1941 became the first and only year screen legends James Stewart and Hedy Lamarr worked in the same film. Along with Ziegfeld Girl, the two starred in Come Live With Me.

Austrian Johnny Jones (Lamarr) lives in the US without legal permission. She would love to wed her wealthy publisher boyfriend Barton Kendrick (Ian Hunter) but he remains married to his wife Diana (Verree Teasdale).

When she meets struggling writer Bill Smith (Stewart), she proposes they enter into a union of convenience so she can remain in the US. Inevitably, complications – and romance - arise.

I don’t know what the first movie about marriages formed solely to give one part of the pair citizenship. However, it exists as a small but persistent genre.

And one that tends to feel predictable. Almost inevitably, the strangers who marry for practical reasons end up in love with each other.

Well-trodden as Live’s plot may seem, that doesn’t mean it can’t work, of course. Though it might follow a predictable arc, the film still comes with room to amuse and entertain.

Alas, Live falls short of those goals. While not devoid of pleasures, the end product seems spotty.

One surprising weakness comes from the connection between Stewart and Lamarr, as they show little chemistry. Indeed, they can seem like they exist in different movies, mainly because Lamarr feels miscast.

While obviously beautiful, Lamarr displays little ability to pull off the role’s comedic parts. She and Stewart don’t provide a good link and that makes it more difficult to invest in their joint affairs.

In addition, Live makes their relationship completely unmotivated. As depicted here, they see each other sporadically just so she can give him payment for his services.

However, Live speeds through this part of the film and doesn’t show us what creates Bill’s infatuation with Johnny. We barely see them get to know each other so his romantic feelings pop up out of nowhere.

Oddly, Live adds a scene of deepening feelings during its final act in which Bill takes Johnny to visit his grandmother (Adeline De Walt Reynolds). This exists as a completely contrived way to prompt Johnny to finally warm up to Bill, as Granny’s homespun wisdom somehow makes Johnny suddenly realize she loves this guy she barely knows.

All of this feels like “cart before the horse” territory. Live comes up with a concept and an ending that it then shoehorns a plot into along the way.

Live occasionally shows some sparks, especially during a scene in which Bill and Barton face off in a comedic manner. Unfortunately, even at a mere 87 minutes, the movie becomes too thin and unconvincing to work.

Come Live With Me appears in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The Warner Archive imprint essentially guarantees quality, and Dinner lives up to that reputation.

Sharpness looked solid. Hardly a sliver of softness materialized across this accurate presentation.

No jagged edges or shimmering occurred, and I saw no edge haloes. The movie boasted a nice layer of grain and print flaws failed to mar the image.

Blacks seemed dark and rich, while contrast appeared appealing and shadows came across as smooth and concise. Live offered another fine image from Warner Archive.

While not in the same league as the picture, the DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack of Live also worked well. Speech seemed reasonably accurate and distinct, with no issues related to intelligibility or edginess.

Music came across as fairly bright and lively, though dynamic range seemed limited given the restrictions of the source. Effects were similarly modest but they showed good clarity and accuracy within the confines of 85-year-old stems. This was a more than adequate auditory presentation for an older movie.

In addition to the movie’s trailer, we locate three vintage shorts. The disc includes America, Preferred (7:33), From the Four Corners (15:40) and Officer Pooch (8:12).

With Preferred, we get a reel created by the US Treasury Department to promote the sale of bonds used to bolster various governmental efforts, with some emphasis on the military. Released in spring 1941, it predates US involvement in WWII but it seems clear that exists to crank up preparations for that conflict.

Preferred lacks much actual entertainment value. Nonetheless, it offers an intriguing glimpse at the US in a particular time period.

Also related to WWII, Corners features actor Leslie Howard as he encounters soldiers from various Commonwealth armies and discusses the reasons they fight. More propaganda, this one comes offers a more enjoyable narrative than Preferred and also offers another nice view of the state of the world in the early 1940s.

Finally, Pooch provides a cartoon in which a somewhat buffoonish canine policeman helps with a cat in a tree. Just as the Disney universe featured humanoid dog Goofy and traditional housepet Pluto, Pooch brings a confusing world where the furry cop co-exists with regular dogs.

It makes not a lick of sense, but hey – it’s a cartoon. And a fairly forgettable one at that, as Pooch seems cute and not much more.

With two Hollywood legends involved, I hoped to find a light and engaging rom-com from Come Live With Me. Unfortunately, the leads lack chemistry and the movie fails to bring much warmth or charm. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals, appropriate audio and some vintage shorts. Despite the talent we find, the movie goes not much of anywhere.