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Carole Lombard Collection II Blu-ray
 

Hands Across the Table (1935)        Love Before Breakfast (1936)


The Princess Comes Across (1936)

 

 

This collection includes three 1930s classics starring screen legend Carole Lombard. HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE (1935) From Mitchell Leisen, the acclaimed director of Easy Living, Midnight, Remember the Night and To Each His Own, comes this classic screwball comedy starring Hollywood legends Carole Lombard (No Man of Her Own) and Fred MacMurray (Murder, He Says). Regi Allen (Lombard) is a marriage-minded manicurist employed in a swanky hotel barbershop where she hopes to find herself a wealthy husband. She soon meets charming playboy Theodore Drew III (MacMurray), a dedicated customer who won t take no for an answer. There s one big problem: neither of these two gold diggers has what the other really wants money! The plot thickens when Regi discovers that Theodore is engaged to marry a very wealthy woman. However, Theodore's infatuation with Regi has him attempting to extricate himself from his upcoming nuptials in a hilarious sequence of mishaps and miscommunication. Ralph Bellamy (His Girl Friday) co-stars. LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST (1936) From Walter Lang, the outstanding director of State Fair, Cheaper by the Dozen, There's No Business Like Show Business, The King and I, Desk Set and Can-Can, comes this wacky screwball comedy starring screen goddess Carole Lombard (Supernatural) as a beautiful socialite who must choose between two men. Madly in love with Kay Colby (Lombard), wealthy businessman Scott Miller (Preston Foster, The Last Days of Pompeii) buys the oil company her fiancé Bill (Cesar Romero, The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend) works for and transfers him to Japan. Finally able to make his move, Scott woos the Park Avenue beauty until she finally agrees to be wed. However, when Kay claims she is only marrying him for his money, Scott breaks the engagement and brings back Bill so she can choose which suitor she loves the most. THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS (1936) Screen greats Carole Lombard (Nothing Sacred) and Fred MacMurray (There's Always Tomorrow) star in The Princess Comes Across, a fast-paced murder mystery with a touch of comedy. A stage-struck Brooklyn actress (Lombard) draws on her talent, posing as royalty aboard an ocean liner bound for Hollywood. Her ruse soon becomes hilariously complicated when she unwittingly becomes involved in a murder. Meanwhile, a fellow passenger (MacMurray) is smitten by the princess and he soon gets swept up in her charade. Set aboard a glorious ship, this clever caper which was inspired by a true-life incident includes an unforgettable scene featuring MacMurray performing My Concertina during a talent show. Directed by William K. Howard (Johnny Come Lately).

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 18th, 1935 - May 22nd, 1936

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

 

  

 

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Universal (MCA) - Region 1 - NTSC Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime

Hands Across the Table : 1:20:04

Love Before Breakfast: 1:10:11

The Princess Comes Across: 1:15:58   

Hands Across the Table : 1:20:08.970

Love Before Breakfast: 1:10:17.213

The Princess Comes Across: 1:16:25.205

Video 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Hands Across the Table:

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 21,798,347,990 bytes

Feature: 20,614,410,240 bytes

Video Bitrate: 30.72 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Video

Love Before Breakfast:

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 22,209,091,972 bytes

Feature: 21,476,474,880 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.89 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

The Princess Comes Across:

1.37:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 22,168,805,128 bytes

Feature: 20,836,392,960 bytes

Video Bitrate: 32.70 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate Hands Across the Table  Blu-ray:

Bitrate Love Before Breakfast Blu-ray:

Bitrate The Princess Comes Across Blu-ray:

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English, French, Spanish, None English, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Universal Studios

Aspect Ratios:
Aspect Ratio: 1.33

Edition Details:

• Theatrical Trailer for We're Not Dressing 


DVD Release Date: April 4th, 2006

Double Slim Keep Case inside plastic slipcase

Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

Edition Details:

NEW Audio Commentaries by Filmmaker Allan Arkush and Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer (Hands Across the Table / The Princess Comes Across)
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Joshua Nelson (Love Before Breakfast)
Theatrical Trailer (Love Before Breakfast - 1:28)


Blu-ray Release Date:
April 6th, 2021
Three Standard Blu-ray Case inside cardboard box (see above)

Chapters 9 X 3

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (March 2021): Kino have transferred three films; Hands Across the Table, Love Before Breakfast and Princess Comes Across as a part of their Carole Lombard Collection II Blu-ray package. We reviewed Volume One HERE, with three earlier films - all Pre-Codes; Fast and Loose (1930), Man of the World (1931) and No Man of Her Own (1932).

