LIND77777-1 Reviews

Just This Once (1952)

Would-be screwball rom-com

[6/10 · 20 October 2023]

The writers of this movie were undoubtedly familiar with the countless screwball rom-coms of the 1930's and were aiming for a similar movie.

They were probably thinking it was a surefire hit, with those glittering stars, Peter Lawford and janet Leigh. But, sadly those delightful screwball days seem to long be over.

The old-time movies brought it in fast and delightful; they told the story in a little more than an hour, and everyone (especially the audience) went home happy.

The premise of "Just This Once" has the right stuff--spendthrift handsome playboy, self-made, highly principled lawyer, who is also beautiful, scraping by on a tiny salary, plus her long-time (but unexciting) fiance who shares all her upright values.

We pretty know much know that, despite everything, the two stars Lawford and Leigh will wind up together. That's how screwball comedy works, right?

But what a long, plodding trip it is! It takes 90 minutes to wind things up and not too many laughs along the way.

Could rewrite have improved this movie--or, sadly, is the screwball comedy dead and buried? We hope not--but the magic just isn't here, despite the star power.

Just My Luck (1957)

Strictly for Wisdom fans

[5/10 · 3 January 2022]

We are starved for British comedies of this era. We love movies with Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, of course Peter Sellers & Alec Guinness, and way up on our list, Margaret Rutherford.

Which brings us to why we watched this movie--she got second billing. Had never seen Norman Wisdom, but he's well-known, so why not give it a chance? Plus, we are big horse racing fans, & that's the main subject.

Sad to say, we were highly disappointed. No captioning for the film, so we struggled to understand some of Wisdom's Cockney dialogue.

A couple of the stock characters were mildly amusing: the battle-axe mother, also the battle-axe-in-training girlfriend.

Happy finally to see the wonderful Margaret Rutherford, but much too little & too late in the movie.

Mainly saw a succession of pratfalls and low comedy, very little Brit-wit.

The first & last time we'll watch Norman Wisdom--save him for the music halls.

The Alphabet Murders (1965)

Total travesty

[4/10 · 3 July 2020]

A misbegotten mess! A pathetic attempt to recapture the charm of the Miss Marple mysteries a few years earlier with Margaret Rutherford & Stringer Davis, as well as the general ethos of the era's unpretentious but delightful British comedies (such as "I'm All Right, Jack," "School for Scoundrels," and many more.)

First of all, the use of black-and-white in a 1965 big budget Hollywood movie is totally affected--made no artistic sense, unlike Woody Allen's effective choice in many movies.

The catchy musical accompaniment in "ABC Mysteries" is a direct copy of that in the Miss Marple movies--even the same composer, I think.

A number of user reviews cite the Clouseau movies as the source for Randall's character. Very true--but so inept and annoying in this movie.

Despite Randall's expertise as an actor, I'm sure he was embarrassed by this turkey. If you have any standards at all, skip this movie.

Lucky Partners (1940)

Zero chemistry

[6/10 · 8 April 2010]

Archetypal screwball comedy, but lacking vitality. One expects a lot of enjoyment from a movie starring Ginger Rogers, Ronald Colman, and Jack Carson, with a fine supporting cast, and a plot involving the Irish Sweepstakes. However, one doesn't get it. Partly it's the age difference-- Colman was 48, a stretch for the part he was playing, Rogers was 29 and in her prime. The movie's theme is "opposites attract" but it didn't work--instead, there was just a total lack of chemistry.

There was a lot of charm in the courtroom scenes, with the endearing Harry Davenport as judge.

However, overall the film was unbearably slow-paced. Too bad, It could have been a comedy delight.

Make Your Own Bed (1944)

Zany screwball comedy

[5/10 · 5 January 2010]

Exhibit A that the screwball comedy was still alive in 1944. Maybe not exactly well, but energetically kicking. Jack Carter's dynamism and Jane Wyman's comic versatility keep one involved in this fast-paced romp, even though the plot is nearly incoherent.

The framing device is a wealthy December-May couple, delightfully played by Alan Hale & Irene Manning, desperate to obtain household help for their country estate. Throw in Jack Carter as an incompetent & feckless would-be detective, stringing along his quizzical fiancée Jane Wyman.

Carter & Wyman's bumbling as butler and cook are hilarious, underscored by Manning as their ditzy boss.

A comical, but not exactly comical development involving Nazi spies--or are they?--gets hopelessly garbled. A strange plot device in 1944. Yet the charm of the principal actors makes for an entertaining time.

