When Dan Hardesty (William Powell) meets Joan Ames (Kay Francis) in a Hong Kong bar, he doesn’t let on that he’s an escaped murderer, nor that she’s suffering from a fatal illness. After Dan is caught by Sergeant Steve Burke (Warren Hymer), the two head back to America via ocean liner, and spot Joan also aboard. Dan talks Steve into letting him out of the cuffs, and for the duration of the trip, he and Joan indulge in a romance both know can never last.

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Video Quality

One Way Passage makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Warner Archive with a brand new 1080p master derived from a 4K scan of the Original Nitrate Camera Negative. The results are quite stunning for a film that is over 90 years old, as the label continues to prove that age is just a number with their nearly flawless presentations. The nitrate sheen can give the illusion of age-related flicker, but it is Warner Archive balancing the desire to honor the source and providing a top notch visual experience for fans. They walk this tightrope admirably at every turn.

This new transfer shows off a stellar amount of depth and enhanced detail within the various interiors of the ship. The beautiful black-and-white photography shimmers in high definition with natural grain intact. Black levels are nice and deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The highlights hold firm, allowing the contrast to impress with no blooming in sight. There is a grand amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the production design. Warner Archive continues to preserve their legacy with great care.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a newly restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that holds up as well as the source will allow. While not quite as pristine as the video side of the presentation, there is very little likely to disappoint any audiences. The witty dialogue and quick exchanges come through clearly throughout the duration. The environmental effects such as background chatter never overpower the dialogue on this release. The music that is present can register as a bit thin in some of the peaks, but it is not a detrimental issue. There does not appear to be much at all in the way of damage or age related wear and tear to the track outside of some minor sibilance and harsher inflections. This audio presentation suits the material pretty well under the circumstances. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc.

Special Features

A Great Big Bunch Of You: A seven-minute animated Vitaphone Merrie Melodies short is provided in beautiful HD in which various discarded pieces of refuse come together for a bit of musical fun.

Buzzin’ Around: A nearly 21-minute Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle short is provided in which our hero concocts an interesting invention but gets into a harrowing situation. This is presented in HD with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.

Screen Directors Playhouse Radio Show: A 30-minute radio adaptation of the story is provided here with William Powell reprising his role from the film being joined by Peggy Dow.

Lux Radio Theater Broadcast: The hour-long radio adaptation of this story is provided here with the two stars reprising their screen roles.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

One Way Passage is a lovely and tragically romantic Pre-Code drama which really gets the most out of its leading duo. William Powell is nearly always a charmer, and his presence alone makes you understand why Joan may be instantly drawn to this slightly older gentleman. Kay Francis is likewise a ray of light who draws you in and makes you care about her. The movie perhaps moves along a bit too quickly too to completely put the romantic connection over the top, but it remains a really engaging watch nonetheless. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a really good A/V presentation and a nice selection of special features. If you are a fan of the performers or Pre-Code dramas in general, this is an easy purchase. Recommended

One Way Passage can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through 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.