The Mad Miss Manton (1938) User Reviews

beautiful young Stanwyck and handsome Fonda

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 14 June 2005]

This is a delightful comedy/mystery, very much of its time, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. Stanwyck does a great job as a madcap socialite (though the title would have you think she's a crazy bag lady) who gets involved in a murder and with reporter Fonda. Miss Manton has a mouthy maid played by Hattie McDaniel (listed as McDaniels in the credits) and many girlfriends, all of whom are at her beck and call.

Stanwyck's gift for comedy is apparent, and Manton was a perfect character for her - sophisticated, clever, and vulnerable. Fonda is very juvenile and ardent. They make a great pair.

While its plot isn't perfect, it is a lot of fun

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 30 March 2007]

This was one of many Hollywood films of the 1930s that tried to cash in on the Nick and Nora Charles phenomenon. Americans loved the Thin Man movies and so there were many similar films, such as this film. THE MAD MISS MANTON was similar to the Thin Man films because it relied heavily on sophisticated comedy and the actual murder plot was, at best, secondary. Plus, like Nick Charles, Miss Manton was a rich society party girl.

Since the plot isn't exactly relevant, the repartee between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda is excellent and a lot of fun to watch. In particular, I liked the scene when they first met--she slapped him and without any hesitation, he slapped her right back! In addition to their wonderful scenes together, Hattie McDaniel was excellent in a supporting role. Instead of the usual Black maid part, she was very sassy and smart--dishing it out every bit as well as anyone else! So if you are looking for a fun "turn off your brain and just enjoy" film from Hollywood's Golden Age, look no further. You're bound to enjoy this film immensely--provided you don't worry about the unnecessary details (such as the plot or how unbelievably stupid the cops are in the film).

Wonderful Fonda-Stanwyk vehicle!

[dpastor · 8/10 · 16 May 2005]

I think this may be Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck's first movie together and sparks fly. The dialog is fast and witty. The actual mystery shown in the movie is irrelevant. If you like films from the 30's and have already seen the classics such as The Lady Eve and Palm Beach Story, then definitely see this. I wish Henry Fonda had done more comedy but he makes up for lost time here. Unlike The Lady Eve, where he is primarily the straight man (with terrific physical comedy), in the Mad Miss Manton he gives as good as he gets with his leading lady. I don't know why this movie doesn't get more attention. I think it is a lot funnier than "The Male Animal". For another comedic effort of Fonda's, watch Tales of Manhattan. He has a gem of a scene with Ginger Rogers.

A cute little movie for Barbara Stanwyck fans

[Eventuallyequalsalways · 7/10 · 10 May 2006]

Barbara Stanwyck was 31 years old playing opposite stone-faced 33 year old Henry Fonda in this comedy love story/murder mystery, and if you want to see how Barbara steals every scene, this is a good one to watch. This movie was selected by TCM as one of the films to highlight for their series "Black Images in Hollywood" due to the presence of Hattie McDaniel just prior to her Oscar-winning performance the next year in "Gone With the Wind." Hattie plays a sassy-talking maid for delicious comic relief. But it's a small role for Hattie and the main focus is on the delightful Barbara. There is an interesting scene at the end of the movie which foretells the use of S.W.A.T. teams today in both the cinema and on the streets. All in all, this is a pleasant movie to while away an afternoon with a friend, and who knows, you may even want to re-visit it again in a few years.

Stylish Comedy/Mystery

[Handlinghandel · 7/10 · 22 November 2004]

I sI saw this on TV when I was young and, though it was trumpeted as hilarious, I didn't like it. Now, I have seen 30 or more movies of around the same period that combine romance, comedy, and mystery. And I have grown to appreciate Barbara Stanwyck as one of the great stars in Hollywood's history. So: I really enjoyed it a lot.

Stanwyck, as the title character, is mad only in the sense of madcap. Probably it is a matter of alliteration more than anything else. Henry Fonda is fun as the newspaper man who hates and then falls for her.

A few years later, they were to be teamed again in Preston Sturges's great "The Lady Eve."

The subway is a good gimmick, and all the minor players are fun. Miss Manton, or as we'd say today Ms. Manton, has a whole crew of gal-pals, who scream and giggle and make the whole affair very lively indeed.

