DVD Review: Made For Each Other (1939)

For a film that wavers between lighthearted comedy and heavy drama, “Made For Each Other” needed actors that could maintain that often precarious balance effectively. Thus, no two actors are better suited for the roles than James Stewart and Carole Lombard who impulsively marry after a one day courtship and then must face the obstacles of marriage together. Long available in grainy public doman copies, KINO has released this noted seriocomic feature on blu ray, allowing us to now savor the nuanced performances in a clearly restored print.

Made during the quintessential cinema year of 1939 (the same year Stewart was seen in the magnificent “Mr Smith Goes to Washington”), “Made For Each Other” was a box office flop that did not rub shoulders with the year’s enduring productions like “Wizard of Oz,” “Gone With The Wind,” and “Gunga Din.” However now, as time has passed and the film can stand on its own, we can appreciate the level of performances and the strength of director John Cromwell’s choices.

Charles Coburn is magnificently subdued as the detached Judge who employs John Mason (Stewart). His firm stoicism is focused on work, not life, but his demeanor belies the action he gallantly takes by the end of the movie. The romance of the two central characters is fraught with niggling inconveniences like John’s disapproving mother, and the disappointment of the Judge choosing an annoying toady as his partner. The challenges of marriage, family, career, and domesticity is relentless and absorbing.. Their marriage almost doesn’t survive until a tragedy brings everyone together.

Carole Lombard is best known for comedy performances in movies like “Nothing Sacred,” “My Man Godfrey,” and “Twentieth Century,” and perhaps her playing drama might have been less challenging for the actress. But her performance is so focused and so grounded, it has to be considered among her best work. Stewart capably wavers from stammering comically to fiercely confrontational.

KINO’s release is from a brand new 2K scan of the remastered fine grain master. It includes an audio commentary by film historian Lee Gambin that is insightful, informative, and most welcome. Gambin is best known for his brilliant essays regarding the horror genre, but his work has often explored other areas of cinema (including a fine book on 70s-era musical films).

“Made For Each Other” is available at this link: Made For Each Other blu ray