Roaring ’20s songstress Ruth Etting had everything the looks, the wiles, the smokey jazz voice, the it. She also had Chicago racketeer Martin ‘The Gimp’ Snyder, who, even as he propelled her career, afflicted her. Laced with Doris Day’s vibrant performance of songs from the era, this 1955 Academy Award winner (Writing – Motion Picture Story) is based on the tough-minded tale of Etting’s life with the man who boosted her career with strong-arm tactics and smothered her in an obsessive grip she escaped at great peril. As Snyder, Cagney earned one of the film’s six Oscar nominations. Day’s Etting was a career-best dramatic performance, bringing acclaim from critics and protest letters from fans unprepared for the departure from her traditionally sunny roles.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive brought Love Me or Leave Me to Blu-Ray in 2016 with a great 1080p master transfer sourced from a 2K scan of an Interpositive in 2.55:1 which dazzles in high definition. Detail and clarity are of the highest quality with lovely natural film grain intact and resolved without a hiccup. The film utilizes splendid colors within the impressive costumes and production design that shine off the screen. Black levels are respectable with notable stability throughout, and highlights avoid any signs of blooming. The restoration cleans up any previous dirt or damage for a blemish-free viewing experience. There similarly does not appear to be any unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. Warner Archive treated this one well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a wonderful DTS-HD 5.0 Master Audio track that tactfully expands the four-track stereo roots. The surround speakers only complement the main personality of the audio journey rather than commanding focus. The music that is central to the narrative is every bit as full-bodied and exciting as it should be with its flawless fidelity. The vocals playfully intermingle with the dance numbers and accompanying music with significant clarity. Dialogue comes through without getting drowned out by other elements. Warner Archive has provided a tremendous presentation that does not exhibit obvious signs of age-related wear and tear. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided.

Special Features

A Modern Cinderella: A nearly 18-minute Vitaphone short starring the real-life Ruth Etting portrayed in the film by Doris Day. This is a humorous tale of mistaken identity.

Roseland: Another 12-minute short with Ruth Etting entering into a radio contest.

Salute To The Theatres: A 17-minute archival featurette that gives theater-owners a chance to see some of the titles coming to their screens from MGM.

Theatrical Trailer (3:26)

Final Thoughts

Love Me or Leave Me has familiar shades from other stories echoing through its corridors, but this biographical feature captures the essence of this performer effectively. You know where the story is going to end up, but this feature gets to its destination with the proper emotions washing over you. This is in no small part due to the performances from Doris Day and James Cagney which keep you glued to the screen. This is a prime example of classic Hollywood moviemaking. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fetching A/V presentation and a fair showing of supplemental features. Recommended

Love Me or Leave Me can be purchased directly through MovieZyng 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.