An excellent look at things to come

[rulebritannia-1 · 17 September 2006]

In 1941, Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck starred in 'The Lady Eve' (one of the finest comedies of all time) but before this Fonda and Stanwyck made a relatively unknown comedy called 'The Mad Miss Manton' and may I say that this is an excellent lead-up to 'The Lady Eve'.

The dialogue (written by the supremely witty Philip G. Epstein) sparkles and goes so fast that it takes a second viewing to get all the jokes. And in an age of political correctness the dialogue is even funnier. Dora's quip about communism (Helen:"If the upstairs has to be searched, we'll search it together"-Dora:"Why that's communism!") is just so unexpected. Unlike the Lady Eve, where Fonda is primarily the straight guy, in 'Mad Miss Manton' he holds his own and is especially good in the hospital scene, where he plays Stanwyck for the sucker. Apparently, Fonda hated making this film and being ambushed by gaggle of girls would certainly put a dent in your pride.

On the whole, an excellent but unfortunately unknown film. If you are planning to see "The Lady Eve' do try and see this film because it is truly a gem in the Screwball genre.

I'm Mad about Miss Manton

[abcj-2 · 7/10 · 19 September 2011]

Several factors need to be in place for you to enjoy The Mad Miss Manton. First, it helps to like Barbara Stanwyck. I love her! Second, it helps to like Henry Fonda. He's great! Third, it helps to like Hattie Mc Daniel. Not only do I, but she's quite hilarious! Next, Miss Manton (Stanwyck) is constantly surrounded by her group of elitist girlfriends. If it had just been Miss Manton, then it would have been mighty scary vs. mysterious. Miss Manton's flighty friends in their 40's gowns with their big 40's furs and their typical 40's hairstyles keep this film light and fluffy. Fluffy due to their big fluffy furs:) Also, it helps to enjoy screwball comedies. This one is screwball to the max. It's not a perfect screwball. It's not award worthy. It is a fun film with a great cast. It's also fun to mix some mystery into the mix. Finally, it's just pure entertainment. It may be a bit dated now, and many great films have come after it. However, if you put yourself back in time, you might imagine the abundance of entertainment you'd get from a dime or a quarter at the movies. Sometimes perspective helps make a movie better. I doubt anyone making it at the time thought people would still be watching it in the next century. With those factors in mind, I appreciate the entertainment value from this obscure comedy with a delightful cast.

It's a mad world

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 14 April 2020]

Barbara Stanwyck seemed incapable of giving a bad performance, even when the film was not good (and some of her films are not that) and regardless of the quality of what she was given. Am not as in love with Henry Fonda, but he did give fine performances and that is including his performance in another collaboration with him and Stanwyck 'The Lady Eve' (a classic and a much better film). Hattie McDaniel was always a scene stealer.

'The Mad Miss Manton' to me was very entertaining, has a lot more good with it than bad and does nothing to waste its fine cast or the talent involved. It is not great, would put it more in the pretty good category myself and there are a few quite big flaws all story-related, so it is not hard to see why as to why some may not be totally enamoured by it. Those that love Stanwyck, Fonda or both will be glad to see that they are well served and that in the right mind-set there should be a lot to enjoy.

In terms of the story, 'The Mad Miss Manton' is pretty slight and formulaic. A lot more could have done with the mystery aspect of the plot, it tended to lack suspense and surprises and it gets convoluted towards the end.

Also felt that the romance was introduced too out of the blue and didn't have enough time to develop, so it feels too hasty. Not through any fault of Stanwyck and Fonda, but more the writing.

However, Stanwyck is in more light-hearted form, compared to her more dramatic roles that she did at this point of her career, and she is a delight wih the right lightness of touch while giving steel at the same time. Fonda is more subdued but does mild mannered amiably and he has good timing. He and Stanwyck sparkled more in 'The Lady Eve', but they do work together very well here. Sam Levane is amusing, even if he is playing an incompetent character, but the best supporting performance belongs to McDaniel, bringing plenty of sparkling sass to hilarious effect.

