Based on the Hans Fallada novel under the same title, Little Man, What Now? is a pre-code film from 1934 about a couple that is financially struggling, with a baby on the way! Directed by Frank Borzage (Bad Girl, A Farewell to Arms, Desire) the film has a mixture of themes including love, hardship, and politics.
Taking place in Germany during the 1930’s Emm “Lammchen” Pinneberg (Margaret Sullavan, Next Time We Love, The Shop Around the Corner) is married to Hans Pinneberg (Douglass Montgomery, The Mystery of Edwin Drood) but they must keep it a secret so he can keep his job. Hans’ boss Emil Kleinholz (DeWitt Jennings) doesn’t like to employ married men although he would be happy if Hans would marry his daughter. But Hans cannot wed his daughter as he’s already attached and loses his job. He desperately looks for work which isn’t easy to find, especially with the rise of the Nazis!
Little Man, What Now? is a moving picture as the married couple continue to struggle with financial hardship throughout the storyline, with Hans needing to find a job to support his wife and child, with hardly any opportunities. The brilliant cinematography is by Norbert F. Brodin who captures a lot of panoramic shots. The film has an excellent veteran cast that includes Allen Hale (Adventures of Don Juan, Imitation of Life), Fred Kohler (Old Ironsides, Frisco Kid), Christian Rub (Dangerously They Live, You Can’t Take It with You) and Alan Mowbray (Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, The Man Who Knew Too Much). They all hand in superb, professional performances.
Released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber and given a new 2K Master, Little Man, What Now? looks as good as ever! Overall, this has a clean, sharp image. Blacks are deep with clear whites to go with grays to balance everything out. Contrast is strong with lots of detail to the characters and scenery. Grain is present throughout, giving the movie a film like appearance. There are, however, some speckles and some vertical lines that occasionally pop-up but otherwise the picture quality for Little Man, What Now? is a great viewing experience!
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack has clear and easy to follow dialogue without any blemishes. The background noises and music are perfectly balanced with the dialogue without any age-old anomalies such as popping and hissing. English subtitles are available for this release.
Extras include a commentary track by Director Allan Arkush and film historian/filmmaker Daniel Kremer who take a closer look at the film, its cast and crew members.
Trailers for other Kino Lorber catalog titles is the other extra. They include The Good Fairy, Back Street, The Cat and the Canary, Desire, The Gilded Lily, Peter Ibbetson, and Love Before Breakfast.
Little Man, What Now?
Director- Frank Borzage
Cast- Margaret Sullavan, Douglas Montgomery
Country of Origin- USA
Distributor – Kino Lorber
Number of Discs – 1
Reviewed by – David Steigman
Date –8/15/22