Ever Since Eve (1937)
** (out of 4)
This politically incorrect but mildly entertaining film turned out to be Marion Davies final movie as she would retire at the age of forty. Warner threw her an excellent supporting cast and a nice director but none of it would really matter in the end as the film really fails to live up to what it should have been. Davies plays a beautiful secretary who is getting tired of her bosses hitting on her so she makes herself "homely" in order to get a real job without being harassed. Her latest boss (Robert Montgomery) has a deadline on a novel he must finish so the ugly Davies has to keep him working, although the beautiful one is falling for him. While watching the film I couldn't help but think of TOOTSIE but this one here is certainly far from a classic. The movie remains entertaining from start to finish but for a comedy there are very few laughs to be had here, which is a shame because there's a great cast here. Not only do we have Davies and Montgomery but we have Warner contract players like Frank McHugh, Patsy Kelly and Allen Jenkins. The three supporting players end up getting more laughs than the two leads with Jenkins stealing the film playing the usual dumb character we've all come to love. Davies is a tad bit too old for her role even though she's still very easy on the eyes. You do have to give her credit because there have been all kinds of famous people to do the ugly duckling roles but not really turn themselves very unattractive. Davies at least goes all out and transforms herself to the point where you can't recognize her. Some might be unhappy that Davies spends most of the film as the ugly character but I think she deserves credit for it. Bacon's direction never really comes alive as the movie never contains enough energy or laughs to keep moving. Fans of the cast will certainly want to check this out but others should stay clear.
** (out of 4)
This politically incorrect but mildly entertaining film turned out to be Marion Davies final movie as she would retire at the age of forty. Warner threw her an excellent supporting cast and a nice director but none of it would really matter in the end as the film really fails to live up to what it should have been. Davies plays a beautiful secretary who is getting tired of her bosses hitting on her so she makes herself "homely" in order to get a real job without being harassed. Her latest boss (Robert Montgomery) has a deadline on a novel he must finish so the ugly Davies has to keep him working, although the beautiful one is falling for him. While watching the film I couldn't help but think of TOOTSIE but this one here is certainly far from a classic. The movie remains entertaining from start to finish but for a comedy there are very few laughs to be had here, which is a shame because there's a great cast here. Not only do we have Davies and Montgomery but we have Warner contract players like Frank McHugh, Patsy Kelly and Allen Jenkins. The three supporting players end up getting more laughs than the two leads with Jenkins stealing the film playing the usual dumb character we've all come to love. Davies is a tad bit too old for her role even though she's still very easy on the eyes. You do have to give her credit because there have been all kinds of famous people to do the ugly duckling roles but not really turn themselves very unattractive. Davies at least goes all out and transforms herself to the point where you can't recognize her. Some might be unhappy that Davies spends most of the film as the ugly character but I think she deserves credit for it. Bacon's direction never really comes alive as the movie never contains enough energy or laughs to keep moving. Fans of the cast will certainly want to check this out but others should stay clear.