Blu-ray Review: Thanks for the Memory (1938)

Comedy Legend Bob Hope is known for his entertaining the troops throughout his career his amazing quick wit and theme song. He would always conclude with Thanks for the Memories. Well in 1938 Bob Hope was joined by Shirley Ross and Eddie Anderson for an comedy adventure entitled "Thanks for the Memory".

Kino Lorber under the division KL Studio Classics have been releasing many great Bob Hope Classics here lately. We are talking about; Where There's Life, Monsieur Beaucaire, Alias Jesse James, Fancy Pants, My Favorite Blonde, Caught in the Draft, Nothing but the Truth, and Sorrowful Jones. Now entering into an already deep catalogue comes Thanks for the Memory.

Newlywed novelist Steve Merrick (Bob Hope, The Cat and the Canary) has his hands full trying to finish his first masterpiece in the delightful romantic classic, Thanks for the Memory. While Steve’s beautiful bride Anne (Shirley Ross, The Big Broadcast of 1937) dreams of a better life for them, their eclectic group of friends drop in and out as they please, keeping Steve up and away from his typewriter. Meanwhile, a beautiful Southern Belle from next door (Patricia Wilder, Little Miss Broadway) keeps meddling into their blissful lives. When Anne resumes her modeling career to allow Steve some freedom, housekeeping gets the best of him, causing a muddled mess of epic proportions. 

In just his third film (The first two being The Big Broadcast of 1938 and College Swing) Bob Hope show himself to be comedy gold. The chemistry between Bob Hope and Shirley Ross is just great. The supporting cast is great and the standout here is no doubt the extremely funny Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. The films pacing is a brisk one leading to a fun film that runs 75 minutes but feels less than that.   

Kino Lorber has transferred this classic comedy to Blu-ray in 1080p in it's original full screen format 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. Finally there is the option for English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Now while this new transfer does not feature a 2k or 4k scan, the picture quality is quite good. The picture is crisp and clean and the audio is clear. The black and white film is simply stunning! There is no signs of damage. Pretty impressive for a film that is 85 years old. But a nice transfer is not all that is included here. Kino Lorber added some nice bonus features! Take a look at what is included. 

• Audio Commentary: A newly recorded commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Michael Schlesinger

• Bob Hope Movie Trailers: Thanks for the Memory, Never Say Die, The Cat and the Canary, Road to Singapore, The Ghost Breakers, Road to Zanzibar, Caught in the Draft, Nothing but the Truth, My Favorite Blonde, Road to Morocco, Road to Utopia, Where There’s Life, The Paleface, Sorrowful Jones, Fancy Pants, Alias Jesse James and finally a 4 minute Kino Lorber Studio Classics Bob Hope Promo 

When I look at this film in comparison to my DVD release of this film, this is no doubt a superior copy. For fans of Bob Hope this Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray release of Thanks for the Memory is going to be an upgrade you will want to make. 

So if you love Bob Hope films as much as me, you need this Thanks for the Memory Blu-ray in your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today. 

Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of Thanks For The Memory receives...