I Love You Again - Warner Archive Collection

Amnesia has been a reliable plot device for countless movies - especially film noirs - over the years, but back in 1940 it was fairly fresh. I Love You Again, a silly yet entertaining romantic comedy, showcases the affliction and puts a loony spin on it. William Powell and Myrna Loy took a break from their Thin Man pictures to make this romp, but there's a decent amount of mystery - and cocktails - in this film, too. Their characters pale when compared to Nick and Nora Charles, but Powell and Loy generate their customary chemistry and prove yet again why they're one of Hollywood's premier screen teams.

After teetotaling tightwad and all-around nebbish Larry Wilson (Powell) gets bonked on the head and knocked unconscious by an oar while he's trying to save a drunk who fell overboard on a cruise ship, he awakens with an entirely new - and far more affable - personality. He says his name is George Carey and all he can remember are people and events from nine years prior when he was a successful con man. That's when another blow to his noggin induced a lengthy bout of amnesia. George soon discovers - much to his horror - that during those nine lost years he built a brand new life in a sleepy Pennsylvania town, became an insufferably upstanding citizen, and got married. The only problem is now that his memory has been restored, he can't remember anything about his time as Larry Wilson.

When the ship docks, George's "wife" Kay (Loy), meets him at the dock. He finds her incredibly attractive, yet can't understand her frosty demeanor...until she reminds him she's in the process of divorcing him because she's grown weary of his dull, priggish personality. George decides to walk in Larry's shoes for a while and hopefully woo the icy Kay, but assuming another man's life without any knowledge of its history is fraught with pitfalls, which lead to a host of comic situations that multiply when George, after learning Larry is practically penniless, enlists the services of one of his con-man cronies to help him swindle some of the town's rich, stuffy residents.

Directed by W.S. Van Dyke II, who helmed four Powell-Loy Thin Man movies, and scripted by comedy specialists Charles Lederer, George Oppenheimer, and Harry Kurnitz (the original story was co-written by Maurine Watkins, whose play Chicago would later spawn the blockbuster Broadway musical and Oscar-winning 2002 film), I Love You Again rolls merrily along for most of its 99-minute running time. The antics wear thin toward the end, but Powell and Loy are so delightful and exude so much joie de vivre, it's easy to forgive a bit of belaboring.

Powell grabs the lion's share of laughs with a role that's far more interesting and demonstrative than Loy's. He plays the oily, unctuous Larry to perfection, albeit briefly, and seems to relish a few slapstick situations, the most notable of which has him donning a Boy Scout uniform and leading a troop of young charges (that includes Our Gang's Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and a seven-year-old Robert Blake) on a hike. The sequence runs a bit long and doesn't really have much to do with the main story arc, but it's fun to see Powell's pratfalls and priceless facial expressions as he weathers a barrage of hazards along the way. Though Powell is best known for his urbane manner and polished appearance, he doesn't seem to mind getting dirty, even when Loy, in a fit of pique, dumps a plate of scrambled eggs over his head.

That act of ire notwithstanding, Loy is the straight woman to Powell's class clown most of the time, which is a shame because she's an excellent comedienne in her own right. As always, she's natural, sharp-tongued, and just a joy to watch, but it's too bad the writers didn't devise something more showy for her to do. Frank McHugh, who played second banana to James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart countless times over at Warner Bros, brings his usual manic energy, comic timing, and winning personality to MGM as George's sidekick, while the square-jawed Edmund Lowe supplies gravity and a splash of danger as George's partner in crime.

I Love You Again provides a nice change of pace for Powell and Loy, and though this amnesia comedy isn't quite unforgettable (sorry, couldn't resist!), it's an engaging romp with a good laugh quotient. And you can't ask for much more than that.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
I Love You Again arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A brand new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements yields a very pleasing 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer. Though it's obvious this rendering did not come from an original camera negative and it's obvious when an inferior element is employed, the source material is quite good overall, with some stretches exhibiting crystal clarity and a lovely sheen. Evident but not overwhelming grain lends the image an authentic film-like appearance, while dense blacks, bright whites, and a wide grayscale produce a detailed picture that exhibits a fair amount of depth. Sharp close-ups highlight tears, sweat, facial hair, and Loy's peaches-and-cream complexion, and not a single nick, mark, or scratch mars the print. This transfer won't knock your socks off, but it's another solid effort from Warner Archive.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track supplies clear, well-modulated sound. Sonic accents like alarm bells, smashing crockery, and fisticuffs are crisp, and a wide dynamic scale handles all the highs and lows of the music score by Franz Waxman with ease. All the dialogue is well prioritized and comprehendible and no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle intrude. 

A few vintage extras are included on the disc.

• Vintage Radio Adaptation (60 minutes) - I Love You Again spawned several radio adaptations over the years, but the first was broadcast on June 30, 1941 as part of the long-running Lux Radio Theater series. Myrna Loy and Frank McHugh reprise their film roles and Cary Grant brings his debonair charm to the part originated by Powell.
• Vintage Short: Cavalcade of San Francisco (SD, 9 minutes) - This episode of the popular TravelTalks series narrated by James FitzPatrick takes the viewer to San Francisco. Shots of the relatively new Golden Gate Bridge highlight the short, which sadly focuses too heavily on an outdoor stage performance chronicling great moments in the history of the U.S. West.
• Vintage Cartoon: The Milky Way (HD, 8 minutes) - This charming Rudolf Ising cartoon charts the adventures of a trio of naughty kittens who propel themselves into outer space to search for the Milky Way after their mother sends them to their room without their nightly milk.
• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3 minutes) - The film's original preview hypes I Love You Again as "the funniest picture Bill and Myrna ever made!"
  

Powell and Loy don't disappoint in this fun screwball romp that showcases their incomparable chemistry. This wacky tale of amnesia and romance gives Powell plenty of chances to shine, and Warner Archive's remastered transfer struck from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements shines as well. Solid audio and a few vintage extras cap off this welcome release. Recommended. 

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