Reviews (10)

Shirley Temple's First, and Best
Most of Shirley Temple's films are so corny, you wonder how one release kept leading to yet another. "Little Miss Marker", which was remade many times over the years, is the easy answer. It was Shirley's first movie and, yes, she's an orphan from the very start. But thanks to Damon Runyan, a wonderful cast led by Adolph Menjou, and a very original story line (again, thank you Mr. Runyan), the start of the Shirley Temple series is a comical, off-beat delight that surpasses the distilled maple syrup of her later efforts, enjoyable though they may be. Only in the early thirties would you find such a movie as this, and in no other film does the neat and dapper Adolph Menjou play such an unrepentant, but soft-hearted, slob (seeing this alone is worth the price of the movie). It would be great if Hollywood had not lost the knack for making films like this. If you don't like Shirley Temple that much, but you'd like to know what all the noise was about, you'll like this one.

VINTAGE TEMPLE
While making this film, Adolphe Menjou remarked about Shirley: "She's Ethel Barrymore at six! This heartwarming story stars Temple as the title character, who is left with bookie Sorrowful Jones (Menjou) as the IOU for a gambling debt. When her father doesn't return, it's up to Jones and his racetrack cronies to make a home for the wee tyke. The Damon Runyon story is cute and clever with the actors even portraying characters out of King Arthur to pacify Shirley; children from the ages of 5-105 will be tempted to watch these expertly COLORIZED Temple films which are still appealing to all who are young at heart! The now - forgotten Dorothy Dell had in this her best role; she had a promising future in the movies until she tragically met her death via a car accident later in the year.

Too Cute !!!!
This is a great movie for all Shirley Temple fans . Shirley plays a curly topped orphan who starts out as a sweet little girl who loves fairies and King Arthur and turns into a little mug and says things like "lay off me" and "that would be somethin'." The only thing that would keep you from buying this movie is Shirley does not tap dance or do much singing in the movie. The only song she does is " Son of a Gun." Still she is very cute in this movie and it shows one of her earlier roles.

Poor Little Rich Girl
This movie is the type of movie that children should be watching today. It had some educational back ground in it. Where Shirley was presued by a man and wanting her to go with him to buy candy. If the parents are watching this movie with the children they can point out what was wrong when she started to go with him. Other than that the movie was fun to watch and a delight to see a movie without swearing. As in all of her movies she can light up your day and at the same time make you cry.

Shirley Shines
What a fun movie!!! Shirley plays a precocious little girl who wins the hearts of a bunch of gamblers. You laugh and you cry. It is heartwarming and fun! She wins your heart from the beginning! I just LOVE this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Robert Montgomery with a Bronx accent!
Robert Montgomery made an effective transition from debonair 30's leading man to 40's tough guy, but it took me a little while to get used to and I laughed a little at first at what sounded like an East Side Kids bronx honk imitation! Great plot and acting in a story about likable and feisty prizefighter Joe Pendelton, who is destined to die in fifty years, but is accidentally "snatched up" by an inexperienced and tart-tongued angel, played by Edward Everett Horton, with the always wonderful Claude Rains as Mr. Jordan, head honcho of the otherworld. Unfortunately Joe's body has been cremated by the time they locate it to put his spirit back in, and the three look long and hard to find a new body that will satisfy Joe's picky requirements. He reluctantly agrees to be temporarily placed in the body of just-departed Bruce Farnsworth, a wealthy and ruthless playboy recently killed by his wife and her lover, to help Bette Logan (played by a luminous Evelyn Keyes) get her unjustly jailed father out of prison, a man Farnsworth used as a fall guy. But Joe falls deeply in love with the grateful Bette, a problem since the dastardly duo who offed Farnsworth the first time are still around and plotting again to kill the man they naturally believe is still him. There is a tender poignancy in Joe's making the most of the time left in his temporary body before the inevitable happens, by attempting to prepare an understandably confused and concerned Bette about his impending death and "return" as somebody else. He tells her this in vague "supposing if" terms and not the truth because she naturally wouldn't believe it--who could? Well, his inevitable demise does come at the hands of the terrible two and he is transferred to the body of a principled prizefighter named Ralph Murdoch, just-killed in the ring during a crooked match and a would-be opponent if Joe hadn't "died." Mr. Jordan, knowing Joe has found his rightful "place", erases all Joe's knowledge of who he once was so he can be his own person without any of the confusion, memory and baggage of his past life. In a stunningly touching ending, by chance (or is it really?) Joe/Ralph encounters Bette and there is an instant mystical recognition and chemistry which they both experience--then Bette recalls what she thought was Farnsworth's bewildering ramblings at the time, and realizes he has "returned" to her. An excellent movie with just about everything in it to please anyone--humor, the supernatural, romance, poignancy, murder, boxing, and fascinating and compelling matters of predestination and fate, "reincarnation," our spirits/souls transcending physical cloakings, and how love never truly dies.

