Screen legends Bob Hope (The Paleface) and Lucille Ball (Fancy Pants) unite for the first time in this heartwarming story spun from Damon Runyon’s famous fable about a penny-pinching Broadway bookie called Sorrowful Jones (that’s Hope). Sorrowful takes a bet from a rotten gambler who leaves his young daughter as collateral. When the bettor doesn’t come back, Sorrowful Jones learns some hard lessons about parenthood—whether he wants to or not! On top of that, Lucy plays nightclub singer Gladys O’Neil, the apple of Sorrowful’s eye. But gangster Bruce Cabot (King Kong) stakes his claim on her affections and the sparks fly in all directions. A remake of the 1934 Shirley Temple film Little Miss Marker, this wonderful version from director Sidney Lanfield (Where There’s Life, The Lemon Drop Kid) marks Hope’s debut as a bonafide actor.
For thoughts on Sorrowful Jones, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/cak-3xT5C0I?t=3304]
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Sorrowful Jones with a Blu-Ray presentation from a brand new 2K master that looks really fetching. This transfer retains the natural film grain of the presentation with no major issues with spiking or clumping. The black-and-white photography shines in high definition with a firm sense of contrast and impeccable detail. Black levels hold up well with not much in the way of crush. The presentation is pleasant throughout with image stability and delineation being handled well. There is no doubt that there has been significant cleanup with next to nothing in the way of nicks and scratches and overall clarity and detail remaining strong. Kino Classics has treated this one quite well.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a nice DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that represents the film well. This track shows no obvious signs of age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. The dialogue takes precedence in the mix with no other sounds drowning out any important information. Dialogue and background noises are balanced in perfect harmony with all competing elements. The sound effects and music are brought to life exactly as needed to make this story sing. The jovial score maintains a firm sense of fidelity as it elevates the narrative. Kino Classics has done everything they need to do here. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Sorrowful Jones is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Fancy Pants, Never Say Die, The Cat and The Canary, Road To Singapore, The Ghost Breakers, Road To Zanzibar, Caught In The Draft, Nothing But The Truth, My Favorite Blonde, Road To Morocco, Road To Utopia, Where There’s Life, The Paleface, Alias Jesse James and a KLSC Bob Hope Promo.
Final Thoughts
Sorrowful Jones is one of the best Bob Hope and Lucille Ball collaborations we have seen to date, even if the movie could stand to treat Ball better as a character. Hope does not overplay his schtick as he reacts to the adorable young co-star who steals the film for herself. It is easy to put a cute kid into a picture and call it a day, but the team here really delivers something special with heart. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation but next to nothing in the way of special features. If you have a fondness for the stars or simply love a well-done sentimental dramedy, be sure to give this a shot. Recommended
Sorrowful Jones 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.