Even if 'The Mad Miss Manton' may not be a lavish looking film as such, it is well photographed and Stanwyck looks great. The film is efficiently directed and the music fits nicely mood-wise. The pace is crisp throughout and the script is deliciously witty. The story is far from perfect, but is still lots of fun and charming. If the mystery aspect was more up to scratch it would have made even more impact.

Overall, pretty good if not great. 7/10

Stanwyck & Fonda better than Tracy and Hepburn

[TedFonte · 9/10 · 21 December 2001]

This movie, a warmup for Stanwyck and Fonda for the later The Lady Eve, is entirely enjoyable. A lighthearted piece of fluff, true, but everybody is having such a good time that it becomes totally infectious. Stanwyck, a rich deb, while walking her dogs in the middle of night, stumbles over a murdered man who disappears when she summons the police, of course. Fonda, a news editor/reporter, castigates her in print, and she threatens to sue. They, in the time-honored tradition of Hollywood comedy/mysteries, jointly, and sometimes separately and at loggers head, try to solve the mystery and find the murderer. Stanwyck is aided by a cohort of fellow debutantes, who do things helter-skelter en masse. The scene when Stanwyck sics 'em on Fonda ("Get him, girls"), with Fonda crawfishing as they advance, alone is worth the price of admission, as is the final avowal of love and proposal of marriage.

Stanwyck and Fonda before they fell in love...

[mdmphd · 7/10 · 21 December 2001]

The stars of this film were paired twice before striking gold in Preston Sturges' The Lady Eve, appearing in a rather humorless comedy called You Belong To Me and two years prior in Mad Miss Manton. MMM was a combination of murder mystery and madcap heiress nonsense with aspects of screwball comedy before it had been defined as such. Stanwyck had been nominated for an Oscar in Stella Dallas the year before, and was given this role to add some glamour, as recent roles in Internes Can't Take Money(the first Dr.Kildare) and the fluffy Breakfast for Two were A list fillers. Stanwyck was just a film away from better vehicles as Golden Boy, Union Pacific, Remember the Night, Lady Eve, Ball of Fire, etc.(she survives earlier films by committing to realism, making pap pictures better than they deserved, and was Frank Capra's favorite actress). Fonda, on the other hand, had just made waves in Jezebel, with Young Mr. Lincoln, Jesse James and Grapes of Wrath ahead in the next few years. So you have two great, popular actors, thrown into a contrived script about Stanwyck as the heiress who sees someone slipping away from a murder scene, only to have the body missing when she calls the police. Fonda is the newspaper hack who slams her in the papers and of course, when they meet, there's supposed to be fireworks. The stars try, but there's really nothing for them to play on. It would take script writers a few more years to learn you shouldn't make Hank Fonda speak quickly and Stanwyck, much as I love her, never really does manage the glamour. She and her friends tend to play a brainless and unchallenged group, excited to solve the murder mystery as a relief from the boredom of wealth and society and a chance to "prove" themselves. Of course, it's not as bad as I write - it's entertaining fluff with hints of each stars' future in several scenes. This is the film where Hattie McDaniel gets to throw a vase of water in Fonda's face, and there's some genuine suspense when Stany sits down with the unbalanced murderer for the denouement. However, Double Indemnity was years away and as this was supposed to be a comedy, Hollywood rules with a happy ending. It was never meant to be social commentary and as such, is an enjoyable watch for three to three and a half stars out of five. However, for both performers at their peak and a truly magnificent supporting cast, see the 5 star THE LADY EVE, a screwball classic.-MDMPHD:

Dismal attempt at a screwball comedy

[preppy-3 · 3/10 · 16 October 2008]

Society deb Melsa Manton (Barbara Stanwyck) discovers a body late one night in a abandoned house. She goes to get the police but when they return the body is missing. The police don't believe her so Manton and her bunch of ditzy friends try and solve the murder mystery themselves. Reporter Peter Ames (Henry Fonda) immediately falls in love with Melsa (after hating her on sight) and helps them.

