Sweethearts appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though it reflected its age, the image held up nicely after nearly 90 years.
Definition largely worked fine, as most of the movie seemed accurate. Some mild instances of softness materialized and the source didn’t often feel razor-sharp, but the end result suited the cinematic style on display.
No issues with jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and I saw no edge haloes. Grain came across as natural and print flaws failed to appear.
The Technicolor palette leaned somewhat toward pink and cream, but other hues cropped up as well. Although these didn’t dazzle, they worked fine within stylistic choices.
Blacks came across as deep and dense, while shadows offered appropriate clarity. I felt pleased with the presentation.
I thought the DTS-HD MA monaural audio of Sweethearts became perfectly adequate for its age. It didn’t exceed expectations for a mix of its era, but the audio seemed more than acceptable.
Speech lacked edginess. The lines weren’t exactly natural, but they seemed distinctive and without problems.
Effects were a little flat, but they showed no distortion and displayed acceptable definition. Music was pretty lively given its age, as the score sounded reasonably bright and concise.
No background noise was noticeable. All together, I found the soundtrack aged pretty well.
As we head to the set’s extras, we open with some audio-only elements. Pre-Recording Session Material fills 18 minutes, seven seconds.
This domain provides rehearsals of a few songs along with some between-tune chatter. Fans will enjoy it.
Aired March 25, 1946, we get a Screen Guild Theater version of Sweethearts. It spans 29 minutes, 38 seconds and features Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in their film roles.
Given that the radio version lasts about 90 minutes less than the film, obviously it needed to cut the story to the bone. This means it loses many supporting characters and rushes to the potential rift between the lead roles in a hurry.
Which I appreciate given that the film takes forever to move along its thin plot. However, because the radio production still comes with ample songs with MacDonald and Eddy, it grinds to a halt too often.
Of course, fans of those ditties will dig them, but I find the shrill vocals of MacDonald and Eddy no more pleasing here than in the movie. The radio take fares better than the sluggish film but it still shows issues.
Along with the movie’s trailer, three short films appear. In addition to an excerpt from the live-action Pirate Party on Catalina Isle (2:52), we get cartoons Count Me Out (7:25) and Love and Curses (8:27).
Apparently the entire Catalina runs about 19 minutes, so it seems unclear why we get less than three minutes of it here. Perhaps only this brief snippet remains and the rest is lost to the ages.
In any case, the short just shows a “talent show” with some Hollywood celebrities and others. It offers a minor diversion.
As for the two animated reels, Count features dorky Egghead as he learns to box, while Curses takes us to a romantic triangle in the late 19th century. Both seem moderately amusing but they don’t become classics.
Perhaps this is nearly 90 years of hindsight talking, but at least based on the turgid Sweethearts, I fail to figure out why Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy became a popular screen duo. The film offers a slow and dull mix of romance, comedy and music that never gels. The Blu-ray comes with largely positive picture and audio as well as a few bonus features. This turns into a wholly forgettable affair.
