This is an oddity and truly shows its time and its era and not well. I am not surprised it is so rarely seen. Henry Fonda as the wimp of all time in a poorly contrived little vehicle to showcase Barbara I would think who plays a spunky bright young doctor and gets a lot of good lines. However, I gave it a 5 out of 10 for the supporting cast who are magnificent. Buchanan particularly as a crusty old gardener and also the guy who plays the butler is a hoot. I could have just watched the supporting players all night and Barbara of course. Normally I enjoy old Henry but here he shows more than his normal display of great Fonda teeth and is given the worst and most brainless lines. All these actors had to earn their stripes over the years in poorly scripted movies like these.
19 Reviews
Oddly obscure considering the leads
jjnxn-118 December 2012
Remarkably obscure comedy considering it stars Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck at their peaks. Even if it doesn't measure up to The Lady Eve or The Mad Miss Manton this is still a cute little comedy. Starts out charmingly with Henry at his sheepish befuddled best and Missy her usual take charge dame. It does flounder around about in the middle with Fonda acting like a stupid buffoon but comes back together at the end. While the two leads can carry a picture both on their own and together without breaking a sweat fortunately they don't have to here. They are ably abetted by Edgar Buchanan's folksy reliability, Ralph Peters as trusty butler Joseph and the under appreciated Ruth Donnelly as Dr. Stanwyck's wryly observing nurse. Both leads are at the peak of their attractiveness as well with Barbara looking particular beautiful with loose flowing hair and a smart wardrobe. Difficult to find but worth checking out if you can.
A real loser
blanche-21 March 2009
"You Belong to Me" is a 1941 comedy - I think - starring Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, with a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and directed by Wesley Ruggles. The story concerns a female doctor (Stanwyck) who impulsively marries a millionaire. His jealousy toward her male patients is obsessive and causes embarrassment and trouble immediately.
If anyone but top stars had been in this, it would have gotten a 4 from me. Boy, is it bad. Fonda and Stanwyck are such an attractive, delightful couple. They're wasted here in an absurd story. The Stanwyck character would have dumped this guy in 24 hours in real life.
The story does point up the change in our society's values. The Fonda character has money and is considered by himself and his wife completely useless. She has a successful practice - guess what happens to her resolve to keep that going in 1941. The philosophy stated in the film is that the only reason to exist in the world is to be useful. Well, Mother Teresa felt that way. Does Paris Hilton? Stanwyck and Fonda dream of living in a small apartment with a Murphy bed and no money rather than the enormous mansion they live in now. Right, Donald Trump and Bill Gates wish for that daily.
Someone on this board said in their subject matter "this hasn't worn well." It really hasn't. Part of it is the world's fault; the rest of it is the script's. Skip it.
If anyone but top stars had been in this, it would have gotten a 4 from me. Boy, is it bad. Fonda and Stanwyck are such an attractive, delightful couple. They're wasted here in an absurd story. The Stanwyck character would have dumped this guy in 24 hours in real life.
The story does point up the change in our society's values. The Fonda character has money and is considered by himself and his wife completely useless. She has a successful practice - guess what happens to her resolve to keep that going in 1941. The philosophy stated in the film is that the only reason to exist in the world is to be useful. Well, Mother Teresa felt that way. Does Paris Hilton? Stanwyck and Fonda dream of living in a small apartment with a Murphy bed and no money rather than the enormous mansion they live in now. Right, Donald Trump and Bill Gates wish for that daily.
Someone on this board said in their subject matter "this hasn't worn well." It really hasn't. Part of it is the world's fault; the rest of it is the script's. Skip it.
for the two stars
SnoopyStyle14 July 2018
Helen Hunt (Barbara Stanwyck) rescues wealthy fellow skier Peter Kirk (Henry Fonda). She's a doctor and he picks her over the arrogant male house doctor. She is often dismissed as a doctor by sexist attitudes. Kirk is completely taken with her and they get married. With her work taking up most of her time, he grows jealous of her male patients and causes chaos at her practice.