The three films in this set, were offered on DVD in 2006 as part of Universal's Carole Lombard - The Glamour Collection - reviewed HERE. The 1080P image quality advances the presentation with more layered contrast although the first two films can appear 'lighter' by comparison. The aspect ratio is in the proper 1.37:1 gaining information in the right edge - with the SD transfers thinning faces by slightly vertically squeezing the image. These are all on single-layered Blu-ray discs but with the shortness of the films (and much of the 1.78 frame being blackness), they all have high bitrates. I imagine they are at the mercy of the source elements, but there are thicker, film-like, textures - sometimes a bit clunky - with an overall consistency in-motion. There are light vertical scratches on Hands Across the Table. Only Love Before Breakfast showed damage - usually in the form of frame-specific marks - often heavy - see samples below. It also had a touch of contrast flickering and warping in the last frame of scenes. Black levels perk up in Princess Comes Across. I thought they all looking very pleasing on my system - for the first two films, better than the still captures might represent.   

NOTE: We have added 78 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, For all three films in the package Kino use DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (16-bit) in the original English language. Like the first Carole Lombard Kino Blu-ray set - the films are a function of the productions limitations of the time they were made. But these three were after the ones in Volume one and the audio is clearer with more consistent dialogue. Generally, they are another advancement in the film's audio and uplifting scores by the likes of Friedrich Hollaender (The Bride Wore Boots, Bluebeard's Eight Wife, Angel, The Great McGinty, Christmas in Connecticut, Caught, Berlin Express, Background to Danger, The Verdict, A Foreign Affair), John Leipold (Christmas in July, Murder in the Zoo, The Devil is a Woman, The Flying Deuces, Duck Soup and Those Redheads from Seattle, Preston Sturges's The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels), Heinz Roemheld (The Woman on the Beach, Dangerous, The Monster that Challenged The World, The Land Unknown, The Mole People, 1933's The Invisible Man), and Franz Waxman (Sorry Wrong Number, Untamed, Rebecca, Dark Passage, Bride of Frankenstein, Rear Window, Sunset Boulevard) sounding occasionally tinny in spots but supportive of the films in the lossless. Ohh there is also the concertina and singing by Fred MacMurray in The Princess Comes Across. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers new commentaries by Allan Arkush and Daniel Kremer on both Hands Across the Table  and The Princess Comes Across with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Joshua Nelson on Love Before Breakfast. These are educational and fun discussing Lombard and her early demise - sadly, her life was cut short when she died at the age of only 33 in a plane crash (taken by flip of a coin) - but she accrued an extensive and beloved film catalogue, they discuss the directors and co-stars she worked with, screwball comedies as a genre - and much more. These are great companions to re-watching the films. There is only a trailer for Love Before Breakfast included after that.

Carole Lombard was so expressive - exuding her own magnetic energy - the camera loving her every gesture. The three comedy/romance films in Kino's Carole Lombard Collection II Blu-ray; Hands Across the Table, Love Before Breakfast and Princess Comes Across represent an era and star that we deeply crave to this day. They are charming - I especially enjoyed the screwball qualities and the crime angle in Princess Comes Across. Absolutely recommended to Lombard and vintage-era cinema fans!

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 

Hands Across the Table

Love Before Breakfast

The Princess Comes Across


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

 

 

Directed by Mitchell Leisen
USA 1935

 

1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


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

 


 

Directed by Walter Lang
USA 1936

 

 

1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


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

 

Frame specific Damage Samples

(CLICK to ENLARGE)


 

Directed by William K. Howard


USA 1936

 

1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Universal (6 films) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Kino (3-disc) - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


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

 


Box Cover

 

  

 

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Universal (MCA) - Region 1 - NTSC Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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