NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (September 2024): Indicator have transferred John M. Stahl's When Tomorrow Comes to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2K restoration". It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. Aside from a few small marks and speckles, the 1080P is very pleasing with consistent textures, adept contrast, it can look a shade heavy in spots but overall I thought it was a strong HD presentation. 

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language - with some very minor French spoken. When Tomorrow Comes has a hurricane and Yankee Doodle, Solidarity Forever sung by the waitresses at the labor meeting, and three songs by Dunne; Bach's Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BMV 1004: V. Chaconne, Schubert's Ständchen (Schwanengesang, D 957: no 4) and Beethoven's Für Elise. The score is by Frank Skinner (Bright Victory, Back Street, The Sleeping City, The World in His Arms, Arabian Nights, The Lady Gambles, The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, Thunder Bay, and The Naked City) and supports the film well through its melodramatic moods via the uncompressed transfer. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a new commentary by academic and curator Eloise Ross (The Pre-Code Companion) who starts by giving a nice speech about the late Lee Gambin. She talks about director John M. Stahl's start in silent films, about the Cain v. Universal Pictures case where writer James M. Cain sued Universal Pictures for copyright infringement. It is noted as the first case in American law to use the scènes à faire doctrine. She discusses the film as Pro-Union - waitresses and the labor movement, Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, cinematographer John J. Mescall, similar genre films and much more. It's very good. We also get 20-minutes of Geoff Andrew (The Films of Nicholas Ray: The Poet of Nightfall) on ‘When Tomorrow Comes’ where the writer and critic assesses the film and places it within the career of director John M. Stahl. The Mark of Cain is a new 21-minute video essay by Michael Brooke comparing When Tomorrow Comes to Douglas Sirk’s 1957 adaptation of the same James M. Cain short story. He goes to great detail. Lastly are two image galleries of promotional / publicity material and another of the script. The package offers a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson (30-second Cinema: the 50 Most Important Ideas, Genres, and People in the History of Movie-making, Each Explained in Half a Minute), an archival interview with John M. Stahl, a look at author James M. Cain’s reaction to the film, archival pieces in which actors Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer each profile their co-star, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

John M. Stahl's When Tomorrow Comes reunites Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer after the success of Leo McCarey's surprise hit Love Affair made earlier that year. When Tomorrow Comes was Universal's most successful film of 1939. I liked that it took a while until the romance evolved and the unfortunate mental health angle of the wife. I found it an enjoyable, less cloying, melodrama.  The Indicator Blu-ray is at their usual high standard; strong a/v, commentary, video essay, booklet and more. Warmly recommended!

Gary Tooze