A jealous Henry Fonda is hilarious. These two stars have great chemistry. The story goes into problematic concepts which leaves me conflicted. I've never heard of any such issue although it might be one coming out of the depression. It's wrong-headed and detracts from the movie. It's also missing a third character for a true rom-com. Maybe one of her patients can be elevated. I still recommend this for the two stars but it is problematic.
A jealous Henry Fonda is hilarious. These two stars have great chemistry. The story goes into problematic concepts which leaves me conflicted. I've never heard of any such issue although it might be one coming out of the depression. It's wrong-headed and detracts from the movie. It's also missing a third character for a true rom-com. Maybe one of her patients can be elevated. I still recommend this for the two stars but it is problematic.
Living On Love and $22.50 a week.
bkoganbing26 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
You Belong To Me was the final teaming of Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck as a screen team and it was a loan out film for Fonda to Columbia Pictures. Fonda had signed a contract with 20th Century Fox in order to get the Tom Joad part in The Grapes of Wrath. But after that it was usually his loan out films that were good while he was cast in mediocre things at Fox.
But the rule was broken here. Though the character he plays bears some superficial resemblance to Charles Pike from The Lady Eve, this film isn't anywhere near as funny. In fact feminists would probably be aghast at it.
In fact Barbara Stanwyck herself didn't like it at all. She liked working with Henry Fonda right enough, but thought this film was ridiculous. As well she should have.
Fonda is another millionaire playboy, who we would now call a trust fund baby who doesn't really do much with his life. He's sort of lovable lunkhead who meets Stanwyck on a ski slope and literally falls for her trying to show off. Turns out she's a doctor and they have a whirlwind courtship and get married.
But it turns out Fonda has a jealous streak, especially when it involves Roger Clark, another millionaire patient of Stanwyck's. And he's not understanding as to her professional obligations.
Stanwyck, like Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn, was and is a feminist icon. When she tells Fonda that he ought to go out in the working world and live on a salary and see if he can do it, Fonda goes out and gets a job as a salesman in a department store. She's so proud of him, that she actually is going to give up her medical practice and live with him on his salesman's salary.
Today NOW would be picketing the film. Stanwyck did not have too much conviction in her performance, probably because she didn't believe any of it. I certainly couldn't.
I don't think even back then audiences believed it either. But the two stars and the rest of the cast tried their best, but this one was a Thanksgiving special.
But the rule was broken here. Though the character he plays bears some superficial resemblance to Charles Pike from The Lady Eve, this film isn't anywhere near as funny. In fact feminists would probably be aghast at it.
In fact Barbara Stanwyck herself didn't like it at all. She liked working with Henry Fonda right enough, but thought this film was ridiculous. As well she should have.
Fonda is another millionaire playboy, who we would now call a trust fund baby who doesn't really do much with his life. He's sort of lovable lunkhead who meets Stanwyck on a ski slope and literally falls for her trying to show off. Turns out she's a doctor and they have a whirlwind courtship and get married.
But it turns out Fonda has a jealous streak, especially when it involves Roger Clark, another millionaire patient of Stanwyck's. And he's not understanding as to her professional obligations.
Stanwyck, like Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn, was and is a feminist icon. When she tells Fonda that he ought to go out in the working world and live on a salary and see if he can do it, Fonda goes out and gets a job as a salesman in a department store. She's so proud of him, that she actually is going to give up her medical practice and live with him on his salesman's salary.
Today NOW would be picketing the film. Stanwyck did not have too much conviction in her performance, probably because she didn't believe any of it. I certainly couldn't.
I don't think even back then audiences believed it either. But the two stars and the rest of the cast tried their best, but this one was a Thanksgiving special.
Like three or more movies all jumbled together--what a lousy film for such outstanding actors!
planktonrules29 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Despite having an absolutely horrid script (more about that later), this film is still vaguely watchable just because it stars two excellent actors, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. Aside from one or two REAL stinkers, I'd probably watch just about anything with them in the film, as I am a huge fan of Hollywood's golden age of the 1930s and 40s. However, no matter how much I love their films, I just can't recommend this film.
