Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176631 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-07-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 92 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Produced in a time when films were both literally and figuratively black and white, Made for Each Other was unique in its effective blending of the comedic, the dramatic, and, as perhaps some would insensitively say, the melodramatic. Beautiful Carole Lombard and likeable James Stewart are Jane and John Mason, a couple who meet, fall madly in love, marry, and quickly have a baby. But while they--and the audience--are confident that they are meant for each other, life intercedes and the couple must meet with disapproving in-laws, job stress, financial challenges and, finally, a devastating illness.

Lombard and Stewart--and the genuinely good people they portray--are utterly compelling and charming. Say yawningly what you will about tradition, but the Masons' is a path many, if not most, go down. And unlike the wonderful but wholly fantasy world of peer Preston Sturges, director John Cromwell's universe is, like real life, full of ups and downs. It's an accessible, sensitive portrayal. He gives the audience characters they want to see succeed, and to see stay together in the process. It may be a tale of triumph of the human spirit, but its ultimate sentiment--one that celebrates the kindness of strangers--is thoroughly sweet, though in no way saccharine.

Look for a great supporting cast, including a blustery Charles Coburn as John Mason's boss, and Lucile Watson as Mason's interfering mother. --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Reviews

Notes on the MGM Version
Movie: ***1/2 DVD Quality: *** DVD Extras: N/A

"Made for Each Other" is a textbook example of how a skillful cast of pros can turn an ordinary, run-of-the-mill script into something special. The film's plot is a soap operatic pastiche of comedic and dramatic incidents revolving around the misfortunes of a young hardluck couple who have married after a brief meeting. Their fledging relationship is tested at every turn as they are beset by a long list of cliched domestic problems, including disapproving inlaws; financial worries; tragic illness and impending loss; etc, etc. In lesser hands the film might have turned out to be 93 minutes of bathetic nonsense, but co-stars Carole Lombard and James Stewart succeed in taking straw and spinning it into pure gold. Both actors approach their roles with a disarming integrity and heartfelt honesty that breathe life into the often hackneyed dialogue and situations; Lombard in particular manages to make her character luminescent from the inside out, even in those scenes in which she is dimly lit and appears devoid of makeup. Now THAT'S "star power"! The two leads are given able support by a wonderful cast of talented character actors giving their all (Charles Coburn, Lucile Watson, Harry Davenport, and Louise Beavers), but ultimately the picture rests on Stewart's and Lombard's more than capable shoulders.

At one point, the copyright on "Made for Each Other" lapsed and the film fell into the public domain. Television broadcasters and cheapie video companies aired or sold copies of varying quality, sometimes made from third or fourth generation prints that featured wretched contrast, inept splices, and muddy sound. Happily, the MGM DVD offers the cleanest, sharpest video and audio I have come across in years of searching. In the past, I have stopped watching various prints five to ten minutes into the film because of quality problems, but the MGM print - though not perfect - is relatively free of video or audio distortion, and is definitely the one I would recommend to you, especially if you're purchasing a copy to add to your home library.

Nice movie, shame about the picture
This is a great example of the old time Hollywood soap opera. James Stewart and Carole Lombard are wonderful (as always) as the young couple dealing with the strange and cruel twists and turns of life. A two-hankie weepie. However, I strongly recommend that you do not purchase this dvd. The sound and picture quality are terrible. It is completely unwatchable and the hiss is so bad the dialogue is muffled. It's hard to understand how a company can find tranfers as bad as these - the vhs copies are much superior. Trust me, this may seem like a bargain but it is not. 4 stars for the movie 0 for the dvd

Jimmy Stewart & Carole Lombard triumph over tragedy!
Jimmy Stewart and Carole Lombard play a recently married couple that discovers family life isn't easy in this entertaining classic from 1939 (Hollywood's best year). Their love for each other is soon put to the test by Stewart's snobby Mom (played by Lucille Watson) who finds it hard to get along with Lombard. Also, Stewart's job is frustrating and stressful, and his grumpy, hard-of-hearing boss (played by Charles Coburn) doesn't make things easy for him. Soon Stewart and Lombard have mounting debts that can't be paid, and then tragedy strikes and they have only their love and faith to pull through the worst crisis of their lives. The plot may sound a little hokey, but thanks to great casting and wonderful performances from Lombard and Stewart, it actually works well. My main complaint with this dvd is the HORRIBLE sound quality. I had to turn the volume up nearly to max and I still couldn't hear what they said at times! This is a very enjoyable movie, but with such poor sound quality I can only give this dvd a four-star rating.