Love Nest

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C     Extras: C+     Film: C+

 

 

The war was over, but the new battles begin, when a World War II returnee (William Lundigan) finds that his wife (June Haver) has bought an apartment building without talking about it with him or investigating the condition of the place itself.  Thus, this will be their Love Nest (1952).  He rents to a good friend, who turns out to be Roberta, (Marilyn Monroe), who was a WAC when he served in Paris.

 

The story is complicated by an FBI suspect taking residence, so you can imagine that the crux of the story is that the building is practically cursed.  This limits the story to some extent, but I.A.L. Diamond wrote it (based on the Scott Corbett story) and it has its moments.  Monroe is not on camera as often as one would wish, but it is because of her that Fox has released this DVD, which is not bad.  The comedy is definitely in Diamond’s element.

 

The full frame, monochrome image was shot by Lloyd Ahern, A.S.C., and has a confined feel to it.  The film elements show some grain, but that is just the state of the film stock.  Details are a bit soft and off, but the transfer does its best.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 is in both redirectioned Stereo and Mono English, but it is too small sounding either way.  Cyril Mockridge’s score is sparse.  Extras include 14 trailers for other Monroe films on DVD, plus the promo for the first Diamond Collection box set, the trailer to this film, and an audio commentary split between Monroe scholar Jack Allen in the middle and terrific insight by director Joseph Newman at the ends, and his moments are even more informative than the smart scholar’s information, which is also good.  Some of it is Marilyn 101, but that’s not bad anyhow.  Too bad the commentary is not totally non-stop, but this is a valuable disc for Monroe fans and film fans in general.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo