I Love You Again │ Warner Archive Collection
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment
by CHAD KENNERK
The 1940 MGM screwball comedy I Love You Again reteams sparkling screen partners William Powell and Myrna Loy, already adored from their Thin Man series, in another effervescent romp with director W.S. Van Dyke. This was the 9th of a baker’s dozen for Powell and Loy (14 if you count Loy’s cameo in The Senator Was Indiscreet). It sits neatly sandwiched between the six Thin Man films, the first four of which were directed by Van Dyke. I Love You Again is based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Octavus Roy Cohen.
Something of a precursor to 50 First Dates (and most soap operas), the storyline centres on a character who suffers from amnesia, in this case straight-laced businessman Larry Wilson (Powell.) After a bump on the head, he reverts to his former life as a charismatic con man, and a cascade of hilarity ensues. His change in demeanour might even reinvigorate the stale relationship with his long-suffering wife, Kay (Loy), who he now has no memory of. Powell’s urbane delivery and Loy’s sleek sophistication are on full display here, and their rapport elevates every scene. Where other comedies of the day looked strictly to slapstick, I Love You Again is the best kind of screwball, juxtaposing physical comedy with snappy dialogue.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Critics at the time admired the pair’s versatility and comic timing, praise that’s well-deserved and still evident today. Based on characters created by detective novelist Dashiell Hammett, Powell and Loy were iconic as Nick and Nora Charles — after whom the cocktail glass was named — but here they have a chance to cut loose with more slapstick. The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther said it best, noting that “old family friends of the Charleses may sigh for their more suave and worldly airs, but certainly no one can complain that the new Larry Wilsons are less congenial or less delightfully full of surprises.”
The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray renders that timeless charm in lovely high definition. The 1080p presentation drawn from a new HD master brings remarkable clarity to the film’s original black-and-white cinematography. Grain and contrast are handled with care, revealing subtleties once muted in earlier home video editions. The 1.37:1 aspect ratio remains faithful to the original framing, preserving the classic look. Powell and Loy would both revisit the story separately on the radio, and the 1941 Lux Radio Theatre version with Loy and Cary Grant is included here among the special features. In 1948 Powell and Loy were both meant to reprise their roles again for the radio, but Ann Sothern stepped in due to Loy’s work conflicts. That radio version can be readily found online. Other special features include the original trailer, the 1940 Fitzpatrick travel short Cavalcade of San Francisco, and the delightful 1940 MGM cartoon The Milky Way, starring those three little kittens who lost their mittens and produced by former Film Review contributor Fred Quimby.
The Warner Archive Collection continues to deliver gems from the archives in optimal home video releases, respecting the historical material and offering a crisp picture with clear sound, along with appreciated bonus content. Whether you’re a Powell and Loy completionist or just looking for a solid Golden Age comedy, this release makes I Love You Again a joy to revisit again and again (amnesia or not.)
I Love You Again is available on Blu-ray 16 December from Warner Archive Collection.
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WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION offers thousands of film and TV series direct from Warner’s studio vault. With a particular emphasis on high-quality restorations and remasters on Blu-ray disc, Warner Archive Collection brings rare and hard-to-find classic motion pictures and television series to home video. Often appearing for the first time on Blu-ray, titles are chosen each month from the unparalleled library of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which spans more than 100 years of cinema history.
