Nora Prentiss Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Nora Prentiss Blu-ray Movie Review

"When it's all over, what is there in it for me?"

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 8, 2025

A flailing noir melodrama that crumbles under its own weight, Vincent Sherman's Nora Prentiss would've been pretty great if treated with a little more care. Suspension of disbelief must be brought to almost every scene and even then, it's tough to ignore the fatal character flaws and ridiculous twists that pile up during the film's second half, though to its credit the end result is never boring. Assuming its audience doesn't pay attention is bad enough... but Nora Prentiss' most glaring flaw is giving the title character a thankless supporting role and instead choosing to focus on a bland, unlikeable, and increasingly dumb doctor who we're presumably supposed to sympathize with.

Said doc is Richard Talbot (Kent Smith), a respected family man in San Francisco whose strict daily routine conflicts with his ever-growing resentment for it. After an unexpected delay at work one evening, his routine is broken and he witnesses an accident involving nightclub singer Nora Prentiss (Ann Sheridan), who's hit by a delivery truck but makes it out mostly unscathed after Dr. Talbot examines her. That won't be the last time he sees her, of course, and the first of many after-hours meetings between the two as Talbot's family life evaporates around him. His unsuspecting wife Lucy (Rosemary DeCamp) takes Richard's excuses at face value, aloof son Greg (Robert Arthur) is barely seen, and bubbly daughter Bonita (Wanda Hendrix) is simply worried he'll forget her upcoming 16th birthday. Soon enough, the affair's honeymoon period is over and, after an argument over the phone, Richard nearly kills a patient on the operating table. Enduring a few other problems and lacking the courage to ask Lucy for a divorce, he instead decides to fake his own death and follows Nora to New York with money he's squirreled away during the last several months.

It's a fairly dumb and short-sighted "second life" plan, so not surprisingly an investigation is opened back in Richard's hometown. He's obviously fearful to get anywhere close to California and even changes his name and appearance, but eventually Richard succumbs to alcohol addition and lashes out towards Nora -- mostly because she knows absolutely nothing about his faked death, and he's now lying to everyone including himself. It's basically a full-on self-destruction exacerbated by other outside forces including suave nightclub owner Phil Dinardo (Robert Alda), a long-time admirer of Nora's, as well as a supposed second party who will apparently be responsible for Talbot's death.

That's not a spoiler, mind you: it's clearly spelled out in the opening scenes of Nora Prentiss that Dr. Talbot has been murdered and his killer brought into custody, meaning that the bulk of this film is told in flashback and we eventually learn this mystery person's identity even before a court case that finally resolves the narrative. Like most other aspects of Nora Prentiss' second half, it's admirably bonkers but head-smackingly stupid, the kind of desperate melodrama that sounds decent on paper but doesn't hold up to even mild scrutiny. While several portions of the film don't seem to take themselves seriously, even lightly upping the film's camp value in the process, it's certainly not to the point where I'd wager Nora Prentiss is fully aware of its own flaws. Simply put, this plays like it was thrown together to capitalize on the popularity of women-led film noir like Mildred Pierce but didn't bring a good script to the table.

The good news is that Nora Prentiss is still fairly entertaining, even if it doesn't really focus on the title character all that much -- aside from her outfits and singing performances -- and oddly seems to portray her as some sort of sultry femme fatale when she's really the unlikely girlfriend of a guy who's clearly in over his head. It makes for a somewhat frustrating watch in certain respects, made worse by the fact that its first half is actually decent and hints at something much more that what's actually delivered. While this lukewarm melodrama isn't exactly ripe for re-evaluation as some kind of underappreciated classic, Warner Archive has nonetheless given Nora Prentiss the royal treatment on Blu-ray; it's led by a sparkling new restoration that leaves their shaky 2009 DVD edition in the dust.

Nora Prentiss Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I was somewhat surprised to see that Warner Archive's new 1080p transfer of Nora Prentiss was sourced from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, as a handful of establishing shots and short exchanges show a notable dip in quality from the overwhelming clarity of its best-looking scenes. Even so, this Blu-ray presentation is obviously head and shoulders above what the boutique label's own 2009 DVD offered, showcasing the film's terrific cinematography (which includes some great time-capsule footage of both New York City and San Francisco) and lustrous close-ups in great detail. Film grain is ever present in all but a handful of those scenes mentioned above, which look much softer and less refined in direct comparison, but at its best Nora Prentiss absolutely sparkles with an era-specific silvery sheen that greatly supports fine detail and textures. Black levels generally hold steady, as does shadow detail, and as usual it's been capably encoded on a dual-layered disc and runs at a consistently high bit rate from start to finish. Assuming those stray dips in quality were either sourced from lesser elements or simply baked into the source material, this appears to be an overwhelmingly high-quality transfer that die-hard fans will really appreciate.

Nora Prentiss Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Not far behind is the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix, which as usual presents the original mono source in a split two-channel container. It's a largely clean and unobtrusive mix featuring crisp dialogue and excellent placement of effects, bringing with it supportive clarity for Franz Waxman's original score and the occasional in-movie musical performances. Trace amounts of hiss and light distortion could be heard on rare occasions, but these are almost entirely forgivable under the circumstances. Overall, a strong no-frills presentation that purists will enjoy.

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

Nora Prentiss Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover art and a few era-specific extras.

• So You Think Your A Nervous Wreck [sic] (10:59) - Another Joe McDoakes short written and directed by Richard L. Bare, this unrestored black-and-white comedy shot sees its hapless protagonist (George O'Hanlon) finally run the show at work in a fancy new office... in his dreams, of course.

• The Big Snooze (7:23) - An absolutely bonkers Looney Tunes short starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, this one is probably best remembered for its opening "rotating log" gag but finds the hapless hunter finally tearing up his Warner Bros. contract to enjoy a life of Bugs-free fishing... in his dreams, of course.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:37) - This appropriately over-the-top promotional piece can also be seen here.

Nora Prentiss Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vincent Sherman's Nora Prentiss was one of many melodramatic film noirs of the era, one with solid fundamentals (cinematography, music, etc.) but hindered by a frankly ridiculous story that doesn't spend enough time with its title character. It's still entertaining more often than not and thus should at least be watched once, although established fans will find more than enough enjoyment in Warner Archive's new Blu-ray to justify a purchase.