Still "In the Pink" Sixty Years On
It is a shame that this delightful comedy isn't better known today. Part of the reason might lie in the fact that the film's star Robert Montgomery (father of Elizabeth Montgomery of BEWITCHED), after a stint in the military in WW II, did very little acting following the war. Therefore, he doesn't have many later films to draw attention to his career as a whole. Also, after the war he because deeply involved in political matters, and was one of Hollywood's more avid Communist hunters. For whatever reason, the film does not today have the reputation it deserves.

There have been two remakes of this film, so some explanation is in order. HERE COMES MR. JORDAN was a film version of a play by Harry Segal titled HEAVEN CAN WAIT. There was a 1944 film by Ernst Lubitsch called HEAVEN CAN WAIT starring Don Ameche, but that movie had nothing in common with HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (apart from being an equally superb comedy). In 1978, Warren Beatty wanted to remake HERE COMES MR. JORDAN using the original play's title with Muhammad Ali in the lead role, but Ali's schedule made this impossible, so he cast himself in the lead and transformed the central character into a football quarterback. Not as good as the original film, this actually wasn't a bad movie at all. In 2001, the film was remade again as DOWN TO EARTH, starring Chris Rock. I often love Chris Rock, but this film is not merely one of the low points of his career: it is a miserable film on every level, with the dreadful decision to make our hero a comic rather than an athlete.

Because of the remakes, the plot is familiar: Joe Pendleton, a boxer with a penchant for playing the saxophone and a shot at the title, is accidentally taken to heaven fifty years too early by an overzealous angel who wrongly assumes that he is about to die. The angel, Messenger 7013 (played marvelously by the inimitable Edward Everett Horton), brings Joe to his supervisor, Mr. Jordan (played magnificently by the ultra-suave and civilized Claude Rains). It is decided to provide Joe with a new body, where upon he tries in his new millionaire's body to get back into shape ("in the pink") in order to get a new shot at the championship. The only trouble is that the millionaire's wife and lover want to kill him so they can get his money and each other. Rounding out a great cast is Evelyn Keyes as the girlfriend of Joe (and the love interest of his subsequent incarnations) and James Gleason, Joe's trainer, who nearly steals ever scene he is in. The scene where Joe, in his new body, hires Gleason and then tries to convince him of his real identity, is just hysterical.

More people need to see this film. It remains one of the finer comedies made immediately before the onset of WW II, and is vastly better than the two films based upon it. It deserves far more attention than it has, in recent years, received.

