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Released by: Warner Archive
Released on: 8/24/2010
Director: Clifford Odets
Cast: Cary Grant, Ethyl Barrymore, Barry Fitzgerald
Year: 1944
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The Movie:
Directed and written by Clifford Odets in 1944 and based off of the novel of the same name by Richard Llewellyn, None But The Lonely Heart stars Cary Grant in the Oscar Nominated lead role of a man named Ernie Mott as a sort of vagabond soul who wanders around doing as he pleases where he pleases while he leaves his aging mother (Ethyl Barrymore, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work on this picture) to run her shop all by herself. When Ernie learns that his 'ma' has terminal cancer, he decides to return home and to try to ease her burden as best he can, but we all know that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. When they find themselves in some nasty financial trouble and aren't able to pay their bills, their only option may be to turn to a life of crime to make some quick and easy money. Along the way, Ernie also has to figure out what to do about his increasingly complicated love life.
Those accustomed to seeing Cary Grant in his typically suave and consistently charming leading man roles might be surprised just how real his performance feels here. He plays his lower class cockney character without any trace of snootiness or high crust class, rather, he's down to earth and stuff in the very realistic situation his life puts him in. His interactions with Ethyl Barrymore are completely believable, and her performance is every once as good as Grant's is.
Odets' background was as a stage director, and he only directed one other film after this one (The Story On Page One) but he certainly shows apt control over his cast and crew in this directorial debut. The cinematography may be simple in spots but it's never less than effective and some stand out shots that place Ernie Mott out on the tough streets are ripe with foggy English atmosphere and could easily have been ripped out of a Hammer noir, completely belaying their Hollywood origins. That said, there is a stodginess to the film in spots where it gets just a bit too downtrodden in its dialogue for its own good. It's never enough to ruin what is otherwise a surprisingly engaging film but it does affect the pacing of the picture more than once and most viewers are going to notice it.
Rather than for thrills and chills, of which there really aren't very many here, watch None But The Lonely Heart for the performances. It really is a very well acted picture in every regard. Of course, as stated, Grant and Barrymore are the stand outs simply because they have the most screen time and are the most important characters in the picture, but supporting efforts from Irish character actor Barry Fitzgerald (from John Ford's The Quiet Man and Dassin's The Naked City) alongside beauties June Duprez and Jane Wyatt (also better known for her work on the stage than on the screen, in this, her film debut) help round things out very nicely. If it's a bit slow and a bit talky, so be it, it nevertheless offers a rare chance to see Cary Grant cast against type and making the most of it.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The 1.33.1 fullframe black and white image looks about as good as could reasonably be expected given that the three films presented here haven't been given a full restoration and, like the rest of the Warner Archive titles, were simply mastered from the best materials that the studio had on - don't let the 'remastered' tag at the top of the packaging fool you. Contrast fluctuates here and there and it doesn't take make effort to spot the scratches and mild print damage that appears throughout the presentation, but otherwise the progressive scan image looks okay considering that this material is pretty old.
The same comments apply to the Dolby Digital Mono audio track. You can understand things without having to strain your ears and the levels are well balanced, but these shorts do show their age. Background Hiss and pops are fairly common and there's a bit of waver and some audible distortion noticeable mostly in the higher end of the mix. The audio is serviceable, however. No alternate language dubs or subtitle options are supplied.
There are standard menu screens and episode selection, and a theatrical trailer for the feature. That's it as far as the extras are concerned.
The Final Word:
A bit stodgy in spots, None But The Lonely Heart is worth a look for fans of its classic Hollywood cast and it does feature a very strong performance from Cary Grant, one of the best leading men of all time. Warner Archive's release looks and sounds okay, but certainly leaves room for improvement. That won't likely happen anytime soon, however, so this will have to do.