'Dreamboat' is yet another one of those films where there is so much to it that makes you immediately want to see it. Am starting to see a bit of a pattern, and it is so great that is more of films that have big potential and meet them and even exceeding them after seeing many films where potential is frustratingly wasted. Seeing Ginger Rogers, Clifton Webb and Elsa Lanchester in the same film is like a dream come true, and it was so hard to resist when it popped up in my recommended for you section.
A dream was something that 'Dreamboat' turned out to be and a hilarious and criminally overlooked one at that. Will never consider it one of my all-time favourite films or one of the all-time greats, but it was a delight to watch, really cheered me up during a rough patch and would re-visit it again very happily. Loved the concept and felt 'Dreamboat' really did make the most of it, it is not a subtle film but don't think subtlety was what the film was going for. Actually very much loved the non-stop energy and everybody looking as though they were having enormous fun and that is always wonderful to see, nobody wants to see a film where the cast go through the motions and everything feels lazy and this is luckily far from that.
Beginning with what didn't quite work for me, the Anne Francis and Jeffrey Hunter subplot did slow the film down a little and the energy dips. Francis is cute and perky and the chemistry is sweet enough but did feel that Hunter was on the bland side.
Would also gladly have wanted to see more of a hilariously lustful Elsa Lanchester, it is a broad performance but one that is quite a joy.
However, Rogers' comic timing absolutely dazzles and she absolutely radiates in a role that easily could have been too over the top but found myself oddly rooting for her. Webb does acidic and prim very well, and actually felt the chemistry between them was nice and actually quite fetching if not quite fizzling. 'Dreamboat' looks lovely and is directed with precision and liveliness by Claude Binyon.
The script is enormously clever and filled with hilarious moments that are too numerous to list, and don't want to spoil the film too much who've not already seen it. While it satirises early television when television was in its infancy to witty effect, some of it felt affectionate too. The story crackles with energy and rarely lets up apart from the aforementioned subplot. What was also striking was that 'Dreamboat' was very much topical back then but it also feels relevant now and doesn't seem to have dated, did not find that what was being satirised and shown went over my head and did not feel as much that familiarity was needed.
Summing up, a little dream of a film that it is a shame that it's so overlooked today. 8/10
A dream was something that 'Dreamboat' turned out to be and a hilarious and criminally overlooked one at that. Will never consider it one of my all-time favourite films or one of the all-time greats, but it was a delight to watch, really cheered me up during a rough patch and would re-visit it again very happily. Loved the concept and felt 'Dreamboat' really did make the most of it, it is not a subtle film but don't think subtlety was what the film was going for. Actually very much loved the non-stop energy and everybody looking as though they were having enormous fun and that is always wonderful to see, nobody wants to see a film where the cast go through the motions and everything feels lazy and this is luckily far from that.
Beginning with what didn't quite work for me, the Anne Francis and Jeffrey Hunter subplot did slow the film down a little and the energy dips. Francis is cute and perky and the chemistry is sweet enough but did feel that Hunter was on the bland side.
Would also gladly have wanted to see more of a hilariously lustful Elsa Lanchester, it is a broad performance but one that is quite a joy.
However, Rogers' comic timing absolutely dazzles and she absolutely radiates in a role that easily could have been too over the top but found myself oddly rooting for her. Webb does acidic and prim very well, and actually felt the chemistry between them was nice and actually quite fetching if not quite fizzling. 'Dreamboat' looks lovely and is directed with precision and liveliness by Claude Binyon.
The script is enormously clever and filled with hilarious moments that are too numerous to list, and don't want to spoil the film too much who've not already seen it. While it satirises early television when television was in its infancy to witty effect, some of it felt affectionate too. The story crackles with energy and rarely lets up apart from the aforementioned subplot. What was also striking was that 'Dreamboat' was very much topical back then but it also feels relevant now and doesn't seem to have dated, did not find that what was being satirised and shown went over my head and did not feel as much that familiarity was needed.
Summing up, a little dream of a film that it is a shame that it's so overlooked today. 8/10