That's Entertainment
I saw this movie years ago at a theatre that specialized in movie classics of the past. I assumed, then, that I was going to see a good movie but I wasn't aware just how good this movie was and is. It fits into the category of comedy but there's a lot of other things going on throughout the film. The basic plot can be summed up easily if you've seen "Heaven Can Wait" with Warren Beatty. Instead of the main character being a quarterback, Robert Montgomery is a boxer. If you didn't see Beatty's remake, then let me tell you that an up and coming boxer is flying his own plane when it suddenly veers out of control. An impatient angel assumes the fatal crash and calls the boxer home to Heaven. The irate boxer explains that he was just coming out of the spin when the angel interupts him. The discussion drags on but the head angel, Mr. Jordan, agrees that the boxer is owed another chance at life and so the next step is to find him a new body (his other one was prematurely cremated). Well, there are a lot of hijinks, intrigues and romance along the way; all of it very enjoyable to watch. You might get as confused as the boxer's manager who is always at least two steps behind the plot. However, each twist and turn leads to an eventual happy ending. The acting is very good but it is the script that is the star of this show. Some younger friends of mine (who saw the movie with me recently) thought the romantic end was too hard to take (true love in two minutes). On the other hand, once you've accepted the beginning of the movie, anything else is fair game. Everyone should see this movie at least once; even if they've seen the lesser remake "Heaven Can Wait". It's a reminder that the great movies of the past are still great today (assuming you are able to temporarily discard your cinicism).

HERE COMES A CLASSIC COMEDY
Stories which carry an audience to other worlds or realms of experience are enthusiastically received regardless of trends, fads, or the prevailing national mood. HERE COMES MR. JORDAN is a variation of the usual simple motif of a benevolent angel being sent on a mission to earth. The film begins its rather complicated and enjoyable tale by turning the tables and having a human being journey to heaven to rectify an angelic error. This delightful 1941 film is delightfully refreshing, but its real strength lies in the performance of Robert Montgomery. His sustaining sense of awe concerning all that is happening never falters nor becomes overdone, and he never allows the audience to entertain the idea that the film is a fantasy. Claude Rains performance as Mr. Jordan is immaculate, and Edward Everett Horton makes one hope that none of his descendents are still in the heavenly messenger business! Strangely enough, as clever and quick as the male actors' dialogue is, the dialogue is proportiately bland and unimaginitive for the women. James Gleason as feisty Max Corkle comes close to scene stealing, and all the male characters have solid well-written roles.

Hard Not To Like
Sorry, cineastes, but this review will not include terms like 'auteur', 'mise en scene' or 'decontextualized'. They wouldn't fit anyway: HERE COMES MR JORDAN's tale of a goodnatured boxer killed 'before his time' and hastily compensated with another body by heavenly emissaries, is too airy a souffle to hold up under such heavy analysis. It's pure moonshine, a near-perfect example of the kind of breezy, warm-hearted entertainment that the Hollywood studio system (here at its apex) produced on its best days. There isn't a facet of JORDAN that's not wholly artificial; plot, characters, sets - all of them are imported direct from Never-Neverland. Call it DEATH MAKES A LEFT TURN ON A RED LIGHT. Star Robert Montgomery continues to be unfairly forgotten. An actor at ease before a camera regardless of genre, he does fine work here in a role that's trickier than it seems, and is ably abetted by the always-watchable pair of Claude Rains and James Gleason. The mix of fantasy, comedy and sentiment could never gel this beautifully had a more harshly realistic tone been adopted. (For proof, see the leadfooted Beatty remake - its aloof, smirky hipness is far more archaic now than the simple timelessness of JORDAN's unashamed tall corn, still standing 60 years on.) Not that HEAVEN CAN WAIT is the only remake, official or otherwise; JORDAN's basic premise has been worked harder than a pack mule by now, but every new variation is a progressive diminution from the original. But that's what happens when you try to bottle moonshine by design, instead of catching it by chance. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

a very good movie
Mario Lanza is really good in this musical. It's entertaining and has lovely osngs like, "Because yOur Mine," and "The Lord's Prayer," beautifully. I think this film is neat and creative a good storyline as all of Mario's films have. Doretta Morrow is perfect a shis girlfriend, very attractive and lovely. It's well worth seeing and a must for any Mario lanza fan.

