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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (September 2025): Kino have transferred William D. Russell's Dear Ruth to Blu-ray. It is a new high-definition master sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, delivering a crisp and detailed black-and-white image that faithfully captures the film's 1947 studio polish while preserving the inherent grain and contrast of the era's cinematography. This restoration enhances the subtle lighting and expressive close-ups by Ernest Laszlo (Impact, D.O.A., The Big Knife, Kiss Me Deadly, While the City Sleeps, Tormented,) making domestic interiors and character interactions pop with clarity, free from significant artifacts or damage, resulting in a substantial upgrade over previous standard-definition releases or broadcasts. Overall, the 1080p transfer maintains the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, offering viewers a pristine window into the postwar romantic comedy's visual charm, though it remains unflashy in line with the film's modest production style.

NOTE: We have added 48 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 preserving the original 1947 soundtrack with clear dialogue delivery that ensures Norman Krasna's witty banter and the ensemble's rapid-fire performances come through without distortion or muddiness. Robert Emmett Dolan's (The Great Gatsby, Sorrowful Jones, Monsieur Beaucaire Murder He Says, The Major and the Minor, Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid, The Bells of St. Mary's, My Son John, The Three Faces of Eve) light orchestral score and incidental music are balanced effectively, adding to the film's bubbly atmosphere, while ambient sounds like door knocks and phone rings retain their natural crispness within the mono constraints. The lossless audio transfer is consistent and flawless. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The extras on Kino Lorber's "Dear Ruth" Blu-ray are anchored by a brand-new audio commentary track from film historian Farran Smith Nehme (Missing Reels: A Novel,) who provides insightful analysis on the film's adaptation from Broadway, the cast's performances, and its place in postwar Hollywood comedy, drawing on historical context and production anecdotes to enrich the viewing experience. While the package is light on additional supplements - no trailers, interviews, or galleries are mentioned - this focused commentary serves as a valuable resource for fans and scholars, highlighting themes of wartime morale and screwball traditions in an engaging, informative manner.

William D. Russell's Dear Ruth is a delightful postwar romantic comedy adapted from Norman Krasna's (Fury, The Flame of New Orleans, The Devil and Miss Jones, You and Me) hit Broadway play, capturing the era's blend of lighthearted escapism and subtle social commentary on wartime morale efforts and family life. Produced by Paramount Pictures under Paul Jones, with a screenplay by Arthur Sheekman (Duck Soup, Call Me Madam, Kid Millions) that faithfully retains Krasna's witty dialogue, the film stars Joan Caulfield (The Unsuspected, Larceny, Monsieur Beaucaire) as the sensible Ruth Wilkins, William Holden (Sunset Boulevard, The Wild Bunch, Breezy, Stalag 17) as the earnest Lieutenant Bill Seacroft, Mona Freeman (I Was a Shoplifter) as the meddlesome sister Miriam, Billy De Wolfe (The Perils of Pauline) as the comically inept Albert Kummer, and Edward Arnold (The City That Never Sleeps, All That Money Can Buy, Easy Living) as the patriotic patriarch Judge Harry Wilkins. At its heart, "Dear Ruth" explores the theme of deception versus authenticity in relationships, particularly through the lens of wartime correspondence, where well-intentioned lies - Miriam's forged letters - spark real emotions and challenge societal expectations of romance. The film subtly critiques the home-front patriotism of the era, portraying Miriam's activism as both noble and naive, leading to comedic chaos that underscores generational divides: the idealistic youth clashing with the pragmatic adults in a post-Depression, wartime society yearning for normalcy. Inspired by Krasna's real-life connections (including to Groucho Marx), the script's fidelity to the play ensures sharp wit, but Russell infuses subtle visual flair, such as comedic sight gags with props like flowers and poems, making it a quintessential A-picture with broad appeal. "Dear Ruth" remains a charming snapshot of 1940s American optimism, where Russell's deft handling of Krasna's script transforms a simple case of mistaken identity into a heartfelt exploration of love, family, and wartime spirit. Kino's Blu-ray release stands as a commendable preservation effort for this charming 1947 romantic comedy, combining a superior 4K-sourced video transfer, faithful mono audio, and a thoughtful audio commentary into a package that revives the film's postwar delight for modern audiences - making it an essential pickup for fans of classic Hollywood screwball fare. Warmly recommended.

Gary Tooze