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They All Kissed the Bride |
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They All Kissed the Bride
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by Sony Pictures
Sales Rank: 18497
Price: $19.98
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"They All Kissed the Bride" (1941) is a noteworthy film as first, being a comedy from Joan Crawford, and second, as the film Carole Lombard was scheduled to do at the time of her death. <br />Crawford, never judged a comedienne at any time in her career, does a very commendable job in what could have been a bland role. She plays the part of M.J. Drew, a hard as nails businesswoman, to perfection and doesn't skip a beat by overplaying the character once she gets weak kneed over Michael Holmes (Melvyn Douglas). Seeing Crawford in the part, it's hard to imagine Lombard in the role, sparkling comedienne though she unquestionably was. You could imagine Bette Davis, perhaps, as the strictly business M.J., but only Myrna Loy, in my judgment, could have done as much justice to the role as Crawford does, as both a driven businesswoman and a lovestruck lady. <br />Although M.J.'s background isn't mentioned much, other than the fact that she inherited her trucking business from her deceased father, one could expect that M.J. was the son he never had and treated as such, whereas younger sister Vivian was the babied Daddy's Girl. Which makes M.J. ripe for Michael Holmes and his forthright behavior. Has anyone ever stood up to M.J. before? Probably not. And maybe that is part of M.J.'s fascination with Michael. <br />Although Crawford deserves kudos for her comedy, Melvyn Douglas simply shines. Not only was he an incredibly talented, and sadly underrated, actor, but he and Crawford meshed well together and had a great chemistry. Not the electrifying, sexually charged chemistry she shared with Gable, but more a meeting of the minds, of personality. It's not easy to take the spotlight from such a performer as Crawford but Douglas does it with ease. He seems comfortable and at home playing reporter Michael Holmes and both he and Crawford seem to be having a good time with their roles. <br />It's a shame that MGM didn't recognize that Crawford could, on occasion and with the right part and co-star, handle some lighthearted comedic roles - - she shone in MGM's "The Women" and "Susan and God" (although this film was sorely underrated and perhaps undermarketed). She may have been able to turn in some other sparkling performances but, alas, only the women's films and horror awaited her post-MGM. <br />If you are a Crawford fan, this film is definitely worth viewing and adding to your library. If you are unfamiliar with Melvyn Douglas, this is a great film to get to know his work and appreciate his acting and comedy chops. <br />Definitely recommended. <br />
Viewer Reviews
Susan & God, Woman's Face and When Ladies Meet (1941). What do all these movies have in common? Just like, "They all Kissed the Bride" they were all made in the early 40's (towards the end of Ms. Crawford's MGM career.) And, just like "They All Kissed The Bride" all of these movies are absolutely dreadful and extremely painful to watch. But unlike the others, "They All Kissed The Bride" is different.
This movie was different for a few reasons. First of all, Joan was on loan to Columbia (it was only the 2nd or 3rd time MGM lent her out for a "talkie.") And, I have to be honest. This was a really, really bad movie. And not only was it a bad movie, but it was a bad movie that Joan was bad in.
I also had difficulty following the movie and understanding it. Maybe, because the plot was incredibly dry. Except for a few funny lines with Joan and Billie Burke, the majority of the movie was very slow-moving and terribly over-dramatic.
In 1942, Joan was going through a really rough time, personally and professionally. Her studio was feeding her sub-standard scripts with one hand while trying to push her out the door with the other. This movie was the last thing on Joan's agenda. But she did it out of loyalty to her good friend, Carole Lombard, who died in a plane crash. Ms. Crawford donated her entire salary to charity and then fired her manager when he didn't do the same (how many of today's Hollywood stars do this?) That's a rhetorical question, because we all know the answer is none.
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