lanza was right
beacuse your mine is lousy the scipt is terrible and what lanza had to go through could be called touture not even the title song is perfict his performance of the song angels sing is much better

Because You're Mine Tape!!
I was more than pleased with this seller.. The
packaging was unbelievable.. I love the tape and it was
in very good condition.. Fondly,

Great Score
"Because You're mine" is packed full of fabulous music and although the story line is pure fantasy the movie as a whole is enjoyable and worth watching over and over just to hear the music. Lanza's "The Lords Prayer" was the best ever. To bad they don't make movies like this anymore. A real winner.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge

Pleasant enough, though not Mario's best
Because You're Mine was Mario Lanza's fourth movie, and was much criticised on its release as artistically a step backwards for the celebrated tenor. Certainly, coming straight after The Great Caruso it suffers badly in comparison with that considerable achievement, but is Because You're Mine really THAT bad?

Actually, this is a fun movie. It lacks the polish of That Midnight Kiss and the sheer high spirits of Toast of New Orleans, but vocally at least this film has more going for it than either of those two movies. Highlights include a definitive Granada (in a key one and a half tones higher than the Three Tenors have ever dared to attempt!), a moving Lord's Prayer and several pleasing operatic and popular selections. My only regret is that All the Things You Are was inexplicably cut from the movie. (You can hear it, however, on the Lanza at MGM soundtrack CD.)

The film also boasts a fine co-star in James Whitmore, who provides much of the movie's comic relief, and a pleasant leading lady in Doretta Morrow of the Broadway Kismet fame. She's no great shakes as a singer, but then - unlike Kathryn Grayson in the earlier movies - she isn't meant to be.

Lanza hated making this movie, and did his best to sabotage it, gaining a huge amount of weight in the vain hope that this would discourage the producers from going ahead with it. As a result, Lanza's weight varies from 240 pounds to 159 pounds (often in successive scenes), a distracting but intriguing sight.

But none of this need detract from your enjoyment of a pleasant movie that includes some agreeable singing from the finest tenor of his generation. And you can always watch Serenade (Lanza's next movie) straight after it for a reminder of what this man could do with a much meatier tale. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Forever Darling Review by Nicky
It was a good movie. Starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. I can't believe The Long, long Trailer and Forever Darling are in color really well, I'd think it's more recent than it is.

James Mason is a funny character as well as a guy who teaches Susan (Lucy). Lorenzo or Larry (Desi) cannot se the gaurdian angel, neither can Susan's father.

The couple gets into a fight one day, and then James Mason gives advice to Susan. And they go on a trip together to test out some product. They still sometimes get into fights, but in the end, as always, all is good.

A funny, touching movie with lots of fun and some laughs.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz star in this great, all Lucy movie. Lucy and Desi play a married couple who think their marriage is in a rut. But Lucy's gaurdian angel (James Mason) shows up and after lots of trying, their marriage is saved. The movie is a little long, and gets a little bit boring towards the end, but I would say this is a must see, must have. I't a true Lucille Ball classic, something to treasure and enjoy watching.

it's alright
This movie is alright, not one of their funniest. If you want this as part of a collection, then buy it. However, if you want this to see this for some laughter, it's just alright.

Forever Darling-forever wonderful!!
In the year 1954, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz made a wonderful movie: The Long, Long Trailer. And they decided to do it again in 1956 when they made this other wonderful show: Forever Darling. Most people say they like this one better but I recommend both greatly.

Susan (Lucille Ball) and Larry (Desi Arnaz) Vega get married. Seven years later, they start to go their own way. They go a while this way-wanting their own way, having things done without the other....But Susan starts to relize what is happening with the help of her gardian angel (James Mason) she is able to change all of this. At first she thinks that she is just seeing things, but the doctor asures her everything is okay. But she does really see one.He tells her that if she does not change the way that she and her husband are going, they will start to have some problems. So Susan starts to do something about it.

