Classic Film Review: Ann Vickers (1933)

Ann Vickers stars Irene Dunne as the title character, a social worker who falls pregnant following a dalliance with an officer about to go off to war. With the help of her aunt, Malvina (Edna May Oliver), she procures an abortion (though this is never explicitly stated) then throws herself into prison reformatory work. She becomes very successful but meets Barney Dolphin (Walter Huston), a married judge whose complex past may be her downfall once again.

I felt the film was too short for everything it tried to include. You got a lengthy set-up between Ann and Captain Resnick (Bruce Cabot), only for it to be merely the catalyst that throws her into prison reform. Her experiences observing the women are potent but they're glossed over far too easily. My opinion was that a few more intimate conversations with the prisoners would've been more helpful than the scenes in the background while a distressed Ann watches. However, this was 1933 so the reticence has context. Ann's affair with Barney is handled more openly, although the romance between them does feel rushed, as much of the film does.

Irene Dunne's performance is, as usual, superb. She handles the scenes after Resnick's betrayal well and you do get a sense of the character developing and maturing as the film progresses. However, my favourite scenes were the ones between Irene Dunne and Edna May Oliver as Malvina, though that may be because this is the second Oliver film I've reviewed this week. The evident warmth in their relationship offset the somewhat shallow relationships Ann has with the male characters.

Overall, I found this film undeniably rushed, detrimentally so. Too much time was spent building up characters who later played no or very little part in proceedings and the central romance didn't feel authentic at all. However, Irene Dunne is excellent in the role, particularly in the scenes following the abortion and when she is forced to make a big decision about her job later on. There are some twists, yes, but nothing you wouldn't expect if you were paying attention. A little formulaic, perhaps, but entertaining nonetheless.

Classic Film Review: Love Affair (1939)

Love Affair tells the story of playboy Michel Marnet (Charles Boyer) and Terry McKay (Irene Dunne) who meet on a ship and fall in love. Michel wants to prove he can earn a living as a painter so they arrange to meet again in six months if they both feel the same. However, a tragic turn of events stops the meeting from happening.

This is essentially a film of two halves. The first half, set on the ship, is the story of two people trying valiantly not to fall in love because they don't want to hurt their respective partners. When the ship stops in Madeira, Michel visits his grandmother (Maria Ouspenskaya) and Terry goes along with him. This little group of scenes are perhaps the best in the film, including a scene in the chapel which is beautifully shot and creates a wonderful image which is referred to later.

The second half of the film is something of a painful love story. It alters very suddenly and from then on it's difficult to watch and, really, I wanted to throttle Terry for being so stubborn about the whole thing. However, the final scene between her and Michel more than makes up for the frustration preceding it. The dialogue between the two is more complex and more evocative than it has been throughout the whole film - and that's saying something. Boyer and Dunne play this final scene to perfection and I freely admit to shedding a tear.

On the whole, this is an excellent film with the main roles not overplayed by the two leads. It's a sensitive, clever piece that gets slightly sentimental in the second half when a group of orphans take centre stage but, for the most part, it remains a delicate film that is true to its characters.

Classic Film Review: Never a Dull Moment (1950)

Based on a book that's based on a true story, Never a Dull Moment stars Irene Dunne as Kay, a successful songwriter who falls in love with rancher Chris (Fred MacMurray). She marries him and moves from the bright lights of New York to live with him and his two daughters (played by Gigi Perreau and Natalie Wood). It's a classic fish-out-of-water tale that sees Kay struggle to adjust to life in harsh conditions and finally she is faced with the choice of the New York life she once enjoyed or life with her new family.

This film apparently won an award for being dull but, really, I found it refreshing. It was amusing and the comedy came from realistic incidents. There was little farce for the sake of farce, though it did appear once or twice. Mostly, the humorous situations came from Kay herself - losing control of a horse, battling with a dust-storm, stepping on a loose floorboard - and for that reason they were amusing. The children also added to the film instead of detracting from it and there are some good performances from the supporting cast, especially Ann Doran as Jean and Andy Devine as Orvie.

The problems with this probably stem from the fact that nothing much happens. It's very much Kay's battle to adjust and to some viewers this could indeed be boring. However, I enjoyed the light-heartedness of it and Dunne is really endearing as Kay, striking up a decent rapport with MacMurray. It might be predictable in places but Dunne's warmth shows through - particularly in the scenes with the girls - and makes it much better than the story probably deserves. The little friendship she strikes up with Jean, someone who was once touted as a potential wife for Chris, is pleasant and realistic - no backstabbing or popping poison in the tea, as Kay puts it.

There are certainly things lacking in Never a Dull Moment but it is an enjoyable family film. Although it concluded a little too quickly for my liking, it was overall a good experience.

Classic Film Review: My Favourite Wife (1940)

My Favourite Wife stars Cary Grant as Nick Arden, a man who has just declared his wife legally missing seven years after she was presumed dead in a shipwreck and married a second wife. The only problem is that on the very day he declares her dead, Ellen (Irene Dunne) manages to make it home. She pursues Nick and new 'wife' Bianca (Gail Patrick) to their honeymoon hotel and reveals herself to Nick. He's over the moon at her return but has difficulty telling Bianca. Just as he's about made up his mind to, he discovers that Ellen wasn't shipwrecked alone - there was a man, Stephen Burkett (Randolph Scott), on the island too and they called each other 'Adam' and 'Eve'. Hilarity and shenanigans ensue.

I loved this one. Grant is at his personable best as Nick, a man rightly disturbed by the idea of his wife spending seven years secluded with another man. Meanwhile, Dunne just lights up the screen from the moment she appears. Surprisingly, as the film went on, I found myself warming to Gail Patrick as her confusion at her 'husband's' bizarre behaviour grows. There is one sequence where she brings a doctor to the house that is downright hilarious. But, really, this film belongs to Grant and Dunne. Nearly all of their scenes are funny, though the laughs tail off a little towards the end as outside forces cease to be relevant.

One thing I really liked was the way the two children were utilised. Instead of breaking the news to them off-screen, Ellen tells them who she really in during a sweet little scene where they already knew. Whilst this is a comedy there are moments of poignancy scattered throughout. My favourite scene, though, has to be when Ellen has accosted a salesman and persuaded him to be Stephen Burkett for a few minutes, just to allay any fears Nick may have about him being an attractive man. Of course, what she doesn't know is that Nick's already scoped out the competition!

If you're looking for a nice, light comedy with some excellent lead performances as well as some amusing secondary players then this might just do the trick. Watch out for Granville Bates as the judge forced to unravel the case and Donald MacBride as the hotel clerk forced to get tough on the man with two wives in suites opposite each other.