You Can't Run Away from It (1956)

June Allyson channels Donald O'Connor

[6/10 · 22 July 2008]

For fans of "It Happened One Night," it's fun to see how they remade it in the 50's, in Technicolor, and as a quasi-musical.

The young Jack Lemmon is a delight to see, and it would have been stupid to try to follow Clark Gable's act--no one could.

The oddball casting has June Allyson playing the Claudette Colbert role, but since June was producer/director Dick Powell's wife, it's comprehensible. June had a lot of appeal in many of her roles, but sexy she wasn't; she was more the girl next door, or the long-suffering, proper wife. Here, playing a post-debutante, June was, in real life, pushing 40. The supposedly sexy scenes had that sanitized 50's feel to them, and the chemistry between the two stars was minimal.

But June makes the movie in the scene where they sleep in a field, as she sings & dances to a scarecrow, with moves that would have done Donald O'Connor proud. Such energy & wit, paired with her funny, froggy voice, are a delight. Who knew she had all this talent hidden away?

There's a lot to enjoy, even though, like nearly all remakes, it falls a bit short.

Reckless (1935)

Strange mishmash

[5/10 · 3 July 2008]

This starts off as an innocuous pleasure. Harlow & Powell both sparkle, the musical numbers are enjoyable, and "Granny" is delightfully comic. Some of the other supporting players are also excellent, including a really young Rosalind Russell. You'll also see Mickey Rooney when he was just a kid actor--no shtick.

Was this movie written by a committee? Suddenly with a thud, or, you might say, a bang, the movies crashes into melodrama-land. I've never seen such a jarring shift, and totally unbelievable. You feel you've been totally had, and the slight compensations the movie offers are just not worth it. Don't just pass on this movie--boycott it.

Young at Heart (1954)

Sinatra smolders

[8/10 · 1 June 2008]

A plot reminiscent of the Bennett family in "Pride and Prejudice," with, of course, Doris Day taking the role of Elizabeth Bennett. Similar ineffectual dad. All the daughters (three, this time) looking for Mr. Right. Only Ethel Barrymore as the aged aunt doesn't fit--she apparently mistook this for the set of "Long Day's Journey Into Night"--why is she there?

But throw in a totally unlikely element--Frank Sinatra, and it works. Sinatra in his moody, intense prime, involved with--of all people--Doris Day. Does it get weirder than that? But Frank transfixes us with his soul, his magical voice and style, and we happily go along for the ride, and Doris' songs certainly aren't shabby, either.

High Pressure (1932)

All William Powell, all the time

[6/10 · 21 April 2008]

William Powell is at his peak in this madcap financial comedy. His high-voltage energy eclipses the other actors, although most are more than competent. From the brief synopsis I read, I was expecting more of a screwball comedy, centering on the relationship between Powell and Evelyn Brent. The movie turned out to be more of a hard-hitting satire, focussing on the deep economic troubles of 1932. How funny is it to hear references to "bank presidents committing suicide"? Evelyn Brent seems completely mismatched to Powell. Totally lacking charisma in this movie, she seems more like a depressed, real-life person than the incandescent beauty without whom Powell cannot perform his flimflam miracles. Great movie for Powell fans, but seems a bit too much of a history lesson, overall. Slightly risqué pre-Code touches are entertaining.

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Were the writers on strike for this production?

[6/10 · 19 March 2008]

I was very disappointed in this movie, although the acting seems competent.

Do the screenwriters have any concept of how to write a movie? They seem to have taken a mishmash of gimmicks and called it a movie.

Maybe their chief contribution is reversing the usual chick-flick formula, by having the man have the biggest role and be faced with the dilemma of choosing between several attractive mates. But the way the script is written just doesn't work.

The premise is downright confusing and implausible. How can appealing 11-year-old Maya not know the basics about her mother? Has the mom done a "Wakefield" (disappeared and taken on a new identity somewhere else)? No, Maya lives with her five days of the week.

The scriptwriters' approach seems to be to create a series of incidents involving the male lead and the various women, but they don't add up to much of anything. One of the women was the mother, but there is no compelling reason why any of them should be.

Then we finally learn who the mother is. They are in the midst of a divorce, but there is no plausible reason for it. She's a perfectly nice woman and he seems a ditto man.

Maya's reaction to seeing her dad soon afterward meet up with one of the other women is totally unbelievable; now, she's a matchmaker for her dad. A gagging ending.

Finally, the movie doesn't really measure up to TV movie standards. The male lead is handsome, and we're rooting for him, but his lack of expression becomes really boring. But the real blame belongs on the scriptwriters. For this they want an increase in pay? I'm giving it a six, but that feels a little generous.