The Cardboard Lover Blu-ray
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Posted July 16, 2026 07:23 PM by Webmaster
Undercrank Productions has announced that it will release on Blu-ray Robert Z. Leonard's The Cardboard Lover (1928), starring Marion Davies, Jetta Goudal, Nils Asther, Andrés de Segurola, and Tenen Holtz. The release is scheduled to arrive on the market on August 4.
Description: The Cardboard Lover was a hit in 1928, released between Marion Davies' films The Patsy and Show People, and will finally assume its rightful place alongside the other two pictures which have been popular with fans due to their long-time availability on DVD. The film's obscurity is largely due to image quality issues in the Library of Congress's 35mm preservation of the film, from Davies' own nitrate print. Undercrank Productions' founder and producer Ben Model evidenced wildly enthusiastic responses to the film at shows he accompanied of the Library's 35mm print, and knew that today's digital restoration technology could help make this undiscovered gem shine again. Undercrank Productions' new Blu-ray/DVD release brings The Cardboard Lover (1928) to fans after nearly a century of obscurity in a 2K digital restoration with a new musical score by Ben Model.
In the film, Marion Davies plays a young co-ed visiting Monte Carlo who befriends a tennis champion (Nils Asther, in his only comedic role) who is trying to break things off with his romantic partner (Jetta Goudal). Davies offers to help him break the spell he's under by posing as his new girlfriend. This sets off a wacky chain of plot twists, during which Asther winds up falling for Davies. From Davies's antics to Asther's surprising comedic gifts – aided by expert comedy direction from Robert Z. Leonard, and with art-deco sets by Cedric Gibbons – The Cardboard Lover is a rare gem that will leave you in stitches from start to finish.
"The Cardboard Lover showcases some of Marion Davies's greatest comedic work," says Lara Gabrielle, author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies. "This wonderful film is rarely screened, but on those rare occasions, audiences delight in Davies's spot-on mimicry and boundless energy. The comedy is just as fresh and funny as it was in 1928, and I'm thrilled that it can now be enjoyed by audiences everywhere."
This home video release presents The Cardboard Lover (1928) on both Blu-ray and DVD in a new digitally restored edition, featuring a new theatre organ score by Ben Model. Also included on the disc is the video essay Marion Davies: Steward of Her Legacy written & narrated by Davies biographer Lara Gabrielle – plus a side-by-side restoration comparison of the film's entire 5th reel.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Description: The Cardboard Lover was a hit in 1928, released between Marion Davies' films The Patsy and Show People, and will finally assume its rightful place alongside the other two pictures which have been popular with fans due to their long-time availability on DVD. The film's obscurity is largely due to image quality issues in the Library of Congress's 35mm preservation of the film, from Davies' own nitrate print. Undercrank Productions' founder and producer Ben Model evidenced wildly enthusiastic responses to the film at shows he accompanied of the Library's 35mm print, and knew that today's digital restoration technology could help make this undiscovered gem shine again. Undercrank Productions' new Blu-ray/DVD release brings The Cardboard Lover (1928) to fans after nearly a century of obscurity in a 2K digital restoration with a new musical score by Ben Model.
In the film, Marion Davies plays a young co-ed visiting Monte Carlo who befriends a tennis champion (Nils Asther, in his only comedic role) who is trying to break things off with his romantic partner (Jetta Goudal). Davies offers to help him break the spell he's under by posing as his new girlfriend. This sets off a wacky chain of plot twists, during which Asther winds up falling for Davies. From Davies's antics to Asther's surprising comedic gifts – aided by expert comedy direction from Robert Z. Leonard, and with art-deco sets by Cedric Gibbons – The Cardboard Lover is a rare gem that will leave you in stitches from start to finish.
"The Cardboard Lover showcases some of Marion Davies's greatest comedic work," says Lara Gabrielle, author of Captain of Her Soul: The Life of Marion Davies. "This wonderful film is rarely screened, but on those rare occasions, audiences delight in Davies's spot-on mimicry and boundless energy. The comedy is just as fresh and funny as it was in 1928, and I'm thrilled that it can now be enjoyed by audiences everywhere."
This home video release presents The Cardboard Lover (1928) on both Blu-ray and DVD in a new digitally restored edition, featuring a new theatre organ score by Ben Model. Also included on the disc is the video essay Marion Davies: Steward of Her Legacy written & narrated by Davies biographer Lara Gabrielle – plus a side-by-side restoration comparison of the film's entire 5th reel.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 2K RESTORATION BY Cineaste Restoration
- NEW SCORE COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY BEN MODEL
- Marion Davies: Steward of Her Legacy (2026) – 9 mins –Writer & Narrator: Lara Gabrielle
- Side-By-Side Restoration Comparison (reel 5) – 11 mins