My favorite part is when Susan and Larry are about to go to bed and they fight; I think Lucille Ball is the funniest in that scene.I truely do recommend this movie to everyone. I know you will like it. You cannot watch tis movie once. It is just simply to great to miss.

This movie is GREAT!
This movie is great and any die hard lucy fan like me would love it. This movie is filled with laughs, emotion, and love. I have talked to many people who have seen this movie and they all love it! I give it 5 stars on this site and 100 stars for any other. I promise you that if you watch this movie you will absoulutly love it because i did and i love Lucy and Desi both.
From this DIEHARD LUCY FAN! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bob Hope at his best!
Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print
The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer
Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Hayworth glows, movie blows
Oh, to ponder what better vehicles Columbia Studios could have come up with for their reigning love goddess. Here we have a dazzling Rita thrown into a horribly written and directed musical. The dance numbers are poorly staged and the songs are bottom of the barrel swill. The final number "People Have More Fun Than Anyone" is possibly the worst song I've ever heard- both lyrically and musically. Sounds harsh but it's true. There's not one dance that really utilizes Hayworth's unique strengths as a dancer(a shame since her character is the Goddess of dance) There's hardly any opportunity for her to strut her natural stuff. Sure, there are moments, like in the beginning when she comes "Down to Earth" and dances her way into rehearsal wowing producer Parks and company. I just wish she wasn't wearing that ugly green dress. It would've been nice if she wore casual shorts and a form-fitting blouse like the other girls. The two men that accompany Rita look like hobbits. Who are these guys? How did they get passed casting? There is another scene later on where she's surrounded by gladiator-clad men and does a few "Gilda" type moves - sensually playing with her hair and looking ravishing. The Technicolor on this newest DVD release looks great. You'd never know this film was made 57 years ago. In a nutshell, I put on my headphones and listen to my favorite CD's(30's jazz), turn the volume off this movie and watch Rita dance in slow motion - in the process, elevating certain moments of the flickering Hayworth to high art. Without question, the most exciting bonus feature is the trailer for "You Were Never Lovlier". We actually get to witness several seconds of a dance to the title tune by Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth that was cut from the film. Some moronic studio head said 'it held up the story'. It begs the question, does this number exist in it's entirety in some film vault waiting to be uncovered? I've been reading about it for years-but so little is known or ever mentioned. All I can say is...Wow! Fred and Rita sparkle in beautiful black & white and display a series of voluptuous turns and sensual dips. Cinematically classic. Also shown, a quick couple of seconds from the "Shorty George" number not seen in the movie. What an unexpected and delightful treat.

UP IN THE CLOUDS OVER DOWN TO EARTH
"Down to Earth" is a bizarre musical sequel of sorts to a non-musical film called "Here Comes Mr. Jordan." It stars, then Columbia Pictures reigning love goddess, Rita Hayworth who is miscast (but amusingly so)as Terpsichore. But the Greek 'muse' is none 'amused' when she learns that she and her sisters are to become the kitsch and lampoon subjects of a Broadway musical. Assisted by the heavenly MC, Mr. Jordan (Roland Culver) and a messenger(Edward Everett Horton), Terpsichore - renamed Kitty Pendleton - comes "down to earth" to play herself in the Broadway show and set the record straight. This is one of those mindlessly engaging, good humor bits of business that Hollywood used to excel at during its heyday and it's ably aided by performances from James Gleason, George Macready (of "Gilda" fame) and William Frawley (Fred, from "I Love Lucy"). The songs aren't memorable, but they are splashy and exciting and the script ably covers all of the bases with panache and great fun.
THE TRANSFER: Gorgeous. Columbia's film elements are in top notch condition and the picture quality of this DVD will not disappoint. The image is crisp and vibrant, with bold colors, bright whites and rich, velvet blacks. Contrast levels are excellent. There is some slight shimmering of color in certain scenes, due to the vintage of the print, but nothing that terribly distracts from your visual enjoyment. Digital artifacts are not a problem. Age related artifacts are present but not glaringly so, for a generally smooth visual presentation. The audio is MONO but nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: Please, this is Columbia!
BOTTOM LINE: This isn't one you'll always remember but its certainly an enjoyable little romp through musical La-La land, and, with the lush and lovely Miss Hayworth at hand, its more than easy on the eyes. Add this one to your library.