The movie begins with Fonda and Stanwyck on vacation at some ski resort. The two haven't yet met, but the film begins loudly and obnoxiously with a scene in which Fonda horribly yodels while skiing. It was done so unsubtly and made my teeth grind but I stuck it out--especially when Fonda fell into a snow bank and this stopped the yodeling!! In hindsight, perhaps I should have just turned it off then! Fonda is knocked out in the fall and Barbara goes for help. Back at the ski lodge, he seems okay but fortunately she is ALSO a doctor and has him x-rayed and nurses him back to health. He, in turn, becomes infatuated with her and proposes to her. Despite hardly knowing each other, they marry and so far the film seems like a sweet but very slight romantic comedy.
Once home, however, all isn't rosy as she jumps right back into her job as a family doctor and he begins exhibiting signs that he is a controlling and potentially dangerous man due to his jealousy. The film plays it all for laughs, but frankly Fonda's behaviors were really creepy--spying on her and her male patients, attacking or threatening ANY man she treats, tripping a patient who already has a back injury and stomping into a surprise party and insisting that everyone there (men and women) are out to steal away his wife. He comes off as a combination of a sociopath and paranoid schizophrenic, but it's all supposed to be for laughs. Considering that he seems like a dangerous nut, you would think that Stanwyck would file for an annulment along with a restraining order! But, oddly, she gets mad but just can't stay mad at Fonda because he's so........? I can't think of the right word--'creepy' is all that comes to mind!!! Later, out of the blue, multi-millionaire Fonda gets a job working the counter at a department store. Then, through magical thinking, he and Babs seem to assume his hostility and violent jealousy is all a thing of the past--so a job apparently cures anger and suspicions. When this job falls through, the film ends with Fonda buying his own hospital, giving Barbara a job there and they live happily ever after. They don't go any further with the story, but I assume based on Fonda's character that he then spent most of his time as hospital administrator beating up all the male patients.
The first portion at the ski lodge and the next did NOT fit well together, nor did the final "Horatio Alger" inspired section where the rich boy made good in the business world. They were like three separate plots but despite this, the most serious problem with the film was its seeming to excuse away domestic violence and delusional jealousy! What a creepy little film! Thank goodness neither Fonda nor Stanwyck are known for this yechy film but for all their other lovely films.
The movie begins with Fonda and Stanwyck on vacation at some ski resort. The two haven't yet met, but the film begins loudly and obnoxiously with a scene in which Fonda horribly yodels while skiing. It was done so unsubtly and made my teeth grind but I stuck it out--especially when Fonda fell into a snow bank and this stopped the yodeling!! In hindsight, perhaps I should have just turned it off then! Fonda is knocked out in the fall and Barbara goes for help. Back at the ski lodge, he seems okay but fortunately she is ALSO a doctor and has him x-rayed and nurses him back to health. He, in turn, becomes infatuated with her and proposes to her. Despite hardly knowing each other, they marry and so far the film seems like a sweet but very slight romantic comedy.
Once home, however, all isn't rosy as she jumps right back into her job as a family doctor and he begins exhibiting signs that he is a controlling and potentially dangerous man due to his jealousy. The film plays it all for laughs, but frankly Fonda's behaviors were really creepy--spying on her and her male patients, attacking or threatening ANY man she treats, tripping a patient who already has a back injury and stomping into a surprise party and insisting that everyone there (men and women) are out to steal away his wife. He comes off as a combination of a sociopath and paranoid schizophrenic, but it's all supposed to be for laughs. Considering that he seems like a dangerous nut, you would think that Stanwyck would file for an annulment along with a restraining order! But, oddly, she gets mad but just can't stay mad at Fonda because he's so........? I can't think of the right word--'creepy' is all that comes to mind!!! Later, out of the blue, multi-millionaire Fonda gets a job working the counter at a department store. Then, through magical thinking, he and Babs seem to assume his hostility and violent jealousy is all a thing of the past--so a job apparently cures anger and suspicions. When this job falls through, the film ends with Fonda buying his own hospital, giving Barbara a job there and they live happily ever after. They don't go any further with the story, but I assume based on Fonda's character that he then spent most of his time as hospital administrator beating up all the male patients.