Pretty unknown movie...and it's easy to see why! Stanwyck, a wonderful actress, is woefully miscast as Manton. Fonda hated doing this movie and it shows. He's stone-faced throughout. The movie has plenty of potential but the comedy is either stupid or unfunny. Also I found Melsa's bunch of friends incredibly annoying--they all act like idiots and they're constantly screaming at everything. The romance between Manton and Ames comes out of nowhere and isn't believable for one second. Pauline Kael once wrote that this was written by people who had too much time on their hands. How true! Halfway through I just turned it off in disgust--I was bored and sick of having my intelligence insulted. If you want to see a good movie with Stanwyck and Fonda see "The Lady Eve". This one is hopeless.

good movie, a must see for true movie buffs

[SIGNE-2 · 9/10 · 14 November 1998]

This is one pip of a movie, that is definitely funnier now in the age of political correctness. An obscure comedy that truly utilizes all the cast members involved in a great screwball of a movie. If you truly are a movie buff and love the classics, this is one movie you must find and watch for yourself. Some exceptionally classic lines that are true today as they were back in 1938.

Bouncing Debs

[xtine445 · 7/10 · 20 December 2011]

My favorite aspect of this movie is the manner in which this gaggle of giggly débutantes present themselves. They wear sparkling, full-length evening gowns and fabulous furs, and sport impeccable manicures, while sleuthing about in the dark. You go girls! It was also interesting to observe Penny Singleton, aka the infamous Blondie, with extremely dark hair, reciting a couple of lines. Barbara Stanwyck is, as always, seamlessly gorgeous, and she takes on a tireless leadership role while constantly flirting with a young and handsome Henry Fonda. Everything from the beautiful, sleek and shiny cars to the stunningly brilliant fashion displays make this a great choice for old movie fanatics.

Tampering With Evidence, Obstruction of Justice; This is Funny?

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 10 May 2006]

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck made three films together and The Mad Miss Manton was the first. I think that RKO must have offered this one to Carole Lombard or Jean Arthur and they had the sense to turn it down. Stanwyck and Fonda would do far better in Paramount's The Lady Eve.

According to the films of Henry Fonda, Fonda really disliked this one, but in 1938 he was still not in a position to pick and choose his material.

Not to say that he doesn't have his funny moments, especially in a hospital where he plays up his injuries to be far more serious than they were in order to elicit Stanwyck's sympathy. And he does get hit with a pitcher of water by Hattie McDaniel.

But try as I might, I could not see much humor in a bunch of ditzy debutantes obstructing a murder investigation for their own amusement. Stanwyck and her cronies are guilty of obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence and Sam Levene as the investigating police officer ought to have run them all in.

I'd pass this one by as an example of bad screwball comedy.

Enjoyable fluff if you enjoy screwball comedy...

[Doylenf · 16 May 2002]

Barbara Stanwyck in another "I saw the body until it disappeared" kind of farce, giving the audience a good time as she tangles with unbelieving police inspector (Sam Levene) and a newspaper reporter looking for a good story (Henry Fonda).

The supporting cast includes Hattie McDaniel and Penny Singleton but it's Stanwyck's performance that makes this one shine. Henry Fonda plays another variation on his mild-mannered dunce but it's Stanwyck who keeps the dialogue snappy and the events somewhat believable.

It's a wacky blend of comedy and mystery with a denouement that is less than satisfying as none of the supporting characters are more than cardboard stereotypes. Passes the time pleasantly enough, but don't expect anything great.

Stanwyck gets the glamour treatment and looks her best in the madcap title role.

Mad for it

[Lejink · 7/10 · 19 March 2019]

You can tell from the title not to take this vintage Hollywood feature too seriously but what it turns out to be is an amusing and fast moving screwball comedy / crime caper. Barbara Stanwyck is the wealthy New York society girl Melsa Manton who with her entourage of similarly young, attractive mad-for-it socialites provides regular, what we'd call today tabloid fodder for the press as well as irritating the local cops with their shenanigans. Naturally comes the day when she cries wolf once too often so that when she stumbles across a dead body late at night and calls it in, the police disbelieve her, especially when the corpse and all trace of it has disappeared in the brief interim.

Also on the scene is Henry Fonda as the sceptical newspaper editor constantly on her case but who it almost goes without saying is smitten with Melsa the second he meets her for real.

