IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

James Whale is best remembered for directing what are generally considered the best of the classic Universal horror movies — Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). However, when you look at Whale’s complete body of work, it is surprisingly diverse. His resume includes war films (Journey’s End, Waterloo Bridge), mysteries (The Kiss Before the Mirror, One More River), adventures (Sinners in Paradise, The Man in the Iron Mask), and even the original film adaptation of the classic stage musical Showboat (1936). One aspect that almost all of these movies share, despite the genre, is a strain of wry humor. Consequently, it isn’t too surprising that Whale also helmed a couple of romantic comedies. I recently had the chance to view one of those titles, By Candlelight (1933), through Kino Lorber Studio Classics’ upcoming Blu-ray release.

By Candlelight (1933) is a Pre-Code romantic comedy of seduction and infidelity, which would be unthinkable after the enforcement of the censorship guidelines of the Motion Picture Production Code. The story centers around Josef (Paul Lukas), the butler of European nobleman Prince Alfred von Romer (Nils Asther). As part of Josef’s duties, he is expected to help the prince in his seductions of married women by staging fake power outages (to set the candlelit mood of the title). During a train journey, Marie (Elissa Landi) a young woman that Josef takes for an aristocrat, mistakes Josef for his employer. Taking advantage of the situation, Josef tries to use the Prince’s methods to seduce Marie, unaware that she is actually a servant herself.

I first became aware of By Candlelight through William K. Everson’s reference book Hollywood Bedlam: Classic Screwball Comedies. However, the film is decidedly not screwball. The plot may feature multiple mistaken identities, but it lacks the speed, zaniness, and witty repartee that are the hallmarks of the screwball genre. You won’t find anything approaching “The Weenie King”* or the “Ale and Quale Club”* in By Candlelight. It is simply an early example of a romantic comedy — one that is even a bit soft on the humor and romance.

By Candlelight is far from James Whale’s best (my favorite being The Old Dark House). However, to be fair, Whale was brought into this film late in pre-production, after the script was finalized and the cast selected. Still, James Whale was able to add some interesting directorial flourishes to the film. Most notable, is the moving camera and bizarre shots of masked revelers at a county fair. Another nice touch is indicating the passage of time over an evening by focusing the camera on a cognac bottle that slowly drains, while you hear the actors laughing in the background.

The main reason By Candlelight falls a bit flat was the casting of an unlikable lead. The fact that Paul Lukas’ character is trying to seduce a woman through deceptive means definitely plays differently in 2022 than it did in 1933, but the skeezy nature of the character’s actions is largely tempered by the fact that everyone in the film is being duplicitous in one way or another. It isn’t what Lukas’ character is doing that is the issue, it is the fact that it is Paul Lukas doing it. He simply isn’t a very interesting actor. In fact he comes across as a bit of a drip. While the script could certainly have benefited from a punch up, I could see it working better with a lead actor that was more overtly likable or comedic (Charles Ruggles, perhaps). Bob Hope or Danny Kaye could have done a lot more with the role a decade or two later.

Still, the film has much to recommend it. The rest of the cast is quite game and help make up for Lukas’ lackluster performance. Elissa Landi is lively as the maid on the make, and Nils Asther is a real standout as the smooth and sly prince. Most importantly, the film looks absolutely fabulous. While the plot is only mildly diverting, the gorgeous art deco sets (Charles D. Hall, Art Director) and the lush, silvery photography (John J. Mescall, cinematographer) provide a feast for the eyes that is extremely pleasurable. And those pleasures have never been more evident than in the Blu-ray presentation of the new 4K restoration. If you like 1930s atmosphere, you’ll be in absolute heaven.

* If you don’t get these references, stop what you’re doing, and watch The Palm Beach Story (1942) immediately.

USA/B&W-72m./Dir: James Whale/Wr: F. Hugh Herbert & Ruth Cummings (based on the play Candle Light by Siegfried Geyer and Karl Farkas, which was adapted in English by P. G. Wodehouse)/Cast: Paul Lukas, Elissa Landi, Nils Asther, Dorothy Revier, Esther Ralston, Lawrence Grant, Warburton Gamble, Lois January

For Fans of: While By Candlelight may not have broad appeal, James Whale-completists and those interested in the beginnings of the romantic comedy genre should check it out.

Video: Kino Lorber Studio Classics will release By Candlelight on Blu-ray on October 11th. The Blu-ray has been sourced from a new digital restoration by Universal Pictures, derived from a 4K scan of original 35mm elements.  The image is sharp, silvery, clear, and film-like, with appropriate (but not overpowering) film grain. Scratches and speckles are minimal. In fact, I didn’t notice any upon my initial watch. I only noticed a couple when I actively looked for them. In short, the picture looks fantastic. The film has never looked better on home video, and it is unlikely to ever look better than it does here.

The DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono audio also sounds great. The dialogue and musical score are well supported.

Special Features include:

• A new audio commentary by film historian Troy Howarth — The commentary is very thorough, covering the production history and major players behind the scenes. Howarth knows his stuff.
• The original theatrical trailers for The Sign of the Cross (1932), The Ghost Breakers (1940), I’m No Angel (1933), Four Frightened People (1934), and Supernatural (1933).
• Optional English subtitles for the feature.

Streaming: At the time of this review, By Candlelight was unavailable to stream on any of the major subscription services.  It was also unavailable to download as a digital rental or purchase.

More to Explore: James Whale directed another romantic comedy, Remember Last Night? (1935), which is a comedy mystery in The Thin Man mode. On the whole, I remember finding that film more breezy and enjoyable than By Candelight (although it does contain one rather egregious blackface scene). That film is unavailable on home video, but I pasted links to all of James Whale’s films that have received the Blu-ray treatment below.

Trivia: James Whale often referred to By Candlelight as the favorite amongst his films. Of course, he may simply have been trying to steer conversations with interviewers beyond the classic horror films for which he was most famous.

For More Info: James Curtis’ James Whale: A New World Of Gods And Monsters is the best source of information on the director and his films.