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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2022): Kino have transferred Vincent J. Donehue's Lonelyhearts to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New HD Master by MGM". The 1080P image is not crisp, although contrast exports some pleasing layers - notably the shadows ion the final third of the film. It's thick, rather heavy and, I don't doubt, a strong representation of the available elements.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Lonelyhearts has no demonstratively aggressive moments. The score is by Conrad Salinger, prominent orchestrator of musicals in the 1940s and 1950s; Easter Parade, The Pirate, The Band Wagon, An American in Paris etc., sounding clean and supportive in the lossless transfer. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers only a trailer for Lonelyhearts and a handful of other trailers. 

Vincent J. Donehue's Lonelyhearts is based on the 1957 Broadway play by Howard Teichmann, which in turn is based on the 1933 novel Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West. While not a Film Noir Lonelyhearts has some direct links to the cycle; it was prolific screenwriter Dore Schary's first film as an independent producer after leaving MGM. He also produced or wrote They Live by Night (1948), Crossfire (1947), The Set-Up (1949) and The Window (1949.) It also utilizes cinematographer John Alton (The Crooked Way, He Walked by Night, The Amazing Mr. X, Raw Deal, T-Men etc.) who photographed some of the most famous films noir of the classic period. Montgomery Clift (as Adam White) is employed as a journalist, in his first big break, to handle an advice-to-the-lovelorn column in a big newspaper. Moral difficulties surface including his prison-inmate father. Lonelyhearts also has Robert Ryan as his matter-of-fact boss, sympathetic, alcoholic, friend Myrna Loy, plus Jackie Coogan, Dolores Hart, and Maureen Stapleton in her first film role. The Kino Blu-ray is, uncharacteristically, bare-bones but the film may be worth a viewing for those keen on Monty - who never really had the same screen presence after his traumatic 1956 car accident and subsequent abuse problems. I thought he was very good here and it's a strong storyline. To each his own.

Gary Tooze