Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Dinner at Eight Blu-ray Movie Review

White collar blues.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 2, 2022

George Cukor's pre-code ensemble comedy Dinner at Eight remains a standout in an era known for screwball antics. Essentially, this nearly two-hour production centers around a high-society dinner party that almost never happens... much to the dismay of New York City matron Millicent Jordan (Billie Burke, The Wizard of Oz), who slowly unravels at the seams when things don't go quite according to plan. Basically it's Lifestyles of the Rich and Heinous, and we're glued to a front row seat as this sophisticated event is revealed to be more of a tawdry, unscrupulous affair.

Ever-elegant Millie, first overjoyed at the prospect of hosting elusive English super-couple Lord and Lady Ferncliffe, quickly builds the guest list around their presence. Her husband Oliver (Lionel Barrymore, It's a Wonderful Life), isn't so thrilled about the Ferncliffes and instead pushes hard for the inclusion of legendary stage actress Carlotta Vance (Marie Dressler of Min and Bill, in one of her final film roles)... who ends up in dire straits and is the only single female guest, so Millie finds a plus one for her. Who else is coming? Well, there's wealthy and churlish business magnate Dan Packard (Wallace Beery, A Date with Judy) and his gold-digging young wife Kitty (Jean Harlow, Suzy), a washed-up silent film star and three-time divorcé Larry Renault (John Barrymore, Grand Hotel), and... well, you get the picture. It's a who's who of rich, self-centered assholes with no shortage of tangled relationships between some of them.

I'm not one for wine and cheese parties, emotional manipulation, or political back-stabbing, so for me the base-level enjoyment of Dinner at Eight arrives with its no-holds-barred treatment of those who practice it routinely. (A sick and twisted admission to be sure, but not entirely out of bounds for any self-respecting fan of pitch-black comedy.) Truth be told, in true pre-code fashion things do get pretty dark along the way: there's at least one attempted suicide, several unsavory affairs and other amoral admissions of guilt, and a rather nasty prolonged argument between Dan and Kitty that almost comes to blows. But Dinner at Eight balances these dramatically darker moments with biting, razor-sharp satire fairly well, only struggling intermittently to maintain our sustained interest during a few short stretches in its 111-minute lifespan. It's admittedly kind of a long haul for a film that ends before the dinner even begins, but this production has so much working in its favor that it survives any and all minor roadblocks along the way.

Dinner at Eight was also remade as a 1989 made-for-TV movie (starring the likes of Lauren Bacall, Charles Durning, and John Mahoney) which, like the original, was released on DVD by Warner Archive during the last decade. While a double feature would have been more than welcome, this superior 1933 version still packs quite a punch and, while most of its names may not be as immediately familiar to modern audiences, this is a fundamentally strong production that still stands as a great example of pre-code entertainment for adult audiences. Warner Archive digs into the well once again for this Blu-ray edition and produces near-perfect results: Dinner at Eight shines brightly by way of its stunning new 1080p restoration, which is pared with lossless audio and DVD-era bonus features that include a tribute to co-star Jean Harlow and even a vintage Warner Bros. comedy short that lampoons the main feature.

Dinner at Eight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dinner at Eight debuts strongly on Blu-ray thanks to Warner Archive's new 1080p restoration, which is sourced from a recent 4K scan of the best surviving preservation elements (likely a combination of multiple sources, although specifics were not given). It's a remarkably consistent presentation within these boundaries, showcasing an outstanding amount of fine detail inherent to its nitrate film roots. Natural fine grain is clearly visible in almost every sustained shot, from close-ups to more expansive views of Dinner at Eight's luxurious and ornate interiors, with costumes and background details especially benefitting from these factors. As usual, the overall image is extremely clean but nonetheless retains a purist-friendly appearance, and one that's entirely free of excessive processing such as heavy digital noise reduction or contrast boosting. It's a remarkably pure image that only suffers from trace amounts of posterization on some of the darkest black and most complex gradients but, for the most part, runs flawlessly on this dual-layered disc. Other trace drawbacks, such as occasional softness, can likely be tied to its variety of available source materials... but for an almost 90 year-old film, this Blu-ray is clearly a best-case scenario for die-hard fans and first-timers alike.

Dinner at Eight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Although its mostly reserved DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix isn't designed to be a sonic spectacle, Dinner at Eight's lossless audio track nonetheless impresses with a tightly-controlled sound field that, like its 1080p transfer, is largely free of age-related defects. Dialogue is mostly clean and crisp with trace amounts of hissing and crackle, and no perceivable drop-outs or sync issues were heard along the way. While most of the back-and-forth conversations simply hang in the center of the sound stage with no direction, mild depth is achieved in high-ceilinged locations and other large interiors. Likewise, its more claustrophobic moments carry a nice amount of contrast, creating an occasionally varied but largely consistent sonic palette that, to re-use an old cliché, gets the job done and nothing more.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the film only. This is somewhat annoying because earlier Dinner at Eight home video releases, such as Warner Bros.' 2005 DVD, offered optional subtitles on the extras as well.

Dinner at Eight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with original one-sheet cover artwork and no inserts of any kind. The extras are all ported over from previous home video editions, including Warner Archive's own 2020 DVD.

• Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell (47:01) - This 1993 Turner Pictures documentary, hosted by Sharon Stone and directed by Tom McQuade, takes a look at the life and career of silver screen queen Jean Harlow by way of film clips and stories about her troubled childhood and failed marriages. It's not particularly informative beyond tabloid-level information but may be worth a look for fans of the actress who haven't seen it already.

• Come to Dinner (22:12) - This 1933 Warner Bros. / Vitaphone short that spoofs Dinner at Eight (an MGM production) with celebrity lookalikes was directed by Roy Mack and written by A. Dorian Otvos and Eddie Moran. Did it ruffle a few feathers back in the day? Probably. But hey, at least the beef is squashed now.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:01) - A vintage promotional piece that can also be seen here.

Dinner at Eight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

George Cukor's pre-code ensemble comedy Dinner at Eight is slightly overlong but still resoundingly entertaining with a great cast and sharp, unrestrained edges that make it more emotionally effective than later films affected negatively by the Hays Code. It's been a perennial favorite of classic film fans and has enjoyed several good-to-great home video releases over the years, but Warner Archive's Blu-ray easily tops them all with a stunning new 4K-sourced transfer, great lossless audio, and all of the DVD-era bonus features in one handy package. Recommended.