The first portion at the ski lodge and the next did NOT fit well together, nor did the final "Horatio Alger" inspired section where the rich boy made good in the business world. They were like three separate plots but despite this, the most serious problem with the film was its seeming to excuse away domestic violence and delusional jealousy! What a creepy little film! Thank goodness neither Fonda nor Stanwyck are known for this yechy film but for all their other lovely films.
You Belong to Me- Time for A Divorce **
edwagreen21 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
A multi-millionaire marries a female doctor. He hasn't worked in a day and she is devoted to her profession. He sees her off each day. Something has got to give.
Our hero, Henry Fonda, finally decides to do something with his life. He becomes a salesman in a department store but is soon fired as poorer people need the job. In the meantime, Dr. Helen Hunt, (Barbara Stanwyck) has given up her practice? What's there to do?
Kirk (Fonda) buys a bankrupt hospital and the two shall now be happy aiding others while they eke out an existence.
What's with the writing here? When annoyed with her husband, Dr. Hunt says, "You've been acting like gestapo." This is supposed to be a comedy. Hogwash.
A very boring, tedious film. Very little going on here.
Our hero, Henry Fonda, finally decides to do something with his life. He becomes a salesman in a department store but is soon fired as poorer people need the job. In the meantime, Dr. Helen Hunt, (Barbara Stanwyck) has given up her practice? What's there to do?
Kirk (Fonda) buys a bankrupt hospital and the two shall now be happy aiding others while they eke out an existence.
What's with the writing here? When annoyed with her husband, Dr. Hunt says, "You've been acting like gestapo." This is supposed to be a comedy. Hogwash.
A very boring, tedious film. Very little going on here.
The Guy Henry
mmallon420 October 2014
I usually avoid writing such comments as "Why does this movie have such a low IMDB rating?!" but I'm going to break my own rule this one time. Why does this movie have such a low IMDB rating?! You Belong to Me is of the funniest films I've ever seen, period. Giving me the type of gut-busting, side-splitting laughter I rarely get from even the funniest of comedies. I was in howls of consistent laughter for 90 minutes; unlike The Lady Eve which I feel loses steam in its final third. I only watched You Belong to Me in order to become a Barbara Stanwyck-Henry Fonda completest and was expecting something mediocre based on all the negative IMDB reviews but I have to ask the question mankind has pondered since the beginning of time, "What is wrong with you people!? Do you even understand the basic essence of comedy?!!" Ok, back to planet Earth.
The movie plays out like a newspaper comedy; the setup of a husband neglecting his wife due to his obligations to his job except in this case the profession is a doctor and it's not the man, it's the woman. Peter Kirk (Fonda) acts like a spoiled child throughout the film who doesn't know any better yet he's always too loveable and innocent to ever come off as annoying. Likewise, many of his shenanigans and dialogue are very Homer Simpsons like ("Patient dies while doctor ski-ies"). He goes to extreme lengths to have Helen Hunt (not the modern day actress but the character played by Stanwyck) as his own with his increasingly humorous paranoia, and while considering Stanwyck's sexuality I can't blame the guy. The man really does look like he's in love with the woman which would come as no surprise as apparently, Fonda would tell his later wife he was still in love with Stanwyck. Peter Kirk has no purpose or ambition and doesn't contribute a whole lot to society, unlike his polar opposite wife; the more mature of the two to say the least. Even with this comically absurd pairing, I did at times feel somber for the couple.
I don't always say this with every romantic pairing I see however after watching all three movies they did together I do believe Stanwyck and Fonda could have been a regular film pairing up with there with the likes of Astaire & Rogers, Powell & Loy and Tracey & Hepburn. The chemistry they share is some of the best I've seen in old Hollywood stars; a match made in heaven if I've ever seen one.
