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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (January 2024): Indicator have transferred Dorothy Arzner's Honor Among Lovers to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2017 restoration from a 4K scan". This looked okay on my system. The film has inherent softness, some fuzzy grain and decent-to-pleasing contrast. The HD presentation is a product of its age but the higher resolution certainly advances over SD.

NOTE: We have added 34 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. Honor Among Lovers suffers from its age and the production limitations of the era. Dialogue is clear and there is a score by Vernon Duke ('Round Midnight) and Johnny Green (Secrets of a Secretary), adding to the film's fun and romance. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a new commentary by academic and curator Eloise Ross (co-author of The Pre-Code Companion, Issue #2: Three on a Match, Female, & Other Men's Women.) She discusses Honor Among Lovers through a Feminist lens, with plenty on the career of Dorothy Arzner. There isn't a lot publicized on this film as compared to other Azner productions but Eloise does an admirable job of highlighting details with sharp observations. Good job. Also included is George Folsey Oral History - a rare 2-hour archival audio recording, from 1958, of the cinematographer in conversation with George Pratt. Sugar and Spice is new and spends a dozen minutes with academic Lucy Bolton assessing the early career of the much-loved performer Ginger Rogers. Ginger Rogers was cast in Honor Among Lovers after director Dorothy Arzner saw her performance in George and Ira Gershwin's Broadway musical Girl Crazy. Hail and Farewell! is a 1943: short documentary film on achievements of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC), produced during Dorothy Arzner’s time as director and supervisor with the military branch. To the Ladies runs a 1/4 hour from 1944 and is a dramatized recruitment film for the WAAC, produced during Arzner’s time at the military film unit. There is an image gallery of promotional and publicity materials and the package has a limited edition exclusive 44-page booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, an account of the film’s production using archival interviews and articles, extracts from an archival interview with Dorothy Arzner, an overview of contemporary critical responses, Anthony Nield on Arzner’s films for the WAAC, and film credits. 

Dorothy Arzner's Honor Among Lovers is more scandalous Pre-Code fun (originally titled 'Sex in Business') with lines like "If my women have to be dressed, I'd prefer them pretty". With the exception of longtime silent film director Lois Weber (silent era and 1934's White Heat), Arzner was the only female director working in Hollywood during the Pre-Code Era (1927–1934.) Honor Among Lovers has not been talked and I had never seen it - both marking an appealing viewing. It was was the second onscreen pairing of Colbert and March after the romance Manslaughter and before Cecil B. DeMille's The Sign of the Cross in 1932. They are playful with great chemistry. The Indicator Blu-ray was a pleasure to watch and take advantage of the extras. Pre-Code devotees will want to indulge - Arzner fans too!

Gary Tooze