Lady in a Jam is a classic screwball comedy starring the splendid Irene Dunne (Stingaree, The Awful Truth) as Jane, a young lady who is suspected of insanity after she squanders her entire inheritance yet refuses to accept her poor financial state. Dr. Enright (Patric Knowles, The Bride Wore Boots, Monsieur Beaucaire) is the handsome doctor assigned to her case, unbeknownst to Jane. Posing as her chauffeur, he drives her out west to her rich grandmother, from whom Jane hopes to recoup her fortune. Refusing to give Jane a dime, instead her grandmother allows her to work the family’s played-out gold mine. Jane’s ex-boyfriend (Ralph Bellamy, Hands Across the Table, His Girl Friday) comes into the picture only to discover Jane is smitten with the doctor. A love triangle ensues and finally the gold mine and Jane’s love life start to yield some promise. Deliciously directed by Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey, Stage Door).
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Video Quality
Lady In A Jam makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p transfer that brings this to life well despite not being noted as being a new master. This film has some years under its belt, but the core elements seem to have held up pretty well after all these years. The black-and-white photography shot by Hal Mohr sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact and resolved without major issues outside of some spiking on occasion. Contrast is firmly defined with only intermittent flicker and density fluctuation in the print.
Black levels are pretty solid with only sporadic occurrences of black crush or compression artifacts. Stray lines and specks of damage are a familiar sight, but most should agree that it does not distract from the picture in a significant way. The new transfer exhibits an appreciated amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. There is also a good amount of detail present with textures on the clothing and within the environment. Kino Classics has provided a fine presentation despite the lack of a new master.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty good DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that presents the movie well enough. The all-important dialogue comes through clearly and is balanced well with background elements which provide texture to the world. The track can sound a bit unsteady when it comes to the score, which likely dates back to the age and quality of the source elements. The music does not overwhelm the dialogue or other important information. There is a fleeting amount of age related wear and tear and some faint hissing, but it is not a detrimental issue. Kino Classics has done their best to provide a nice sounding track for this one. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Filmmaker Allan Arkush and Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer deliver a lively and informative commentary track in which they discusses the career of director Gregory La Cava, where this fits in the careers of all the creatives, the background of the ensemble players, the music in the picture, the costumes and many other topics. This is an easy-going and well-researched track that is worth checking out.
- Trailers: This disc provides trailers for High Wide and Handsome, The Bride Wore Boots, The Flame of New Orleans, Every Day’s A Holiday, The Bride Comes Home and Love Before Breakfast.
Final Thoughts
Lady In A Jam is an occasionally messy but fun screwball comedy that never fails to entertain. Irene Dunne is given a chance to show off her more zany side, and it suits her perfectly. Patric Knowles does not quite live up to her standards in the male lead role, but he does what is needed well enough. This is not a classic of the genre, but it offers a good time. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports an overall fetching A/V presentation and a nice commentary track. If you want a lighthearted screwball comedy from Hollywood’s golden age, give this one a shot. Recommended
Lady In A Jam is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.