The movie plays out like a newspaper comedy; the setup of a husband neglecting his wife due to his obligations to his job except in this case the profession is a doctor and it's not the man, it's the woman. Peter Kirk (Fonda) acts like a spoiled child throughout the film who doesn't know any better yet he's always too loveable and innocent to ever come off as annoying. Likewise, many of his shenanigans and dialogue are very Homer Simpsons like ("Patient dies while doctor ski-ies"). He goes to extreme lengths to have Helen Hunt (not the modern day actress but the character played by Stanwyck) as his own with his increasingly humorous paranoia, and while considering Stanwyck's sexuality I can't blame the guy. The man really does look like he's in love with the woman which would come as no surprise as apparently, Fonda would tell his later wife he was still in love with Stanwyck. Peter Kirk has no purpose or ambition and doesn't contribute a whole lot to society, unlike his polar opposite wife; the more mature of the two to say the least. Even with this comically absurd pairing, I did at times feel somber for the couple.
I don't always say this with every romantic pairing I see however after watching all three movies they did together I do believe Stanwyck and Fonda could have been a regular film pairing up with there with the likes of Astaire & Rogers, Powell & Loy and Tracey & Hepburn. The chemistry they share is some of the best I've seen in old Hollywood stars; a match made in heaven if I've ever seen one.
Obsolete...
xerses1319 August 2008
YOU BELONG TO ME (1941) is a example of the 'ScrewBall Comedy' which started in the mid 1930s and ended postwar (WWII). Some of these films maintained their status. Others have earned undeserved praise when originally were critical and box office flops. Like BRINGING UP BABY (1938) or MR. & MRS. SMITH (1941). Then there is this one which value just keeps sinking.
Why can be rooted in the screenplay/story. It strains credibility from the get go, betraying a superior cast. BARBARA STANWYCK is married to millionaire HENRY FONDA who is insanely jealous. He would be content to sit back with his million$ and love her, she wishes to maintain her profession as a Doctor. She wants him to become in what her eyes is a useful member of society. This conflict is supposed to amuse us. It cannot be salvaged by either the principals or the supporting cast.
The faults in this scenario can clearly be laid at the feet of DALTON TRUMBO. HENRY FONDAs' character is written in such broad strokes that any viewer has a instant dislike for him. BARBARA STANWYCK just has nothing to do but react to each idiotic situation of jealousy. TRUMBO must have been spending to much time outside the studio being a "useful idiot" then being on the job. COLUMBIA obviously did not get their moneys worth from him, maybe ROBERT RISKIN should taken over.
Why can be rooted in the screenplay/story. It strains credibility from the get go, betraying a superior cast. BARBARA STANWYCK is married to millionaire HENRY FONDA who is insanely jealous. He would be content to sit back with his million$ and love her, she wishes to maintain her profession as a Doctor. She wants him to become in what her eyes is a useful member of society. This conflict is supposed to amuse us. It cannot be salvaged by either the principals or the supporting cast.
The faults in this scenario can clearly be laid at the feet of DALTON TRUMBO. HENRY FONDAs' character is written in such broad strokes that any viewer has a instant dislike for him. BARBARA STANWYCK just has nothing to do but react to each idiotic situation of jealousy. TRUMBO must have been spending to much time outside the studio being a "useful idiot" then being on the job. COLUMBIA obviously did not get their moneys worth from him, maybe ROBERT RISKIN should taken over.
Odd romantic comedy has a hard time making any sense...
Doylenf19 August 2008
BARBARA STANWYCK and HENRY FONDA give their all to this worthless little romantic comedy that gives the jealousy angle a workout, with millionaire Fonda becoming insanely jealous of his wife's contact with her male patients while he does virtually nothing for a living.
It's supposed to be hilarious but more often than not it hits a sour note. Fonda is not too likable as a magnificent dope and underplays his role with his usual combination of humility and straightforwardness. His role is so absurd you wish the writers had thought of a more realistic jealousy angle for most of the movie.
RUTH DONNELLY does nicely as a loyal friend, as does EDGAR BUCHANAN as the gardener who speaks words of wisdom. Too bad wisdom isn't more characteristic of the script.
Despite the floundering script, Stanwyck and Fonda make the whole thing look better than it actually is. They have good chemistry together and make the most of whatever humor there is.
A good word too for MELVILLE COOPER as the stuffy butler. But all of them are really wasting their time in this silly romantic comedy.