Fair Musical - Fabulous Rita, boring Larry, poor Songs !
This is for me the Rita Hayworth movie which had the great
opportunity of being her biggest hit after Gilda but the film
a) had no Astaire or Kelly to match Rita's A quality
but only Larry Parks ( so dull that it's a shame )
b) no songs from Kern, Gershwin or Porter but rather stupid songs
where not one song became a hit (...)
c) had no good dance numbers
Otherwise the story is a pleasant fairytale and Rita Hayworth is
as beautiful as she can be, that's why it is still worthwile to watch it.

Charming & Etherial - A Lost Genera
This is one of my favorite Rita Hayworth movies. This musical represents a lost genera of the silver screen with its innocent, charming and etherial content and style. I especially loved the variations of "Swinging the Muses."

Charming Rita Hayworth movie
What can I say? I just love this movie! This is a charming musical featuring Rita Hayworth and Larry Parks. This is a beautifully choreographed movie that deserves a better fate than the mediocre ratings the critics gave out. Rita dances and looks more stunning in color. What more can you ask for? See for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wit
An interesting, funny film about a cattle rustler's widow (Mae West) who schemes her way into high society. Probably conatins the average witty snappy remarks.

MEDIOCRE WEST.
A saloon singer inherits a ranch, strikes oil and crashes high society in pursuit of a husband and respectability. Mae extended her vocal range to the big aria (or an approximation thereof!) from Saint Saen's SAMSON AND DELILAH, but she seemed more at home singing HE'S A BAD, BAD MAN, BUT HE'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!. GOIN' TO TOWN didn't startle West's fans by straying too far from her usual story of an ambitious woiking goil rising from rhinestones to diamonds, and took pains not to shock censorship groups - too much. Mae could no more be separated from sexual insinuation than Donald Duck from his quack, but her shafts of wit were now toned down noticeably from the outrageous to the merely naughty; the audience reaction to the film was similarily subdued. The movie made plenty of money, however and in 1935, West was the highest paid woman in America (her income reached - an astonishing - for 1935 - $480,000). Theatres prospered with this William LeBaron production in 1935, but unfortunately, Mae's pictures were becoming more and more whitewashed, predictible and generally mild in the entertainment department; it's a shame the censors killed her ribald style! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bob Hope at his best!
Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print
The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer
Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Joan Crawford Goes on "Loan Out" With Pleasing Comic Results
"They All Kissed The Bride", marks a slight variation in Joan Crawford's early 1940's movie career and being a Columbia release has a different feel to it than most of Joan's MGM features at this time, despite the presence of frequent costar Melvyn Douglas as the male lead. Originally set as a starring vehicle for Carole Lombard who was due to start this film upon her return from a War Bond selling tour, the film's production schedule was thrown into disarray by Lombard's tragic death in a plane crash on the return leg of her tour. At very short notice and as a homage to Miss Lombard, Joan Crawford not only stepped into the lead role but very generously donated her entire salary to wartime charities. When her agent still tried to collect his 10% fee for her services however Joan fired him on the spot!Despite starting off as a hard nosed, no nonsense businesswoman in the beginning this role reveals a delightfully comic and carefree Joan Crawford in the later stages that comes as a pleasant surprise after all her strongly dramatic work as one of the Queens of MGM soap operas for over a decade.

