene needs to move on with her life. His nature will not allow her to get away so easily, so he sends his chauffeur to Irene’s hotel room in Paris to “compromise” her to keep the divorce from going through. Fortunately for Irene, an unknown man hears her cries and bursts in to protect her, but realizes the best way to keep her safe is to whisk her away under the guise of a “hostage” in a botched burglary. The man in question is Paul Dumond (Charles Boyer, Gaslight), and as far as “meet cutes” go, this is an all-timer. What begins as a rescue turns into a night of romance that will move even the most cynical hearts.
Irene and Paul come from different backgrounds, but their chemistry between one another is undeniable. We will come to know Paul as the head waiter of one of the most respected establishments in Paris. He does not have a vast fortune in the way that Bruce has, but that is never what Irene wanted. Every moment between these two is so effortless and believable as they slowly let their guard down with one another. Irene is a nervous mess, and Paul is falling a little bit more in love with her with every idiosyncratic movement. Paul is a suave gentleman, but not in the way that feels smarmy or unnatural. He is sensitive to her recent scare and gets to know more about her through some whimsical means that I will not spoil here. Every exchange is so heartwarming that you never want this sequence to end, all the way through the night of care-free dancing. It has only been a night, but it is the most magical night and love has blossomed. Unfortunately for the pair, Bruce has still not given up on ruining Irene’s life.
One of the most magical aspects of History Is Made At Night is the way in which it so effortlessly blends tones and genres. Throughout this ninety-five-minute film, you experience elements of melodrama, screwball comedy, romance, and even a disaster epic. Despite the way in which the story was written, it all flows together incredibly naturally. Nearly everything in the world seems to want to keep Irene and Paul apart, but the love between them is real and cannot be hidden away so easily. Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur are dynamite in these roles in a way that makes this film work so perfectly in the end. After you have experienced the thrilling highs and gasp-inducing lows of this rollercoaster narrative, you will be left with a romance that emphasizes the joy that comes from being loved for exactly who you are, foibles and all. Frank Borzage makes movies that are good for the soul, and this one is one of his best. This is not a film I have heard touted as one of the pinnacles of 30s filmmaking, but for my money it is one of the most satisfying I have experienced to date.
Video Quality
History Is Made At Night makes its Blu-Ray debut in its original 1.37:1 thanks to The Criterion Collection with a brand new 1080p master from a 4K scan primarily from a 35mm nitrate duplicate negative. Given the state that the film was in that you can see in the special features, the transfer we have here is quite incredible. The lovely black-and-white photography shot by David Abel shines in high definition with natural grain intact. Black levels are deep with no overwhelming occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts, but the grain can become quite thick in some sequences. There is a great amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design, especially in the kitchen of the restaurant. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. There are only a few moments where there seems to be an almost lattice-like shadow over Arthur’s face. The contrast is well defined, and the track only experiences a minor amount of flicker and stray hairs on the print. The Criterion Collection has done some spectacular work here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a solid LPCM 1.0 audio track that serves this movie really well with a pleasing fidelity. This track does present with a minor amount of faint hissing throughout most of the presentation that likely date back to the source elements. This is inherent to most films of this time and not a huge distraction. The moving music never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in perfect harmony with all competing elements. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The team at the Criterion Collection have done their best to provide the most stable track possible for this one.
Special Features
The Criterion Blu-Ray of History Is Made At Night includes a foldout booklet featuring the new essay “Taking A Chance On Love” by author Dan Callahan in which he discusses the themes and romance in the story, the real-life personality traits of the performers and how they relate to the film, the “leap of faith” style of the production and more. This provides a great amount of context and insight into the film that is very worthwhile. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Hervé Dumont and Peter Cowie: A 24-minute conversation from 2018 between author Hervé Dumont (Frank Borzage: The Life and Films of a Hollywood Romantic) and film historian Peter Cowie. The two excitedly discuss the career of Borzage, the development of the script for History Is Made At Night, the performances in the film, the editing in the film, the legacy of the film and more.
- Farrah Smith Nehme: A 13-minute interview from 2019 with critic Farran Smith Nehme in which she discusses Borzage’s unique relationship with depicting romantic love and how he uses atypical shots and edits in the course of his filmography to bring these emotions to life. If the film was not enough incentive to check out more from Borzage, this piece definitely will stoke your interest.
- Frank Borzage: A 31-minute audio interview from 1958 in which Borzage speaks with film historian George Pratt about his early life and beginnings in the film business, his career in Hollywood, filmmaking techniques and much more.
- Restoration Demonstration: A nine-minute examination of the restoration efforts that were undertaken by Lee Kline and his crew from finding the best available assets to ensuring a natural presentation when using digital tools. This is fascinating if you are interested in the process of preserving film.
- The Screen Guild Theater: A 27-minute radio adaptation of the story that aired on November 10, 1940 for the radio anthology series The Screen Guild Theater. In this version, Charles Boyer reprises his role alongside Greer Garson (Pride & Prejudice) and Lionel Atwill (Doctor X).
Final Thoughts
History Is Made At Night is a true whirlwind of a film that takes you on a remarkable journey filled with drama, comedy, romance and tragedy. Director Frank Borzage plays to his strengths by creating a narrative that stands as one of the great romances of 30s Hollywood. Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur are irresistible as these unlikely lovers who make your heart soar. The Criterion Collection has released a Blu-Ray that boasts a stunning A/V presentation and a nice array of supplemental features. This is the Golden Age of Hollywood at its best. Highly Recommended
The Criterion Collection edition of History Is Made At Night is 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: The Criterion Collection 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.
