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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Mitchell Leisen
USA 1942

 

Hollywood legends Marlene Dietrich (Blonde Venus) and Fred MacMurray (Pushover) collide in the screwball comedy classic The Lady Is Willing.

Eccentric Broadway star Liza Madden (Dietrich) longs to become a mother but has no need for a husband. When she stumbles across an abandoned baby, she resolves to adopt it, entering into a marriage of convenience with child-hating, rabbit-obsessed divorcé Dr McBain (MacMurray).

Directed by Mitchell Leisen (Remember the Night) and scripted by James Edward Grant (Bullfighter and the Lady), The Lady Is Willing also includes memorable supporting turns from Stanley Ridges (An Act of Murder), Aline MacMahon (One Way Passage), and Arline Judge (An American Tragedy).

***

Bold, eccentric Broadway performer Elizabeth Madden befuddles her handlers by coming home with a baby she picked up on the street. She wants to keep the baby but has to find a husband to make adoption viable. She offers her new obstetrician Dr. McBain help with his research on rabbits in exchange for marriage - and he accepts. The marriage of convenience turns into a marriage of real love until Dr. McBain's ex-wife comes looking for money.

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 12th, 1942

Reviews                                  More Reviews                                DVD Reviews

 

Review: Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:30:39.767         
Video

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,876,018,202 bytes

Feature: 21,992,169,024 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.95 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 768 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 112 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 112 kbps / DN -30dB

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Indicator

 

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,876,018,202 bytes

Feature: 21,992,169,024 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.95 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Audio commentary with film historian Adrian Martin (2024)
• Performance of Innocence (2024, 26:21): the academic and author Richard Dyer discusses The Lady Is Willing and Marlene Dietrich’s work in comedy
• Lux Radio Theatre: ‘The Lady Is Willing’ (1943, 51:26): radio play adaptation of the film’s screenplay, starring George Brent and Kay Francis
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
Limited edition exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by Iris Veysey, an archival interview with Marlene Dietrich, an archival profile of director Mitchell Leisen, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits


Blu-ray Release Date: September 23rd, 2024

Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 10

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (October 2024): Indicator have transferred Mitchell Leisen's The Lady is Willing  to Blu-ray. Back in 2006 we reviewed the 6-disc Marlene Dietrich Screen Goddess Boxset PAL DVD version HERE and have compared a couple of captures below. Only on a single-layered disc this has a high bitrate and shows wonderful grain textures. It looked very strong on my system with a few scenes of contrast fluctuations around the hour mark. There may be a sliver more information than the SD and doesn't have the lesser format's greenish tinge. Overall it looks quite strong in 1080P.

NOTE: We have added 50 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 (16-bit) in the original English language. The Lady is Willing has no real demonstrative effects. The score was by W. Franke Harling (Broken Lullaby, By Candlelight, The Kiss Before the Mirror, Blonde Venus, Trouble In Paradise, Shanghai Express.) It supports the film well in the uncompressed transfer. The film includes I Find Love sung by Marlene Dietrich (dubbed by Virginia Rees) plus we can hear Brahms Waltz No. 15 in A-flat major Op. 39. The audio is as adeptly transferred as the video. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historian Adrian Martin (Mise en Scène and Film Style: From Classical Hollywood to New Media Art.) Adrian is a huge admirer of director/producer Mitchell Leisen and talks about him and his career as well as the cast. He discusses the unusual presentation of the film credits and reads critic's comments on The Lady is Willing. Overall another worthy commentary from Adrian. Performance of Innocence is new and has 26-minutes of academic and author Richard Dyer (Heavenly Bodies: Film Stars and Society) discusses The Lady Is Willing and Marlene Dietrich’s work in comedy. Included is a 51-minute Lux Radio Theatre of ‘The Lady Is Willing’ from 1943. It's a radio play adaptation of the film’s screenplay, starring George Brent and Kay Francis. Lastly are an image gallery of promotional and publicity material and the package has a limited edition exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by Iris Veysey, an archival interview with Marlene Dietrich, an archival profile of director Mitchell Leisen, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

Mitchell Leisen's The Lady is Willing has latent maternal instinct meeting career fiduciary responsibility. It's an awkward role for Marlene Dietrich still with the glorious gowns and diva air... but also towing a baby. Fred MacMurray actually carries the film rather well as a divorcee Doctor. There is some unnecessary melodrama but mostly this is good fun with a simmering romance under the guise of a marriage of convenience. I enjoyed it but Dietrich against type may be a hard pill to swallow for some. The Indicator Blu-ray is at their high standard and has plenty of value. Fans of the stars, director or vintage cinema in general may wish to indulge. It's no where near the level of the director's Remember the Night but some may find it a pleasant-enough distraction.

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 


1) Universal (Screen Goddess Collection: Marlene Dietrich) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - TOP

2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal (Screen Goddess Collection: Marlene Dietrich) - Region 2,4,5 - PAL - TOP

2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray


 


 

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