Kittenish teens Patti (Jane Powell) and Melba (Debbie Reynolds) turn a 1900s family vacation in the Catskills into Two Weeks with Love, “a bright entertainment that may come as a surprise to those who think there is nothing new under the musical sun” (The Hollywood Reporter). Patti is fluttery over a suave older man (Ricardo Montalban) and thinks romance will bloom if her disapproving parents let her wear…a corset! With that longed-for garment, 18-year-old Patti is sure she’ll look like a more mature woman. Meanwhile, Melba stalks a local boy (Carleton Carpenter) with lovestruck determination. In a sensational showstopper, Reynolds and Carpenter tear into a version of “Aba Daba Honeymoon,” so frisky and charming it became a smash-hit record. Busby Berkeley staged all the numbers, including “Row, Row, Row” and a dream sequence that has corseted Powell wowing Montalban with, of all things, an aria from The Chocolate Soldier. Aba daba, what a delight!

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Two Weeks with Love with a dazzling new 1080p master transfer in 1.37:1 sourced from a 4K restoration of the Original Technicolor Camera Negative. Warner Archive continues to impress Golden Age fans with stellar transfers that allow this film to look like it was made yesterday. The film shimmers with natural film grain intact, unveiling a world of discrete detail and clarity. The film spotlights some sumptuous colors within the clothing, production design, and landscapes that radiate off the screen with an immediate vibrancy. Black levels are top-tier with ideal stability throughout. The film is essentially flawless with no instances of damage or dirt detected here. Compression artifacts, banding, and other such issues are not a problem in this transfer. This presentation is a winner for Warner Archive on all fronts.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that delights every bit as much as the video side of things. This is not a full-tilt musical, but there are plenty of numbers to perk up the plot, and they all sound swell with unwavering fidelity. The more kinetic moments of pratfalls and the like are deftly handled and give the track some texture. No one element ever drowns out any dialogue that is being spoken here. Exchanges and background noises are represented considerately along with the score. There is no egregious age-related wear and tear to the track such as humming, hissing, or popping. Warner Archive has provided a disc that takes ample advantage of the format. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Reel Memories with Jane Powell: A terrific 44-minute archival special in which TCM’s Robert Osborne interviews Jane Powell about her career.

Pete Smith Specialties: An eight-minute Pete Smith Specialty short entitled “Crashing the Movies” humorously looks at some daredevil stunt work.

Screen Actors: Another nine-minute Pete Smith Specialty short that looks at the “real lives” of performers.

Garden Gopher: A six-minute Tex Avery cartoon is provided here in HD in which a gopher is dead set on not letting Spike the dog bury a bone in his home.

Theatrical Trailer (2:08)

Final Thoughts

Two Weeks with Love is a lighthearted charmer that has a handful of dated elements, but nothing that is alien to the trappings of the era. The performers are a ball of energy, especially the crackling zeal of Debbie Reynolds and the playfully naive longing of Jane Powell. The songs are agreeable, and the narrative never loses itself with anything too outlandish. It is not breaking new ground, but it hits the right notes to stand as a comfortable viewing experience. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray with a jaw-dropping A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. If you are a fan of old-school romantic comedies, this is well worth a place in your collection. Recommended

Two Weeks with Love 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.