Joan Crawford stars as Margaret Drew, better known to her terrified employees, as the imperious "M J" because of her shrewish, icy, and ruthless handling of the company that she has inherited from her late father a highly successful founder of a trucking empire . Margaret expects total dedication to the job whatever the cost and is quick to come down hard on anyone who appears to fall below her high expectations and standards. Margaret's adage in life could be "if you can't do it well then I'll find someone who can". Margaret's tyrannical nature also flows over into her family life where she strikes terror into life of both her fluttery mother Mrs. Drew (Billie Burke), and her younger sister Vivian (Helen Parrish) who she is forcing into a loveless but socially prominent marriage against her will. Margaret's orderly life composed of her giving the orders and all others obeying is turned upside down by a "tell it as it is" journalist Michael Holmes (Melvyn Douglas), who writes a very unflattering series of newspaper articles painting Margaret as a controlling and bullying sour puss who is, in his words "more a machine than a woman". Horrified by her name being besmirched Margaret prepares to do battle with Michael. What infuriates Margaret so much is Michael's carefree lack of fear of her and his ability to put her down at every turn. Despite his dislike of her management practices and the way she treats people in general Michael finds himself attracted to Margaret and sets out to find the real woman under the steely facade. Aware of how cut off she is from the grass roots drivers that have made her father's company the success it is, Michael persuades a reluctant Margaret to accompany him to their annual dance where she is passed off simply as Michael's "date" as none of the employees know what Margaret looks like. What passes that evening is a lesson in humility for Margaret as she quickly finds herself eating a greasy hot dog, and doing a frantic jitterbug with Michael's pal Johnny Johnson (Allen Jenkins. The next morning Margaret's board of directors including the befuddled Marsh (Roland Young) are amazed to find Margaret arrive late for work, badly dressed and carrying her jitterbug trophy which she proceeds to do a dance around the office with. Margaret begins to show a softer more caring side to her character with all her staff and family which has never been revealed to anyone and her former hatred for Michael turns to love. The final scene hilariously reveals Margaret and Michael getting together in one of the company trucks which formerly were never to be used by Margaret's orders for "personal use", but which now is serving to take them away to their wedding.

To witness Joan Crawford's character becoming all perplexed and weak kneed at a man's attention is not a sight most movie goers in the early 1940's experienced and this is why "They All Kissed The Bride", is such a joyous viewing experience as it reveals Joan's seldom seen flair for light comedy. Her chemistry with Melvyn Douglas is excellent as always and was something they enjoyed in all their other film work together such as "The Shining Hour",and especially in "A Woman's Face". Alexander Hall's sure direction of this non traditional role for Joan Crawford is sure and efficient and Margaret's transformation from machinelike tyrant to love struck individual is smooth and totally believable. Hall manages Crawford's light comic moments like her final scene in the back of the truck and the memorable jitterbug sequence for maximum effect and indeed it is hard now to really imagine Carole Lombard, for all her gifts as an actress being as effective in these scenes. Crawford and the other women are all flatteringly gowned by designer Irene and this film began a collaboration between the star and the designer that went on for many years.

As a big fan of Joan Crawford I never doubted her great dramatic abilities but until I saw "They All Kissed The Bride" for the first time recently I couldn't imagine how she would handle the light hearted transformation that her character ungoes in the last half of this film. Needless to say I was impressed and it should be an essential item in all Crawford collections. It displays Crawford in a most pleasing characterisation and made demands on her as an actress that many of her MGM efforts at that time were failing to do. Crawford's great triumph in "Mildred Pierce", was still 3 years off here but it is a terrific little vehicle for this legendary actress. Be sure to catch Joan Crawford being "defrosted", by Cupid's arrow in Columbia Pictures "They All Kissed The Bride".