Actually there's a reasonable murder mystery playing out in the background which comes to a fairly explicit conclusion by the end but the real fun here is the interaction between Stanwyck and Fonda, in the first of three movies in which they shared billing and also Stanwyck's coterie of girlie acolytes running about as they all are in ball-gowns and heels, putting themselves in danger and generally running rings around all the men in the film, including the klutzy NYPD, to get the case solved.

A neat blend of crime and comedy, (I was particularly amused by Fonda's dying swan scene and the pre-Blacklist humorous references to Communism), it's all done and dusted in eighty entertaining minutes.

Amusing Comic Mystery

[rickter-51487 · 7/10 · 8 October 2018]

This isn't The Thin Man, but still manages to amuse. A group of shallow socialite young women, led by Barbara Stanwyck, get mixed up in a series of murders. Despite the disdain of both the police and newspaper editor Henry Fonda, the girls do a better job of solving the crime than them. And Fonda and Stanwyck start to fall for each other.

It's formulaic but the performances and dialogue rise above the formula. Hattie McDaniel is the stereotypical maid, but brings a lot of sass and attitude to her role. The script, written by Philip G. Epstein (who will a few years later write the script for Casablanca with his brother Julius), has enough witty dialogue to make it worth a viewing.

Fonda is no match for this bevy of beauties

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 28 February 2015]

Henry Fonda is no match for the bevy of beauties in "The Mad Miss Manton." For that matter, he can't even come close to Barbara Stanwyck. There isn't any real chemistry between the two leads in this comedy mystery, and I don't think there needs to be in this particular instance. Because this film is all about the "gals" – the bunch of socialites who congregate around gang leader Stanwyck, who plays the wealthy Melsa Manton. Fonda plays newspaper editor Peter Ames who is little more than a shill for the Manton minions.

I think Fonda plays the role very well. His opening scene is a tirade against the spoiled society revelers who seem to enjoy creating problems for the police and civil order. After meeting Manton, he seems to fall for her at once – like a lovesick puppy. From there on, Ames gets himself in one scrape after another with the girls. I think they subdued and tied and gagged him at least three times in this film. It was very funny each time. After the crime is solved and everyone is happy, Ames turns out to be a male gold digger. Well, he may love Manton, but he loves her money as well.

All of the cast of this film are very good. The film seems to suffer a little in its production quality. The plot is OK, but the screenplay seems a little weak and disconnected at times. The directing and editing also seem weak. It's still an enjoyable film to watch. One can imagine Cary Grant or Fred MacMurray in the role of Peter Ames. Either of them might have put a little more fire in Miss Manton.

Diversion.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 2 November 2013]

It's as if someone at Warners had discovered a script for a B murder mystery in the rear of some almost forgotten file cabinet and decided it would be clever to impose the elements of one of the fashionable screwball comedies on it. The result is a B murder mystery with some screwball elements lathered over it.

It's not a failure. The pace is so fast, the abrupt conversational exchanges are flung back and forth with such speed, that some people might classify it as "frenzied." But "Bringing Up Baby" it is not.

I doubt very much that anyone will care about who gets murdered and who the murderer is. And the romance between a handsome young Henry Fonda, as a newspaper editor, and Barbara Stanwyck as a flighty socialite, evolves out of nothing much.

But those are the kinds of slapdash properties that you expect to find in a B feature. And this one must have had a substantial budget. The writing may not be nearly as outrageous as it thinks it is, but there are some good lines.

"I don't know which is more pernicious -- you or anemia."

Half a dozen young women are held at gunpoint. "If you kill one of us you'll have to kill all of us," and another girl exclaims, "Quit that communist stuff!"

There are one or two successful sight gags too, one involving Fonda and Hattie McDaniel, that will bring a smile if not a full-blown laugh.

Stanwyck is okay. Those used to seeing her in later roles, when her features had hardened, may not realize how attractive and vulnerable she seemed in the 1930s. Fonda can handle his comic role but the script presents him with problems that no human being could conquer. I can't avoid mentioning Olin Howland in a small role who was later to give the greatest performance ever committed to celluloid in "Them!" ("Make me a sergeant in charge of the booze!")

