NOTE: This 4K release is currently only available as part of Sony’s Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4. Since each film comes packaged in its own 4K keepcase, we will first review each film separately, followed by an overall review of the collection and its deluxe packaging.
The groundbreaking 1967 film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner arrives on 4K UHD for the first time as part of Sony’s Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4.
Just 10 days ago, 23-year-old Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) met 37-year-old Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) in Hawaii, and the two have been inseparable ever since. In fact, Joey knew that she was in love just 20 minutes after meeting John. The couple plans to get married in a week, and Joey is eager for John to meet her parents first, so they decide to surprise them with a visit. However, the engagement isn’t the biggest shocker of their relationship…it’s that John is Black. Joey’s parents are quite liberal people—her father Matt (Spencer Tracy) owns The Guardian newspaper, and her mother Christina (Katharine Hepburn) runs an art gallery—and so she ensures John that they won’t have any issues with their interracial relationship, but John isn’t so sure. In fact, he hasn’t even told his own parents yet.
The Draytons are quite surprised by the news—it’s clear from their faces, but they bite their lips and initially hold off saying anything. In private, John tells Matt that he will only go through with the wedding if he has his blessing. However, Matt only has a few hours to make his decision, before the couple heads off to get married in Geneva, where John will be doing a 3-month stint with the World Health Organization. Matt feels ambushed and pressured to accept this union. He loves his daughter and wants her to be happy, but he is worried about the hardships she and her future children would face as part of an interracial couple. And to make the situation even more complicated, John’s parents (Beah Richards, Roy E. Glenn Sr.), are also on their way over for dinner, and they are about to be surprised with the news as well.
It’s a little embarrassing to say that I had never actually watched Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner until now—though I had seen the 2005 remake, Guess Who. The idea of interracial couples is nowhere near the issue it was when this film was made over 55 years ago. In 1967, this was a very touchy subject. It was just after the Civil Rights Act was passed, and before the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. The idea of a mainstream movie covering such a controversial subject was a risky proposition for the studio, especially as it includes a scene depicting John and Joey kissing in the back of a cab. It shows how much times have changed—I found the 14 year age gap between the couple more surprising than their skin colors.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner does an excellent job of tackling and not shying away from the controversial subject matter of the day. It shows the reactions towards this union from many different points of view. The film is very dialogue-driven, with much of the film taking place in just a couple different rooms of the Drayton home, almost playing out like a stage play. But the dialogue is quite well written and thought-provoking. While this could have been very heavy subject matter, the filmmakers do an excellent job of weaving in a lot of humor to make the topic more approachable.
While the mothers of the couple both just want their children to be happy, the fathers are the ones who initially take issue. Early on, John has his secretary look into John, and discovers that he is an amazing, caring, and accomplished man that any father would love to marry their daughter. However, Matt, is more concerned about the safety of his daughter, and how the rest of the world may react, giving her a hard life. We also see the negative reactions from others, such as the white cab driver when he sees John and Joey kissing, or Christine’s white friend/gallery partner Hilary (Virginia Christine), who makes some snide comments when learns of the couple. However, the film shows that these types of unions can be frowned upon from both sides. The Drayton’s longtime Black housekeeper Tillie (Isabell Sanford) expresses her unfiltered disapproval to John, as does John’s father, who is very adamantly against the union. The only one who seems overjoyed by the prospect is Matt’s Catholic priest friend/golf partner Monsignor Ryan (Cecil Kellaway).
The cast is great, especially Sidney Poitier, who gives a strong performance of this man in love, but torn between two worlds. He knows that his parents aren’t going to take the news well, and wants to write to them instead of telling them face-to-face, but soon finds himself having to confront them head-on. Katharine Houghton, who’s the niece of Katharine Hepburn, shines in her first film role, as the ever-upbeat Joey, who doesn’t see the negativity in the world. Katharine Hepburn helps to bring the emotion to the film—there are so many scenes where you can see the tears welling up in Christina’s eyes. She also has amazing on-screen chemistry with Spencer Tracy. But the film’s biggest emotional moment comes from Tracy (in his final film role), who delivers the film’s final, gut-punching speech.
Sony’s 4K release includes both a 4K and a Blu-ray disc, and the new 4K presentation features Dolby Vision. During the opening titles, the picture looks a bit hazy, but after this, things look stellar, offering a clean picture with an excellent level of detail—especially in faces—with a pleasant and natural-looking amount of film grain. I can’t imagine the film looking any better—it certainly doesn’t look over 55 years old. The disc also offers a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, but since this is more a a dialogue-driven film, there isn’t a huge call for surround sound. I found this most noticeable in the opening moments of the film as John and Joey’s plane lands at the airport. However, dialogue is clear throughout, the score and the constantly-playing “The Glory of Love” by Frank De Vol sound great, and there’s a nice general ambiance inside the Drayton home.