NOT A BAD CRAWFORD COMEDY.
Margaret J. Drew, known as M.J. by her intimidated employees, has taken over command of the vast Drew financial empire from her late father. When reporter Michael Holmes begins to publish exposes about Drew's tyrannical employment practices, the imperious M.J. demands that he be investigated. A pretty enjoyable film considering its rather contrived storyline, it nevertheless should please the mulititude of fans who still see in Crawford something I don't personally - generally speaking. The film was originally to have starred Carole Lombard, but she was tragically killed in a airplane crash after a highly successful War Bond drive. The script was re-written to suit Joan of Crawford. To her credit, Joanie donated her entire salary for this film to various charities in memory of the much-loved Lombard. As trivia footnotes, cinematographer used a special new "lavender lighting" technique which was used as an experiment in order to enhance the brilliance of Crawford's eyes (!) The film's ending credits acknowledge thusly: "Miss Joan Crawford appears through the courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer". The working title of the film was HE KISSED THE BRIDE & a deleted piece of dialogue ran: "When I want a sneak, I'll hire the best and get a Jap!"...Definitely politically incorrect by today's standards!

Joan does a great job with comedy, too---
Joan Crawford took this role after the original star, Carole Lombard, was killed in an airplane crash. She donated her entire salary to the war effort when it was completed. She quickly wins my attention in the movie, because she plays the role so well. She wants success, and having to deal with a flighty mother and sister makes her job very difficult. Her nemesis, played so well by Melvyn Douglas, slowly wins her heart and falls for her himself. It is fun to watch the younger Miss Crawford play the hard-nosed type that she certainly was associated with later in her career. She hits her marks well within the movie, and she seemed very comfortable with her frequent costar Mr. Douglas. Even though it has the typical Hollywood ending (which I personally enjoy very much), it is well worth your time to watch. Sit back, relax, and laugh at the foibles of these unique characters. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Bob Hope at his best!
Mr. Hope stars as Freddie Hunter, a reporter who is chaperoning a troop of scouts aboard a ocean liner. The scouts see it as their duty to save Freddie from himself by making sure he doesn't smoke, drink or enjoy the hug of a woman "other than his Mom". The fact that the head boy of the troop is the son of Freddie's boss doesn't help Freddie when he decides to flirt with the Duchess Alexandria. But women are the least of Freddie's troubles. There is a killer on board. This killer decides to frame Freddie for his murderous deeds. Fortunately, there is a detective on board, hot on the trail of the true murderer, but wait, Freddie discovers the body of the murdered detective. How will Freddie prove his innocence? This is an entertaining film for the whole family. It also stars Rhonda Fleming, George Reeves, Jim Backus and Roland Young. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy this wonderful movie!.

Funny movie,awful print
The dvd of this is a real let-down.The picture quality is really washed out.If you can put up with this,Hope is on good form,the story is above average and Jack Benny's brief appearance is a hoot.Shame about the transfer,though...

A young viewer
Bob Hope is wonderful in this delightful movie. I recomend it to everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

so so
Ray Milland and Loretta Young try their best to make this movie work. But even their effort can't hold this together. Milland plays a doctor who is mistaken to be feminist writer's new husband (Loretta Young). In order to raise both of their careers, they fake marriage.
After the first twenty minutes the movie goes at a very sluggish pace. Milland and Young bicker to each other. When they finally do get to like each other, it's in a manipulated movie way that I didn't believe. I may have said more but the other reviewer summed it up well: boring.

Exceptional!
The well written comedies of the forties and fifties have yet to be equaled! This particular comedy is the quintessential romantic comedy of the 1940s. Loretta Young and Ray Milland match each other wit for wit and jab for jab. This film will keep you laughing constantly. An all-star cast including Reginald Gardiner (My Favorite Wife) and Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34th Street).

hilarious
The Doctor Takes a Wife is fantastic! Right up there with The Farmer's Daughter, also starring Loretta Young. Not quite as sweet, maybe, but definately funnier. The one-liners are hilarious. I watched it with four other people, and we all loved it. A must-see!

Boring, boring, boring
I never fall asleep during movies -- but I rented this one and was fast asleep within half and hour. Even Loretta Young can't save this one. ... Read more