Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Cabin in the Sky Blu-ray Movie Review

Saints, sinners, songs, and Satan.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 1, 2024

With co-direction by Vincenti Minnelli -- his very first film -- and famed choreographer Busby Berkeley, is it surprising that Cabin in the Sky is such a thoroughly entertaining film? This comedic, character-driven musical was one of the first Golden Age Hollywood productions to feature an all-black cast and in respectable roles to boot (another being Stormy Weather, released two months later and also featuring Lena Horne). While its religious elements are more a distraction than life-affirming, this film adaptation adds a crucial coda that smooths over its questionable moral lessons.

Our story follows the trials and tribulations of Little Joe Jackson (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), whose patient wife Petunia (Ethel Waters) is stubbornly trying to drag him back to the straight and narrow path. His gambling has always been an issue and it even causes him to sneak out of an evening church service; he should be confessing his sins, but instead heads down to the club to shoot dice with fat cat Domino Johnson ("Bubbles" John W. Sublett). Unfortunately, Little Joe is the one who actually gets shot and, lying at home in critical condition, is visited by Lucifer Jr. (Rex Ingram), who informs him that he's dead and going to Hell. Steadfast Petunia remains at his side vigilant in prayer, obviously unaware of their spiritual conversation a few feet away, and her words are strong enough to summon an angelic spirit (Kenneth Spencer) who extends his life by six months. The catch? Joe needs to turn his life around or suffer eternal damnation, so obviously Lucifer Jr. and his pals make every attempt to keep Joe on the path to Hell.

During an initial watch, my main gripe with Cabin in the Sky was its fast and loose treatment of morality; specifically, the black-and-white judgment of certain characters in relation to the afterlife, not to mention the way "points" were often awarded based on technicalities; in other words, its rules didn't make sense. Luckily, the film's plot recycles two major elements from MGM's then-recent smash hit The Wizard of Oz; they'll both probably be unexpected for first-time viewers -- hence my lack of clarity -- and the latter, in particular, actually ends up working out very strongly in its favor. This bait-and-switch smoothed over said gripes about the film's literal portrayal of religious elements, including those questionable moral lessons, because they're immediately negated and (thankfully) not re-addressed in the film's final moments. This proved to be a very welcome left turn for yours truly, because only minutes earlier Cabin in the Sky would have closed with a cloying happy ending like 1938's otherwise great Angels with Dirty Faces.

The performances are uniformly excellent from top to bottom, the music is catchy, and everything goes down smooth after 98 breezy minutes. That's not even factoring in its historical importance and progressive viewpoints that help it stand up tall more than 80 years later. Needless to say, I enjoyed this musical immensely and it'll definitely earn some replay value in the very near future; it's easy to stick new discs on the shelf after watching and revisit them one or two more times... or maybe never. Not so with Cabin in the Sky: this is an extremely likable film and Warner Archive's new Blu-ray gives it the support it deserves with another top-tier A/V restoration and several good extras.

Cabin in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive's new restoration of Cabin in the Sky is unsurprisingly another top-tier effort from the boutique label, who pride themselves on some of the best-looking Blu-rays in the business. It's sourced from a recent 4K scan of "preservation elements"... which typically indicates that two or more sources were used, including the original nitrate negative. From the looks of it, Cabin in the Sky makes great use of the latter as indicated by its pristine level of image detail, noticeable textures, excellent range of gradients, strong black levels, and a smooth and stable appearance ripe with natural film grain. Only a handful of softer shots, not to mention occasional hiccups like a bit of flickering on the details of Petunia's polka-dot dress, kept this from earning even higher marks. But this is such a robust and attractive transfer that it's basically definitive and die-hard fans will surely be pleased with the results.

Cabin in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix is equally impressive, showcasing crisp dialogue and only extremely light levels of age-related wear-and-tear; what's more is that Cabin in the Sky's dynamic range hasn't been unnecessarily compromised, as it sounds reasonably full and rich even at higher volume levels. It strikes a great balance between monologues, group conversations, and of course the frequent musical numbers, all of which obviously stay within the boundaries of their original mono source on this split two-channel track but sound uniformly excellent. It's especially important in this particular genre, which features performances by multiple Broadway talents and other industry notables, including on-screen appearances by music legends Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Cabin in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork and no inserts. The supplements are well-rounded and built around an extremely inclusive audio commentary which, like the other extras included here, are all recycled from earlier DVDs including Warner Archive's own 2016 release. No cartoons, though? :(

• Audio Commentary - This busy group session features participation by Evangela Anderson and Eva Anderson (wife and daughter of actor Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), choreographer Fayard Nicholas, Black cultural scholar Todd Boyd, film historian Dr. Drew Casper, and even spliced-in vintage interview excerpts featuring Lena Horne. As expected, it covers most of the expected bases nicely and offers a multitude of perspectives ranging from the original Broadway musical's adaptation and historical facts to the film's lasting impact and legacy. Only Boyd's comments feel frustratingly out of place here; he's overly dry and pompous more often than not, regurgitating the same handful of politically correct talking points while adding almost nothing of value.

  Similar to Warner Archive's 2023 Blu-ray editions of Angel Face and Land of the Pharaohs, this audio commentary is only playable during a separately-included 480p version of the film; it was reportedly not originally stored as an isolated audio file and thus incompatible with the newly-restored visuals.

• Studio Visit (9:41) - Unfortunately not a visit to the set during production, instead this 1946 Pete Smith "Specialty" short takes a humorous look around locations on a film lot. Lena Horne shows up, at least.

• Louis Armstrong - "Ain't it the Truth" (5:41) - An audio outtake from the film. A text introduction mentions that, while the original footage is lost, supportive scenes and artwork from the film stand in its place.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:54) - This restored vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

• Song Selection - Instant access to the film's 12 main songs and performances.

Cabin in the Sky Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The core story of Cabin in the Sky (both this 1943 adaptation and the 1940 Broadway musical it was based on) may seem unintentionally ludicrous more than 80 years later, but the performances are so committed that it should still appeal to a very wide audience. Bolstered by phenomenal talents both in front of and behind the camera -- including director Vincente Minnelli, who makes his debut here -- as well as excellent songs and solid production design, it's a joyous and moving endeavor that's worth (re)discovering on Warner Archive's new Blu-ray, which features another great A/V restoration and several valuable extras. Highly Recommended to fans and first-timers alike.