His and Hers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

His and Hers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 13, 2016

Brian Desmond Hurst's "His and Hers" (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Network. The only bonus feature on the disc is a galley of archival stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The ambitious writer

The great Terry-Thomas plays a bubbly explorer and writer named Reggie Blake who returns home from a long trip to an exotic country convinced that he has enough material to deliver a novel that will make him very, very rich. All Reggie will have to do is describe his recent experiences, do a bit of editing, and then deliver the draft to his agent, Charles Dunton (Wilfrid Hyde-White, The Third Man). The novel would be marvelous, one of those best-sellers people will be discussing for years.

A few hours after Reggie unpacks his bags, however, he begins arguing with his beautiful wife, Fran (Janette Scott, Crack in the World), who finds his newly adopted manners seriously annoying. Tension in the house slowly rises and eventually the two agree that it would be best if they divide it so that they avoid each other and focus on their work. Initially Reggie assumes that it is a great idea, but when Fran refuses to do all the things that good wives do and their husbands fail to notice he becomes seriously frustrated. The frustration then evolves into pure anger and Reggie vows to prove that he has what it takes to win his little war with Fran.

But the more Reggie attempts to outsmart his wife, the more miserable his life becomes. Charles also stops by to let Reggie know that the few chapters from the upcoming novel that he has sent him are worthless.

Reggie gets an opportunity to stage a comeback when the elegant socialite Simone Rolfe (Nicole Maurey, Don't Bother to Knock) decides to pay him a visit. The two have a bit of fun together that does have the desired effect on Fran, but then Simone makes a surprising move.

This simple comedy directed by Brian Desmond Hurst is yet another reminder that Terry-Thomas was one of the very best actors of his generation. It is based on a fairly ordinary script focusing on a series of cliched misunderstandings between the two sexes that culminate in a big rivalry that is entertaining to behold primarily because of the man’s ability to engage with his wide arsenal of witty remarks and hilarious expressions. Scott is also likeable as the feisty housewife, but it is unquestionably Terry-Thomas' special talent that gives the film its charm and energy.

The socialite played by Maurey (looking absolutely gorgeous here) is the wild card that effectively expands the story and in the process makes a good case that there are many valid reasons why various clichés about the two sexes have not disappeared. Hyde-White’s agent is the typical wealthy old pretentious fool who at the right time simply drops the mask that he has been wearing and becomes a new man.

Hurst teamed up with cinematographer Edward Scaife, but his contribution here is difficult to compare to the work he did for Curse of the Demon, The Lion, Khartoum, and especially The Dirty Dozen.

A year before this film was released, Terry-Thomas and Scott also appeared in Robert Hamer and Cyril Frankel’s excellent comedy School for Scoundrels, which was recently restored by StudioCanal and is now available on Blu-ray as part of the studio’s Vintage Classics series.

His and Hers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Brian Desmond Hurst's His and Hers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Network.

The master that was used to source the release is very good. A few specks can be spotted and there are a few frames with noticeable damage, but detail and depth are very pleasing. I must also mention that I noticed some extremely light chroma-like effects sneaking in, though I am fairly certain that even on very large screens the overwhelming majority of viewers will not be bothered by their presence. Contrast and brightness levels remain stable throughout the entire film. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections, but I think that with a better encode the grain will appear slightly healthier. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. Lastly, there are a couple of shaky transitions, but overall image stability is very good. Ultimately, there is certainly room for some cosmetic improvements, but even with the issues highlighted above I think that the technical presentation is still quite good. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

His and Hers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There are a couple of segments where John Addison's score certainly has an important role, but the focus is primarily on the long exchanges between the main characters. Naturally, dynamic intensity is limited. Clarity and depth are very good. Also, there are no balance issues. Some light background hiss occasionally sneaks in, but it never becomes distracting. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.

His and Hers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Image Gallery - a collection of archival stills.

• Cover - additional writing on the film/see images.

His and Hers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Without Terry-Thomas His and Hers would have been an instantly forgettable film. Frankly, it uses a script that is rather average, but the charismatic actor transforms it into quite a spectacle. His and Hers is available on Blu-ray from British label Network, which has some terrific classic titles in its catalog. Sadly, one of my favorite Terry-Thomas comedies, Spanish Fly, which has been recently remastered, was issued only on DVD. RECOMMENDED.