Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

No Man of Her Own Blu-ray Movie Review

An excellent pre-code Hollywood gem starring the beautiful Carole Lombard.

No Man of Her Own is an engaging pre-code romantic drama with some surprises up its sleeve. The film is produced by Albert Lewis (College Scandal, Cabin in the Sky). Inspired by the novel by Val Lewton and adapted from a story by Edmund Goulding and Benjamin Glazer, No Man of Her Own stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The stars were a “real-life” Hollywood couple at the time of production.

Jerry 'Babe' Stewart (Clark Gable) is an expert con-man who decides it is time to lay low for a while in a quiet small town. Babe meets the drop-dead-gorgeous librarian Connie Randall (Carole Lombard) and an unexpected romance begins between the unlikely couple. As the pair find themselves falling head over heals in love with each other, marriage is soon on the horizon – yet Babe now wishes for Connie to never find out about his past ways as an unscrupulous con man. Can the marriage still happen?

The performances in No Man of Her Own are certainly impressive. Both Clark Gable and Carole Lombard are excellent in their respective roles. The film is noteworthy as the only feature-film with the two actors playing off each other (despite their Hollywood romance in the real-world). The chemistry is real and the performers provide the film with plenty of charm and glamour. Fans of these iconic stars will want to see these impressive performances. There is much to appreciate here and the parts were perfectly suited for the strengths of each performer.

No Man of Her Own is notorious for a scene in which Carole Lombard climbs up a ladder (and shows more skin than usual for a film of the era). As an early pre-code production, No Man of Her Own was cited as a reference during the development of the Hollywood “League of Decency” and the eventual development of a ratings code. An interesting element of the production which is well worth notation.

Carole Lombard: Majestic Beauty.

The costumes by Travis Banton (The General Died at Dawn, Shanghai Express) are impressive and well-realized. The gowns for Carole Lombard are especially noteworthy. Lombard looks stunning in No Man of Her Own and fans of the actress will be impressed with how she radiates in her costumes: showcasing her beauty. Clark Gable is also well- donned with effective costume attire appropriate for the part.

The cinematography by Leo Tover (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Hold Back the Dawn ) is one of the highlights of No Man of Her Own. The black-and-white visuals are key to the filmmaking. The style is effective and seems well matched for the production. A worthy effort by Tover that showcases the rich tapestry of the filmmaking well.

Edited by Otho Lovering (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Stagecoach), No Man of Her Own is a effective example of editing-done-right. The cut never struggles to be entertaining. The pace is good and the rhythm is well suited to the story.

The screenplay by Maurine Dallas Watkins (Up the River, Search for Beauty) and Milton Herbert Gropper (Ladies of Leisure, Women of Glamour) is effective and manages to keep things quite entertaining. The storytelling was creative fun. The script has some good dialogue throughout. Entertaining, smart, and character- driven, No Man of Her Own is an effective screenplay.

Directed by Wesley Ruggles (I Met Him in Paris, London Town), No Man of Her Own is a classic. There are plenty of entertaining moments throughout the production. Ruggles brings forth great performances from both Gable and Lombard. No Man of Her Own has plenty of style.

No Man of Her Own Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, No Man of Her Own is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 full frame. The release is exceptional and will leave fans highly satisfied. The scan for No Man of Her Own is the best presentation provided in the entire Carol Lombard collection. Everything soars with the scan: exceptional black-and-white cinematography reaches greater heights with superb black levels. Throughout the presentation, the scan demonstrated little in the way of print damage: only some occasional thin scratches (and few at that). The print suffers from no egregious compression woes or restoration issues.

No Man of Her Own Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The No Man of Her Own release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio mono. The lossless audio on the release is a bit inconsistent. There is a slight hiss present throughout the entire presentation. For this reason, the audio isn't on par with the video-encode. The track sounds a bit thin and lacks the finesse of a finer restoration. However, the audio is never too harsh sounding and it sounds proficient enough to not take away from enjoying the film – even if it disappoints. Dialogue still remains easy enough to understand.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

No Man of Her Own Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton

No Man of Her Own Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

No Man of Her Own is a classic. The film has impressive performances by Carole Lombard and Clark Gable. As an early pre-code gem, No Man of Her Own had some elements which were a bit risque for the time period. Fans of Lombard won't want to miss it. No Man of Her Own is well worth watching. Highly recommended.