Best of all is Sam Levene in the James Gleason role of the tough, cynical, Brooklynite police lieutenant. Gleason was convincing enough when he snarled, but his snarl was believable. It lacked any dimension other than anger. Levene is better at the role. He snarls at everyone too, but with a quality that is both resigned and humane. Underneath that rebarbative demeanor, you sense that Levene has a heart.

Fonda and Levene Meet Stanwyck and the Seven Capital Vices

[Greenster · 9/10 · 27 January 2008]

In the first of their three co-starring vehicles, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda shine in character clashing along with many illustrious supporting players in this Golden Era madcap Murder Mystery Comedy.

"The Mad Miss Manton" (RKO, 1938) follows the saga of wealthy débutante Melsa Manton (Barbara Stanwyck) and Hilda (Hattie McDaniel), her efficient housekeeper.

Add to the program seven débutantes abiding in the lap of luxury, and supporting their comrade in society: Helen Frayne (Frances Mercer) Pat James (Whitney Bourne) Myra Frost (Linda Perry) Kit Beverly (Vickie Lester) Jane (Eleanor Hansen) Dora Fenton (Catherine O'Quinn) Lee Wilson (Ann Evers).

Peter Ames (Henry Fonda), an ambitious newspaper reporter, Lieutenant Brent (Sam Levene) and Officer Sullivan (James Burke), who are all summoned to investigate the murder of a wealthy business leader, whose body unaccountably disappears, while another mysteriously surfaces.

When Peter and Lieutenant Brent charge Miss Manton and her ilk of lovely Park Avenue débutantes with attempting to pull a prank, Melsa decides to take matters into her own very capable hands, with help from her associates, who, if you read between the lines, may be considered to exhibit characteristics of the Seven Capital Vices.

Although these are not quite developed during its 108-minute screen story, traces of Avarice, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Sloth and Wrath are detectable among the fashionable set of peers.

One often expresses her anger toward the behavior of the establishment. One constantly searches for snacks. One devotes her attention to the gentlemen in her sight. Another sort of lies around without much to do, as others bathe in wealth and pride of their collective station in life, and so forth and so on.

Suspects for the film's central crime display effective performances in well-cast roles, most bringing familiarity to the screen: Bat Regan (Paul Guilfoyle) Sheila Lane (Leona Maricle) Ronnie Beldon (William Corson) Edward Norris (Stanley Ridges) Frances Glesk (Penny Singleton) Mr. Fred Thomas (Miles Mander) and Gloria Hamilton (Kay Sutton).

Rounding out "The Mad Miss Manton" cast includes some familiar faces, each bringing a special quality to an all-too-brief scene along the way: John Qualen as the Subway Watchman Robert Middlemass as the District Attorney Grady Sutton as the D.A.'s Secretary Olin Howland as Mr. X Charles Halton as Popsy, Melsa's Lawyer Vinton Haworth as Peter's Secretary Irving Bacon as Mr. Spengler, the Process Server Bess Flowers as a Charity Ball Guest and Gerald Pierce as the Newsboy.

mad miss manton

[mossgrymk · 6/10 · 6 March 2022]

Good idea to do a screwball murder mystery featuring Babs and her 7 idle rich gal pals but the execution is less than scintillating. Biggest downer was Philip "Where are you when I need you, Julius?" Epstein's dialogue which never once encroaches on Hilarity territory while spending way too much time in the land of the bland smile with occasional forays to chuckleville. And Fonda is just not comfortable with lighter fare. You see it in his eyes and manner, the dramatic actor, chained, just waiting for his next Ford, Lang or Lumet film to come along so he can ditch this inconsequential stuff. Yeah, I know he was good in "Lady Eve". All the more evidence of Sturges' comic genius, not Hank's. C plus.