It's supposed to be hilarious but more often than not it hits a sour note. Fonda is not too likable as a magnificent dope and underplays his role with his usual combination of humility and straightforwardness. His role is so absurd you wish the writers had thought of a more realistic jealousy angle for most of the movie.
RUTH DONNELLY does nicely as a loyal friend, as does EDGAR BUCHANAN as the gardener who speaks words of wisdom. Too bad wisdom isn't more characteristic of the script.
Despite the floundering script, Stanwyck and Fonda make the whole thing look better than it actually is. They have good chemistry together and make the most of whatever humor there is.
A good word too for MELVILLE COOPER as the stuffy butler. But all of them are really wasting their time in this silly romantic comedy.
This ought to rank high on any "don't bother, a waste of time" list
ejchri16 July 2013
This Barbara-Stanwyck-Henry-Fonda stinker of a movie doesn't really have redeeming qualities. It's rather depressing, in fact, that Dalton Trumbo had written the story on which it's built. I expect better taste from him. However, Trumbo's not the listed screenwriter for this film adaptation.
This movie came out seven months after "The Lady Eve." It must have been some desperate attempt to ride the coattails of the earlier Stanwyck-Fonda "Eve" pairing which had a certain charm even though it was just a screwball comedy. Wow, this one, though, has some rather nasty subtexts going on. First and most importantly, Fonda knows from the time he first meets her that Stanwyck is a physician with an established medical practice. Thus, he can have had no doubt that she typically saw a wide variety of patients. In a family practice, that means that she almost certainly would be treating women, children and men as well. However, this movie plot has Fonda making himself embarrassingly jealous over Stanwyck's male patients, as if they all make passes at her and that she, like some mindless tramp with no character, would be seduced by them. That's so insulting to the doctor whom Stanwyck portrays and to all women that it's shocking that even way back in 1941 anyone could have thought it amusing. If Fonda thinks that Stanwyck is or will be a tramp now, or is so stupid as to be gullible enough to be tricked and seduced by her patients, then obviously Fonda would also have to think that Stanwyck had always been just that much of a fool. If seeing male patients now would somehow make her behave as an amoral tramp, then the obvious corollary is that she already must have been behaving as a tramp with her previous patients. In that case, it's stupid to have Fonda written as falling in love with her. He just wouldn't have respected nor trusted her from the beginning.
A second big problem, though not as bad as the first one, is that the plot has a Depression-era presumption that Fonda taking a job would rob some other man of any chance to work. Maybe that outlook was a little bit understandable in 1941 because the United States had not entered World War II yet, not till December. It was wartime manufacturing jobs which finally pulled the United States out of the last of the Depression's unemployment morass. Nevertheless, it's just very stupid and shortsighted to assume that one man's job directly causes some other man to go jobless.
Oh, yeah, Stanwyck's Edith Head wardrobe is good -- but that's not enough reason to watch this.
This movie came out seven months after "The Lady Eve." It must have been some desperate attempt to ride the coattails of the earlier Stanwyck-Fonda "Eve" pairing which had a certain charm even though it was just a screwball comedy. Wow, this one, though, has some rather nasty subtexts going on. First and most importantly, Fonda knows from the time he first meets her that Stanwyck is a physician with an established medical practice. Thus, he can have had no doubt that she typically saw a wide variety of patients. In a family practice, that means that she almost certainly would be treating women, children and men as well. However, this movie plot has Fonda making himself embarrassingly jealous over Stanwyck's male patients, as if they all make passes at her and that she, like some mindless tramp with no character, would be seduced by them. That's so insulting to the doctor whom Stanwyck portrays and to all women that it's shocking that even way back in 1941 anyone could have thought it amusing. If Fonda thinks that Stanwyck is or will be a tramp now, or is so stupid as to be gullible enough to be tricked and seduced by her patients, then obviously Fonda would also have to think that Stanwyck had always been just that much of a fool. If seeing male patients now would somehow make her behave as an amoral tramp, then the obvious corollary is that she already must have been behaving as a tramp with her previous patients. In that case, it's stupid to have Fonda written as falling in love with her. He just wouldn't have respected nor trusted her from the beginning.
