Letty Lynton Blu-ray review
Jul 11, 2026- Permalink
Clarence Brown’s 1932 pre-Code drama, Letty Lynton, has long been considered a “lost film”. Starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and Nils Asther, the movie was tied up in a legal case involving the play Dishonored Lady. As the copyright to the play expired in 2025, Crawford’s grandson, Casey LaLonde, felt it was safe for the film to come back out and, spearheaded by Warner Archive Collection historian George Feltenstein, a 4K restoration was commissioned. The film sees Crawford as a wealthy socialite swept up in a tale of murder and blackmail involving an obsessive former lover. Warner Archive has now released Letty Lynton on Blu-ray and thanks to them and Allied Vaughn, I had a chance to look at it. The WB likes disclaimers, so here goes: Though Warner Brothers provided me with a copy of this release to review, the thoughts and opinions below are mine.
The 1080p AVC encoded digital transfer is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The restoration was done from the best available preservation elements, and like most Warner Archive restorations, it looks great. Most scenes exhibit great sharpness and detail, with softness only raising its head occasionally. There’s a fine film grain and print flaws are mostly absent. Black levels are nice and deep.
On the audio side of things, there’s an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono soundtrack. Subtitles are available for English SDH. Again, kudos to the restoration team. Except for some occasional hiss, this 90-year-old film sounds great.
The Letty Lynton Blu-ray does not come with a digital code. The star of the extras is “Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood”, a 74 minute documentary on the prolific producer. We also get five radio productions starring Crawford and others. A serving of vintage audio.
As mentioned, Letty Lynton has been in legal limbo for decades and now film lovers have a chance to see it again. Warner Archive has done a great job restoring it. Recommended.