When was the last time you heard Dialectical Materialism dropped into a movie-- the official philosophy of the now defunct Soviet Union. Speaking of class struggle, the movie gets a few laughs from social lines crossed between the wealthy Borden family and ordinary working people. As Hollywood never seemed to tire, biology does have a way of defeating the dollar sign. If the movie has a moral it's something like maybe you're not born wealthy but at least you have a chance at marrying into wealth. Besides the rich aren't that happy anyway.
The 83-minutes starts off promisingly, but soon flattens out into too much talk and a general lack of cast chemistry. For fans of Rogers, it's a let down. There's no Rogers sparkle despite a narrative that badly needs some. Plus, pairing her with the beefy Connolly and a callow Holt doesn't help. All in all, I've never seen her so generally glum, which unfortunately puts a hole in the movie's middle, leaving me to wonder if there may be a backstory. Then too, Ellison as the Marxist spouting chauffeur shows why he soon became Hopalong Cassidy's favorite sidekick.
There are some good snappy lines that keep ears cocked, along with a nice turn from a relatively unknown Kathryn Adams as the Borden daughter. And that's along with the biggest staircase in set decoration. I like the way director LaCava uses it to lend some movement to all the parlor room talk. But, all in all, the movie's a disappointment for Rogers fans and for viewers expecting a lively comedy of manners. Fortunately, that fine actress would soon do better.
The 83-minutes starts off promisingly, but soon flattens out into too much talk and a general lack of cast chemistry. For fans of Rogers, it's a let down. There's no Rogers sparkle despite a narrative that badly needs some. Plus, pairing her with the beefy Connolly and a callow Holt doesn't help. All in all, I've never seen her so generally glum, which unfortunately puts a hole in the movie's middle, leaving me to wonder if there may be a backstory. Then too, Ellison as the Marxist spouting chauffeur shows why he soon became Hopalong Cassidy's favorite sidekick.
There are some good snappy lines that keep ears cocked, along with a nice turn from a relatively unknown Kathryn Adams as the Borden daughter. And that's along with the biggest staircase in set decoration. I like the way director LaCava uses it to lend some movement to all the parlor room talk. But, all in all, the movie's a disappointment for Rogers fans and for viewers expecting a lively comedy of manners. Fortunately, that fine actress would soon do better.