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Irma La Douce – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1963
Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Lou Jacobi, Bruce Yarnell, Herschel Bernardi, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney

Release Date: July 17th, 2018
Approximate Running Time: 133 Minutes 13 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Meet Nestor (Lemmon), a young man with a very complicated love life. To keep his beloved, the proud and profitable lady of the streets Irma la Douce (MacLaine), off the streets, he disguises himself as Lord X, who immediately becomes Irma’s sole client and means of support. But what’s a jealous boyfriend to do when the illustrious Irma claims that the man she’s really in love with is not the smitten Nestor, but the dotty old Lord himself?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative."

Irma La Douce comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.9 GB

Kino Lorber Feature: 37.9 GB

Eureka Video Feature: 40.2 GB

Kino Lorber’s transfer is on par with the transfer that Eureka Video used for their Blu-ray release.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio sounds, clean, clear and balanced throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer for Irma La Douce (3 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Joseph McBride and an audio commentary with film critic Kat Ellinger.

Other extras include trailers for What a Way to Go!, One, Two, Three, Avanti!, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes and Witness for the Prosecution.

Extras on Eureka Video’s Blu-ray release include a theatrical trailer for Irma La Douce (3 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with film scholar Neil Sinyard (26 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Joseph McBride, an audio commentary with film critic Kat Ellinger, a booklet with cast & crew information, an essay about the film written by Richard Combs, archival imagery and information about the transfers titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Though Irma la Douce was adapted from Alexandre Breffort’s stage musical. There are a few areas where this film adaption differs from its source. The most notable changes include removing all the songs from the play and changing the profession of the character that Jack Lemmon portrays from a penniless law school student to a police officer.

With that being said, when it comes to film adaptions, it is rare that they remain faithful to the source. Fortunately, in the hands of Billy Wilder, any one of these changes quickly becomes an afterthought.

It is not surprising that this film adaptation reunites Billy Wilder with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, whom he had previously worked with on The Apartment. Since this film adaptation and The Apartment explore many of the same themes,

And without a doubt, this film adaptation's greatest assets are the performances of its two leads: Jack Lemmon (How to Murder Your Wife, The Odd Couple) in the roles of a police officer named Nestor Patou and his alter ego, Lord X, and Shirley MacLaine (The Trouble with Harry, Being There) in the role of this film’s protagonist, a prostitute named Irma La Douce. Both actors deliver pitch-perfect performances, and their chemistry is undeniable.

Performance-wise, the rest of the cast are all very good in their respective roles, especially Lou Jacobi (Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask) in the role of a bartender named Moustache. Another performance of note is Bruce Yarnell’s portrayal of a pimp named Hippolyte.

From a production standpoint, though, the premise is superbly realized. This film’s two-hour plus running time does present some minor issues in regards to pacing. Overall, Irma La Douce is a highly entertaining farce that fans of whimsical humor should thoroughly enjoy.

Irma La Douce gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of insightful extras, recommended.

Kino Lorber