‘Sweethearts’ (1938) Blu-Ray Review – Musical Comedy Shows Love Against All Odds

Broadway’s Gwen Marlowe and Ernest Lane are sweethearts, onstage as stars of Victor Herbert’s operetta and offstage as happily marrieds. Then Hollywood beckons, and their fretful stage producer puts the kibosh on any Tinseltown plans by trumping up a romantic triangle that sets the lovebirds feuding. Notable as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s first feature film shot in the three-color Technicolor process, the 24-karat Golden Age singing team of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy are at their absolute best in this lavish, gossamer-weight box office smash glittering with songs that highlight their superb voices. Director W. S. Van Dyke II provides sophistication, the Dorothy Parker-Alan Campbell script provides rapier wit and the Oscar-winning cinematography provides proof the ravishing, red-haired MacDonald was born for Technicolor. Newly remastered for its Blu-ray debut from 4K scans of preservation elements.

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Sweethearts with an exceptional new 1080p transfer sourced from a new 4K restoration of the Technicolor Separation Master Positives. In what may now be considered an old refrain, this label shines when it comes to restoring Technicolor pictures to their intended grandeur. The film features some sumptuous color photography under the direction of W. S. Van Dyke II which permeates the screen with a favorable amount of natural film grain intact. Black levels are assuredly deep with ideal stability throughout, and the highlights hold steady with nothing coming up short when it comes to blooming. 

The film has been cleaned up with immense care with lingering dirt and damage scarcely surviving as no trace of wear and tear was spotted. From the earliest moments, you can tell that the label has cared for this one with its in-house team of master craftsmen. When observing the sets, you are rewarded with such fetching texture and clarity within the costumes and production design. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such anomalies are not an issue with this release. Warner Archive always delivers top-tier work. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that complements the quality of the video portion of the equation. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being trampled by competing elements. This and other background noises are rendered with admirable accuracy. The more bustling moments are handled with care as they give the track a whirl of excitement. The restoration has whisked away nearly all previous instances of distortion and weakness in the track such as hissing, dropouts, and popping. All of the musical moments hold up with fine fidelity. This track always keeps up a worthwhile level of quality. Warner Archive has done well here. Optional English SDH subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

• Original Pre-Recording Session Material: An 18-minute audio excerpt from an early rehearsal material from the film. 

• Radio Broadcast of Sweethearts: A 30-minute radio play with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy reprising their roles. 

• Pirate Party on Catalina Island (Excerpt): A three-minute excerpt from a short film that features stars such as Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, and Mickey Rooney. 

• Classic Cartoons

• • Count Me Out: A nearly eight-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon in which an unlikely character attempts to pick up boxing. This has been restored in HD. 

• • Love and Curses: A nearly nine-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon in which an older gentleman reflects on a particularly harrowing time in his life with his true love. This has been restored in HD. 

• Original Theatrical Trailer (3:59)

Final Thoughts

Sweethearts is somewhat light in the storytelling department as it basically boils down to various parties with a vested interest in the lives of two artists getting involved to an unhealthy degree. It may not be the most complex narrative, yet you find yourself overlooking this due to the loads of charm and grand spectacle the picture offers. The musical sequences are expertly crafted and the design elements are top-notch at every turn. As a jaunty musical journey, you cannot go wrong. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray that features a fantastic A/V presentation and a couple of wonderful special features. Recommended 

Sweethearts 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.