AH! WILDERNESS (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1935), a Clarence Brown production of Eugene O'Neill's comedy of recollection, is not a story about a family living solely in the wilderness as the title depicts, but actually a title derived from a line of a poem. While Wallace Beery gets star billing, his role is actually a supporting one to co-stars Lionel Barrymore and Eric Linden, who obtain much of the film's 100 minute narrative. Under Clarence Brown's direction, it's a wholesome scenario set in 1906 derived upon the average Miller family of Connecticut and their daily routines by which nothing exciting really happens, yet its outlook involving them is anything but dull.
Opening in a small New England town with the graduating class of 1906 gathered together as their attended families watch with pride. Richard (Eric Linden), the second son of Nat (Lionel Barrymore), a newspaper owner, and Essie Miller (Spring Byington), intends on attending Yale University as did his older brother, Arthur (Frank Albertson). He is in love with Muriel McComber (Cecilia Parker), who lives across the street, yet their relationship does not meet with the approval of her father (Charles Grapewin) because of Richard's anti-capitalist ideas. Also among those in the Miller household are Richard's younger siblings, Mildred (Bonita Granville) and Tommy (Mickey Rooney), along with his father's brother, Sid (Wallace Beery) and mother's sister, Lily (Aline MacMahon). Lily loves Sid but refuses to marry him due to an incident that took place 18 years ago and his refusal to give up liquor. During America's annual 4th of July celebration, Richard, who is fast approaching manhood, takes a temporary separation from Muriel to learn more about women. He gets his chance by showing his manhood entering a hotel bar called The Pleasant Beach House to encounter Belle (Helen Flint), who not introduces him to some boozing what the facts of life is really all about. Other members of the cast include: Edward Nugent (Wit); Helen Freeman, Tom Dugan, Norman Phillips Jr. And George Offerman Jr.
While AH! WILDERNESS was taken from a 1933 play starring George M. Cohan, the film itself was possibly inspired by wholesome themes and simple life of ordinary people from STATE FAIR (Fox, 1933) starring Will Rogers and Janet Gaynor. In fact, when STATE FAIR was musicalized successfully in 1945 starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews, AH! WILDERNESS was also musicalized in the same manner as SUMMER HOLIDAY (1948) featuring Mickey Rooney in the same role enacted here by Eric Linden. With both screen adaptions produced by Technicolor, the only difference between the two was that SUMMER HOLIDAY didn't do as well as STATE FAIR. As much as the title to both original play and movie seem awkward, with SUMMER HOLIDAY being a better title fit, the 1935 adaptation is quite good on its own merits. Often classified as Eugene O'Neill's only comedy, the product in itself is screwball slapstick in a sense, but mostly a feel-good movie with a chuckle or two. Some humor falls on Wallace Beery's familiar pattern and drunken moments along-side with the serious-minded Lionel Barrymore.
While George M. Cohan could have reprised his Nat Miller role he performed on stage, or enacted by Will Rogers from Fox Studios, the selection of Lionel Barrymore as the head of the family proves a finer fit through his scene stealing performance of both sentimentality and sincerity. His closing segment with his son is both heartfelt and rewarding. The casting of Barrymore, Linden, Parker, Byington, Grapewin and Rooney reunited in similar fashion for A FAMILY AFFAIR (1937), which in turn developed into the total 16 film "Andy Hardy" series retaining Rooney and Parker, and substituting Barrymore and Byington in subsequent installments with Lewis Stone and Fay Holden.
Formerly available on video cassette in the 1990s, and later DVD format, AH! WILDERNESS along with its latter musical remake featuring family values of long, long ago can be viewed and admired on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. Ah! Wilderness. (****)
Opening in a small New England town with the graduating class of 1906 gathered together as their attended families watch with pride. Richard (Eric Linden), the second son of Nat (Lionel Barrymore), a newspaper owner, and Essie Miller (Spring Byington), intends on attending Yale University as did his older brother, Arthur (Frank Albertson). He is in love with Muriel McComber (Cecilia Parker), who lives across the street, yet their relationship does not meet with the approval of her father (Charles Grapewin) because of Richard's anti-capitalist ideas. Also among those in the Miller household are Richard's younger siblings, Mildred (Bonita Granville) and Tommy (Mickey Rooney), along with his father's brother, Sid (Wallace Beery) and mother's sister, Lily (Aline MacMahon). Lily loves Sid but refuses to marry him due to an incident that took place 18 years ago and his refusal to give up liquor. During America's annual 4th of July celebration, Richard, who is fast approaching manhood, takes a temporary separation from Muriel to learn more about women. He gets his chance by showing his manhood entering a hotel bar called The Pleasant Beach House to encounter Belle (Helen Flint), who not introduces him to some boozing what the facts of life is really all about. Other members of the cast include: Edward Nugent (Wit); Helen Freeman, Tom Dugan, Norman Phillips Jr. And George Offerman Jr.
While AH! WILDERNESS was taken from a 1933 play starring George M. Cohan, the film itself was possibly inspired by wholesome themes and simple life of ordinary people from STATE FAIR (Fox, 1933) starring Will Rogers and Janet Gaynor. In fact, when STATE FAIR was musicalized successfully in 1945 starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews, AH! WILDERNESS was also musicalized in the same manner as SUMMER HOLIDAY (1948) featuring Mickey Rooney in the same role enacted here by Eric Linden. With both screen adaptions produced by Technicolor, the only difference between the two was that SUMMER HOLIDAY didn't do as well as STATE FAIR. As much as the title to both original play and movie seem awkward, with SUMMER HOLIDAY being a better title fit, the 1935 adaptation is quite good on its own merits. Often classified as Eugene O'Neill's only comedy, the product in itself is screwball slapstick in a sense, but mostly a feel-good movie with a chuckle or two. Some humor falls on Wallace Beery's familiar pattern and drunken moments along-side with the serious-minded Lionel Barrymore.
While George M. Cohan could have reprised his Nat Miller role he performed on stage, or enacted by Will Rogers from Fox Studios, the selection of Lionel Barrymore as the head of the family proves a finer fit through his scene stealing performance of both sentimentality and sincerity. His closing segment with his son is both heartfelt and rewarding. The casting of Barrymore, Linden, Parker, Byington, Grapewin and Rooney reunited in similar fashion for A FAMILY AFFAIR (1937), which in turn developed into the total 16 film "Andy Hardy" series retaining Rooney and Parker, and substituting Barrymore and Byington in subsequent installments with Lewis Stone and Fay Holden.
Formerly available on video cassette in the 1990s, and later DVD format, AH! WILDERNESS along with its latter musical remake featuring family values of long, long ago can be viewed and admired on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. Ah! Wilderness. (****)