It's a Wise Child Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

It's a Wise Child Blu-ray Movie Review

Why make a baby when you can fake a baby?

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 30, 2026

Long before the release of Robert Z. Leonard's pre-Code screwball comedy It's A Wise Child, star Marion Davies -- far and away the standout presence in this film -- had become one of Hollywood's leading actresses, building a career that spanned the silent era and the transition to sound only a few years earlier. She began as a chorus girl and performer in the Ziegfeld Follies before debuting in Runaway Romany, a 1917 silent drama she also wrote. Davies' career flourished at Cosmopolitan Pictures, backed by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, whose support helped make her a major screen star. Hearst often cast Davies in lavish historical dramas like 1922's When Knighthood Was in Flower, but critics praised her comedic talents and future films like The Patsy and Show People (1928) showcased her wit, timing, and gift for physical humor. Her smooth transition to sound films with Marianne, Not So Dumb, and The Florodora Girl (1929-30), also proved that Davies' charm and screen presence carried over into this new format.

"Geez, get to the review already."

These separate career branches are only part of the reason why It's A Wise Child, now 95 years old, still plays pretty well. This lightweight and quick-paced romantic comedy stars the wide-eyed Davies as Joyce Stanton, an independent young woman from a wealthy family who believes that love should take precedence over wealth and social convention. Intelligent, spirited, and somewhat impulsive, Joyce is determined to make her own choices despite the objections of her family... and once of those choices is falling in love with Roger Baldwin (Lester Vail), an earnest young attorney at the start of his career, rather than pursuing a half-hearted engagement to older G.A. Appleby (Robert McWade) or figuring out the secret admiration of the Stanton family lawyer Steve (Sidney Blackmer).

While Joyce's uncertain romantic future is indeed part of the story, It's A Wise Child's most infamous pre-Code plot element is her accidental pregnancy. Joyce isn't actually pregnant, of course, but the town thinks she is after a private conversation about a baby expected by her secretly-married family maid Alice (Marie Prevost) is taken out of context. In typical rom-com fashion, the gossip spreads like wildfire without any real evidence... but actually doesn't mind all the chaos, since this ridiculous "telephone game" has managed to take all the focus off her dad's demands that she marry the wealthy Abbleby. Nonetheless, Joyce's family life is even more of a wreck now, as the presumed shame of a *gasp* pregnancy out of wedlock has made everyone -- including her poor mother Em (Clara Blandick, who'd soon have "Auntie" in front of that same character name in The Wizard of Oz) -- ashamed of her.

Like most pre-Code films, the additional spark of its soon-to-be-outlawed story elements will make it more appealing and relatable to modern audiences. But those new to the early sound era will need to make a few concessions to fully enjoy themselves; for example, the film's roots as a 1929 play by Laurence Johnson means that most scenes can't help but feel static and stagy. The editing, while competent, isn't razor-sharp and often includes a few extra frames where actors are clearly waiting for their cures. And of course the jokes and cultural references are older than most of our parents (or even grandparents), meaning that younger viewers won't be falling out of their seats.

But as we come full circle, Marion Davies -- who would only act for six more years before leaving the industry -- is the real reason that It's A Wise Child works. She's magnetic in just about every scene and her obvious knack for comedy carries the bulk of this picture, which is also aided by several solid supporting performances and a brisk, fat-free pace. Much like the recently resurrected Letty Lynton, this film has basically been buried since Hays Code sensibilities all but outlawed its "risque" content, and legal entanglements regarding the originay play rights also kept It's A Wise Child out of the public eye for decades. It's again found new live thanks to Warner Archive, who have delivered another top-tier Blu-ray release that will be enjoyed by pre-Code film enthusiasts and curious newcomers too.

It's a Wise Child Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive's new restoration of It's A Wise Child comes from a recent 4K scan of "best preservation elements" which, in the case of this MGM picture, translates to a nitrate safety that was made as part of the studio's sweeping archival program in the 1960s. The film's original camera negative, like countless others, was lost in the tragic 1978 George Eastman House fire but, due to MGM's foresight, this perfectly watchable source material makes for a satisfying substitute. Those familiar with Warner Archive's treatment of such elements should know was to expect but, given It's a Wise Child's public "burial", one can assume that these elements were probably handled much less than others in the studio's library. Either way, the end result is a clean and organic presentation that looks authentic with noticeable film grain and very few age-related defects -- just a bit of softness due to the generational loss. Under the circumstances, it's a very pleasing presentation indeed and one that the boutique label should be proud of.

It's a Wise Child Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The split mono DTS HD 2.0 Master Audio mix unavoidably shows its age a bit more regularly... but this has everything to do with recording equipment during the early sound era, as It's A Wise Child sounds exactly like you'd expect for a dialogue-driven film from 1931. It's thin with a limited dynamic range, which also applies to the music (including the main theme, which includes a few winking elements of "Rock-A-Bye Baby"), but no obvious noise reduction seems to have been applied here which makes it as purist-friendly of a presentation as possible.

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

It's a Wise Child Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork. A handful of various comedy shorts from the era are also included as pre-show entertainment.

• Crazy House (13:03) - This early two-strip Technicolor short from 1930 takes us on a wacky guided tour of the (thankfully fictional) "Lame Brain Sanitarium" and its roster of strange inhabitants.

• The Rounder (20:03) - Another 1930 short (but this time in black-and-white), this comedy was co-written and directed by J.C. Nugent and serves as an early starring role for Jack Benny.

• Bosko's Fox Hunt (6:48) - This unrestored early Looney Tunes cartoon -- which features its first superstar leading, well, a fox hunt -- earns a full 30-second warning for one blackface gag.

• Bosko's Soda Fountain (6:57) - Another unrestored early Looney Tunes short, this one features art by Friz Freleng and questionable customer service from our hero, who puts the "jerk" in "soda jerk".

It's a Wise Child Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Z. Leonard's pre-Code screwball comedy It's A Wise Child is yet another showcase for the comedic talents of Marion Davies, who had already established a solid leading-lady career in and outside genre boundaries. It's a brisk and well-paced film with good to great supporting performances but will require "adjustments" for those new to films from this era, and it still looks great 95 years later. All of the credit goes to Warner Archive who, as with Letty Lynton, have unearthed buried treasure and polished it to a shine. Recommended for sure.