Not their best

[jpickerel · 4/10 · 9 November 2008]

First, I avow that I am a Barbara Stanwyck fan. Secondly, I admit that I can tolerate Henry Fonda only in small doses. Together, they manage to make this film mediocre. The plot is predictable, and the dialog forgettable. Even the presence of Sam Levene, as the police lieutenant assigned to the 'case', is of little help in making this mish mosh work. He (Levene) played this same part many times in many movies during the thirties, and could have phoned this role in. In fact, I think he may have. The only bright spot, if there is one, would be Hattie McDaniel, as the maid of the rich, madcap (I hate that over used word!!) Miss Manton. Where Miss Manton obtained the money to live in the very lap of luxury is never explained. Alas, though, McDaniel is around for precious little of the footage. The rest of the supporting cast, as Miss Manton's débutante friends, are attractive, semi-talented and numerous. None of the names will ring any bells. Ah, but then again, maybe I'm just having a bad day...

Crowded with production values One for the connoisseurs!

[JohnHowardReid · 9/10 · 27 May 2018]

Producer: Pandro S. Berman. Copyright 21 October 1938 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 20 October 1938 (ran one week only). U.S. release: 21 October 1938. Australian release: 26 January 1939. 80 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Melsa Manton, a spirited heiress, leads a group of six high society girls in a series of mad pranks which culminate in an attempt to solve a baffling murder.

PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Epstein manages to ingeniously combine a pretty amusing screwball romantic comedy with a suspenseful murder mystery.

COMMENT: Definitely one for the connoisseurs, The Mad Miss Manton proved too mad for the general public's taste on first release. But when I finally caught up with it in the 1950s, I was absolutely thrilled. I loved the bizarre situations and characters, split my sides laughing at the continuous wisecracks and was sick with suspense at the scary climax when the mystery finally unraveled in spine-tingling fashion.

The breezy pace with which director Leigh Jason slings it all together is yet another cause for enjoyment. Stanwyck whirlwinds through the movie with her usual aggressive aplomb, and finds her match in Fonda's snappy but stylish newspaperman. The character players, with the exception of Sam Levene's too heavy detective, are a marvel. Epstein gives them all wonderful opportunities to shine.

Stanley Ridges delivers one of his best performances and James Burke, sobbing through a gruesome rendition of "Home on the Range", is especially funny.

You'd think Epstein had fashioned his screenplay for the express purpose of providing employment for as many actors as possible. In fact, the sets are often so crowded with extras, Epstein even plays that over-embellishing for a few laughs. And the parade keeps on coming. Right to the end. You keep wondering who's going to turn up next. John Qualen, for instance, has an effective scene right at the climax.

Yes, The Mad Miss Manton is crowded with production values: hordes of extras, glossy sets, atmospheric lighting, fast pacing. Style!

The Fabulous Miss Stanwyck

[gridoon2024 · 7/10 · 9 June 2013]

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda have a strong, sometimes even sensual chemistry in "The Mad Miss Manton", particularly when he tells her things like "I realize that I should let go of your hand, but I'm finding that I don't want to", or when they're alone in a moonlit room, talking about their mutual acrophobia. He is young and handsome, she is hot and has probably the best, most toned arms of any actress in the 1930s. The plot can be confusing on the first viewing (with some previously unintroduced characters suddenly popping up as suspects), but this is still an entertaining comedy-mystery, with the novelty of an all-girl squad of amateur detectives on the side, plus James Burke playing the exact same kind of dumb cop he repeated in the entire "Ellery Queen" series of the 1940s. *** out of 4.

The Woman Who Cried Wolf

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 12 September 2009]

Out walking her dogs, wealthy New York City "prankster" Barbara Stanwyck (as Melsa Manton) discovers a dead body after investigating a suspicious incident, at an abandoned house. When the police arrive, the body has disappeared; and, nobody believes Ms. Stanwyck. Moreover, handsome newspaper editor Henry Fonda (as Peter Ames) prints an editorial dissing Stanwyck. So, she sues Mr. Fonda for a million dollars; then, she gathers her fur-coated socialite friends together, in an effort to solve the crime. After Stanwyck proves herself, Fonda gets to taste her lipstick. "The Mad Miss Manton" is a not very amusing or interesting comedy-mystery, with strong co-stars Stanwyck and Fonda as the main attraction; in this one, Hattie McDaniel (as Hilda) seems bigger than the both of them.

**** The Mad Miss Manton (10/8/38) Leigh Jason ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Sam Levene, Hattie McDaniel