A second big problem, though not as bad as the first one, is that the plot has a Depression-era presumption that Fonda taking a job would rob some other man of any chance to work. Maybe that outlook was a little bit understandable in 1941 because the United States had not entered World War II yet, not till December. It was wartime manufacturing jobs which finally pulled the United States out of the last of the Depression's unemployment morass. Nevertheless, it's just very stupid and shortsighted to assume that one man's job directly causes some other man to go jobless.
Oh, yeah, Stanwyck's Edith Head wardrobe is good -- but that's not enough reason to watch this.
Another women's career vs. marriage comedy with mediocre results.
mark.waltz2 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Feminists might get upset by this movie that insinuates that once a career woman gets hitched, she should give up her job to take care of her husband. That's the situation for doctor Barbara Stanwyck who marries an idle playboy (Henry Fonda) after taking care of him while he's recuperating from influenza. It's not as simple as that; Fonda isn't insisting that she close her practice and spend every waking moment with him, but jealously attacks all of her male patients he is sure are making advances towards her. 90 percent of the movie follows this plot until he finds something to do which causes another problem for them.
In a year where Stanwyck was really busy, three out of four films have become classics. One of them had to be a disappointment, and this is it, albeit a minor one. She was a sexy gold-digger (opposite Fonda) in "The Lady Eve", a sequined wearing gangster's moll nightclub entertainer in "Ball of Fire", and a hard-as-nails reporter in "Meet John Doe". Those films all have outstanding screenplays, something this one lacks. The comedy moments are infrequent, although when Fonda tries to disguise himself by wearing tree branches, wife Stanwyck makes an order, "and get rid of those antlers!" Hot after "The Grapes of Wrath", Fonda's whiny, cry-baby character is one of his weaker performances, but it is not his fault; His character simply isn't believable. Stanwyck here is gorgeous and filled with perfect comic timing. It's not difficult to understand why every available bachelor in town would want her medical services.
In the supporting cast are many familiar faces; Gravely voiced Edgar Buchannan as the gardener; lip-smacking Fritz Feld as the nosy innkeeper (whom Stanwyck refers to as Mr. Moto for his nosy inquiries); nasal voiced Maude Eburne as the cook; and Ruth Donnelly as Stanwyck's nurse/secretary who could deliver the best wisecracks in her sleep.
SPOILER BELOW:
What basically frustrated me besides Fonda was the attitude that a rich man can't go out and get a job because he might take the bread out of somebody else's mouth. Democratic ideals or communist? Certainly not the values of a free society. Ironically one of the actors in this scene is Larry Parks who was later accused of being a communist. Towards the end when Stanwyck decides to give up her practice and Fonda disappears after being fired from a job he's taken, the film switches gears into a political statement it never fully deals with. The ending the film does come up with seems rather rushed which lessens the impact of the message.
In a year where Stanwyck was really busy, three out of four films have become classics. One of them had to be a disappointment, and this is it, albeit a minor one. She was a sexy gold-digger (opposite Fonda) in "The Lady Eve", a sequined wearing gangster's moll nightclub entertainer in "Ball of Fire", and a hard-as-nails reporter in "Meet John Doe". Those films all have outstanding screenplays, something this one lacks. The comedy moments are infrequent, although when Fonda tries to disguise himself by wearing tree branches, wife Stanwyck makes an order, "and get rid of those antlers!" Hot after "The Grapes of Wrath", Fonda's whiny, cry-baby character is one of his weaker performances, but it is not his fault; His character simply isn't believable. Stanwyck here is gorgeous and filled with perfect comic timing. It's not difficult to understand why every available bachelor in town would want her medical services.
In the supporting cast are many familiar faces; Gravely voiced Edgar Buchannan as the gardener; lip-smacking Fritz Feld as the nosy innkeeper (whom Stanwyck refers to as Mr. Moto for his nosy inquiries); nasal voiced Maude Eburne as the cook; and Ruth Donnelly as Stanwyck's nurse/secretary who could deliver the best wisecracks in her sleep.
