Review of Never a Dull Moment

... nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet. Alas, songwriter and novelist Kay Swift lost out badly in this adaptation of her novel which sees Irene Dunne clearly portraying someone based on Swift, i.e. a sophisticated Manhattan-based songwriter improbably 1) attending a rodeo in Madison Square Garden, 2) agreeing to a date with bronco buster Fred MacMurray (in real life ten years younger than the then 52 year old Dunne) and 3) marrying him and moving to his 'ranch' in the West and taking on his two sub-teen daughters, Natalie Wood and Gigi Perreau. In terms of comedies Dunne had made her fair share, especially with Cary Grant (The Awful Truth, My Favorite Wife) of actual funny comedies and also displayed her dramatic chops - her previous film to this was I Remember Mama, but she must have been aware of times' winged chariot to sign on for this turkey whose idea of conflict is having her shoot neighbour William Demarest's prize bull thinking it was a cougar and, oh, yes, Demarest controls all the water in the area.. In terms of funny it makes Russell Brand seem like Jack Benny.