The 4K and Blu-ray discs come packed on either side of a standard 4K Keepcase. An insert provides instructions for redeeming a 4K Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. There was no bonus material created for this 4K release, but the majority of features from the previous Twilight Time Blu-ray release have been carried over. The audio commentary and teaser trailer can be found on the 4K disc, while the remaining trailer, and archival/retrospective featurettes can be found on the Blu-ray disc.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:48:08)
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4K UHD:
- 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Dolby Vision / HDR10
- English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono Dolby Digital, German Mono Dolby Digital, Italian Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish (Castilian) Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin American) Mono Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swedish, Thai, Turkish
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 3.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono, Spanish Mono
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray:
Extras:
No new material has been created for this release—all of this previously appeared on the Twilight Time’s 2015 Blu-ray release. Missing from that release is an Isolated Score track.
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4k UHD:
- Commentary with Film Historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer and Paul Scrabo (1:48:08)
Lee Pfeiffer (editor in chief of Cinema Retro magazine), video engineer Paul Scrabo, and writer/historian/film professor Eddy Friedfeld discuss the film, its dialogue, the partnership between director Stanley Kramer and writer William Rose and how their stories unfold in a single day, and more. The participants provide an entertaining and informative commentary, sharing lots of factoids and thoughts about the film and the production. - Theatrical Teaser (1:04)
- Introductions (9:39)
To celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary, various celebs offer their own thoughts on Stanley Kramer and his commitment towards social change. Play All, or select from:- Introduction by Steven Spielberg (1:08)
- A Message from Quincy Jones (2:53)
- Introduction to the Film by Karen Kramer (2:50)
- Introduction by Tom Brokaw (2:47)
- A Love Story of Today (29:53)
Originally produced in 2004, this featurette is a discussion about the themes of the movie, how it came about, the cast, the challenges of making the controversial film, and more. Includes interviews with Stanley Kramer (archival), Karen Kramer, filmmakers Norman Jewison & Garry Marshall, Sidney Poitier’s agent Martin Baum, actress Katherine Houghton (“Joey Drayton”), editor Robert Jones, script supervisor Marshall Schlom, film critic Joe Morgenstern (The Wall Street Journal), author/educator Salome Thomas-El, actor Louis Gossett Jr., and actor Will Mead aka Skip Martin (“Delivery Boy”). - A Special Kind of Love (17:15)
In this continuation of the previous featurette, the participants talk about working with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey, Tracey’s health issues, the lasting effects of the movie, and more. Includes interviews with Stanley Kramer (archival), Katherine Hepburn (archival audio), Karen Kramer, stars Katherine Houghton (who does a fun impression of her aunt) & Will Mead, editor Robert Jones, script supervisor Marshall Schlom, author/educator Salome Thomas-El, and film critic Joe Morgenstern. - Stanley Kramer: A Man’s Search for Truth (16:56)
Originally produced in 2004, a look at the life and career of Stanley Kramer and his constant search for answers, conveying messages, and tackling huge topics. Includes interviews with Stanley Kramer (archival), Karen Kramer, filmmakers Norman Jewison, Dennis Hopper, Gary Marshall & Taylor Hackfield, actors Dick Van Dyke, Beau Bridges, Alec Baldwin & Louis Gossett Jr., and script supervisor Marshall Schlom. - Stanley Kramer Accepts the Irving Thalberg Award (2:03)
- 2007 Producers Guild “Stanley Kramer” Award Presentation to Al Gore (4:38)
Karen Kramer provides and introduction to Al Gore accepting the award for An Inconvenient Truth. - Photo Gallery (4:10)
Production photo slideshow auto advances every 5 seconds. - Theatrical Trailer (2:37)
Blu-ray:
Final Thoughts:
While the themes of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner may not be quite as topical as they were when the film first came out in 1967 (which is a good thing), the film is still a captivating and interesting exploration into the topic of interracial marriages, which were still illegal in 16 states at the time. The performances are great, and the script is well written, finding a nice blend of drama and humor, as well as some emotional punches. Sony’s new 4K presentation also looks fantastic. While there is no new bonus material on this release, most of the previously-available material has been carried over.
Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 (His Girl Friday/Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner/Kramer vs. Kramer/Starman/Sleepless in Seattle/Punch-Drunk Love) (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) [4K UHD]
46% Off $215.99 $116.00 (as of November 5, 2024 16:39 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
$12.99 (as of November 5, 2024 16:39 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
