Reviews

From the previews, this film looked adorable. As soon as I had a break from graduate work, I dragged my best friend to go see this. We anticipated a cute, possibly-sappy "kids'" film. What we saw on the screen shocked and even insulted us.

To begin with, we were very surprised at how sexual some of the content was. For an adult film, this would be tame, but for a kids' film?! The song line about wanting someone's body was certainly not something I would want my niece hearing. Yes, many kids may not pick up on the sexual overtones, but some kids happen to be more observant. Why was it even necessary? It certainly didn't help the film any. I thought it looked rather trashy.

The agenda of this film is what bothered both my friend and I the most. For one thing, we hated the cruel portrayal of Christians. You can bet that if the film unfairly portrayed people of a certain race, there would be theaters refusing to play it. Yet Christians are considered fair game. Making a point against prejudice is fine. I would in fact applaud a film making that point. Doing so by poking fun at a religion (any religion, not just Christianity) is tasteless and should not be tolerated.

The second part of the agenda, the "saving the environment" part, was handled wrong. I have nothing against doing a film about the very real need to protect the environment. It's an excellent idea to motivate people while they're young. However, that theme interfered with the storyline and thus was far less effective than it could have been. It felt to me like the film was trying to accomplish far too much in a single film. This negatively affected the flow of the film.

Overall, I would not recommend the film, especially for families with children. Save yourself the money and rent a good classic instead.

I don't understand this new trend of making a good film, and then killing it with pathetic sequel after pathetic sequel. Film-makers need to quit while they're ahead! This film will probably be a hit with children, but I don't think most adults will enjoy it. It had its moments, and yes, little Lucy was a doll, but it just wasn't a good picture overall. The plot was way too predictable for one thing. For another, it eventually boiled down to something so saccharine it gave me a toothache.

In short, if you're a parent, have the baby-sitter take your kids to the film and treat yourself to dinner out instead. Either that, or wait until it plays on cable. This film was certainly not worth five dollars in a theatre.

"Idiot's Delight" is an apt title for this film. It's certainly no one else's delight! I was horrified at the pathetic material given to two of MGM's biggest stars, Clark Gable and Norma Shearer. Shearer's character is annoying and aggravating (compounded by a horrible blonde wig), and I found myself wishing that calamity would befall her just to eliminate her from the film! Gable was by no means a musical star, so why did they make him sing?! His character was amusing, but not enough so to save the picture. Laura Hope Crews was, as always, a diverting addition to the film, but wasn't given a very large part, unfortunately.

The biggest question I found myself asking through the entire film was "What is the point of this film?" It seems to promote anti-war sentiment, which is odd, considering it was produced by a studio whose films firmly supported the war effort. Looking back, I have a hard time discerning anything that could count as a plot. It seems a crime that a film like this could lay waste to so many talented performers. And for what? A film with an original ending so tasteless that a second, "international" ending had to be filmed! "Idiot's Delight" is a frustrating, cardboard film that does not merit the honor of being watched. Potential viewers be warned!

"He Couldn't Say No" ranks as one of the top ten worst films I have ever seen. Jane Wyman, a brilliant, Academy Award winning actress, is completely wasted in this film. There are brief humorous moments, but they are overshadowed by the cardboard plot and insufficient character development. Frank McHugh was well-cast in the lead, but the film is so unbelievable that this is the only point in its favor.

The basic "plot" (such as there is) is as follows: Lambert, a less than average looking fellow (McHugh), who is fascinated by the beautiful Iris Mabby (Diana Lewis), a senator's daughter, is engaged to one his coworkers (Wyman). His fiancé dominates him and has an overbearing mother (Cora Witherspoon) as well. The three of them go to an auction to buy furniture to furnish the apartment in which all three (!) of them will live after the wedding. At the auction, Lambert spends an outlandish sum on a nude statue that looks exactly like Iris Mabby, infuriating his fiancé and her mother. From then on, the film centers around his attempts to keep the statue despite a great deal of crusading efforts from numerous other people.

All of the actors in this film were far more talented than this film makes them appear. If you are a Jane Wyman or Diana Lewis fan, don't disappoint yourself by watching this pathetic motion picture. There are a great many far better classic films that you could be viewing instead.

The Luck of the Irish is a humorous, adorable film. The casting was excellent. Tyrone Power is perfect for the role of a writer struggling between seeking wealth and staying true to himself, and Anne Baxter, as always, is a delight to see. Most actresses have difficulty doing an Irish accent believably, but Anne Baxter pulls it off quite well and is not only beautiful, but endearing as well. A good lesson can be learned from this film and there are several good quotations in it. The end is satisfying and leaves the viewer feeling happy and perhaps a little whimsical. The only pity is that this film could not have been shot in color. Can't you just imagine how gorgeous that waterfall would have been in "Glorious Technicolor?"

This film does a good job of showing the behind-the-scenes lives of circus performers, as well as showing circus performances. It is not filled with thrills and constant excitement, but it is an entertaining film that leaves one feeling sentimental for the days when the circus really was the "greatest show on earth." I would recommend this film to circus fans, Betty Hutton fans, and Jimmy Stewart fans (Jimmy is really charming in this as "Buttons the Clown"). Also, it is fun trying to spot the cameos in this film. Look closely during one of the show scenes and you'll see Bob Hope and his favorite adversary watching Dorothy Lamour.