SPOILER BELOW:
What basically frustrated me besides Fonda was the attitude that a rich man can't go out and get a job because he might take the bread out of somebody else's mouth. Democratic ideals or communist? Certainly not the values of a free society. Ironically one of the actors in this scene is Larry Parks who was later accused of being a communist. Towards the end when Stanwyck decides to give up her practice and Fonda disappears after being fired from a job he's taken, the film switches gears into a political statement it never fully deals with. The ending the film does come up with seems rather rushed which lessens the impact of the message.
Henry Fonda sure can't do comedy
nomoons119 September 2011
Man this was a painful watch. This one was almost as irritating as the original Out-of-Towners.
I can't say it enough, Peter Fonda can't do comedy. He is just dreadful in this. His character is so irritating and nauseating I just can't believe they let this one in theaters. As great as Barbara Stanwyck is she can't save this irritating mess. Know way in the world would a sane female/wife stay married to an over-jealous wreck like this character. I know this is suppose to be a romantic comedy but this one isn't even close to being credible.
Skip this one and be grateful that you did.
I can't say it enough, Peter Fonda can't do comedy. He is just dreadful in this. His character is so irritating and nauseating I just can't believe they let this one in theaters. As great as Barbara Stanwyck is she can't save this irritating mess. Know way in the world would a sane female/wife stay married to an over-jealous wreck like this character. I know this is suppose to be a romantic comedy but this one isn't even close to being credible.
Skip this one and be grateful that you did.
A clumsy, leaden farce
JohnHowardReid23 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A pretty boring, so-called "comedy" which attempted to cash in on the huge critical and movie audience's success of The Lady Eve, but failed dismally – especially for non-Fonda and non-Stanwyck fans. The two seem to be on screen, bickering away almost continuously. Fonda plays a petulant, charmless, immature spoilt brat of a boorish bore. In all, this is a clumsy, leaden farce of interest only to rabid Fonda and/or Stanwyck fans who will enjoy the fact that the two are always very glossily and flatteringly photographed. Although he has a comparatively small role as the hotel desk clerk, Fritz Feld gives an exaggerated, way-out performance that totally misfires and strikes all the wrong notes. Harold Waldridge is almost as bad as Smithers. In all a clumsy, leaden farce.
Attractive stars let down by unsatisfactory storyline
csteidler28 February 2018
Barbara Stanwyck is an ambitious physician and surgeon. Henry Fonda is rich but idle. He crashes at her feet on the ski slope then woos her shamelessly while laid up in the lodge. For no particular reason, she allows herself to be talked into marrying him. From there, they move into his mansion, where she tries to continue her medical practice and he sits at home worrying about her male patients.
Yes, it is a silly plot. And it's not dated material so much as it just seems to lack any motivation for the lead characters to behave the way they do: Henry Fonda's character is an unimpressive whiner and Stanwyck's character is dumb enough to fall for him? I guess if anyone could make it work, seems like it might be Stanwyck and Fonda...but I have to say that the darn thing just isn't believable.
The generally disappointing script does include some snappy dialog as well as some good bits for supporting players. Stuffy butler Melville Cooper lords it over Fonda's household and offers slyly bemused commentary on his employer's habits and the upheaval in the household. Edgar Buchanan is good fun as the crusty old gardener who offers down-to-earth pearls of wisdom.
Overall, the cast makes it almost worth watching, and the production certainly looks good. There are some closeup shots of both Stanwyck and Fonda that are quite beautiful.
Yes, it is a silly plot. And it's not dated material so much as it just seems to lack any motivation for the lead characters to behave the way they do: Henry Fonda's character is an unimpressive whiner and Stanwyck's character is dumb enough to fall for him? I guess if anyone could make it work, seems like it might be Stanwyck and Fonda...but I have to say that the darn thing just isn't believable.
The generally disappointing script does include some snappy dialog as well as some good bits for supporting players. Stuffy butler Melville Cooper lords it over Fonda's household and offers slyly bemused commentary on his employer's habits and the upheaval in the household. Edgar Buchanan is good fun as the crusty old gardener who offers down-to-earth pearls of wisdom.
Overall, the cast makes it almost worth watching, and the production certainly looks good. There are some closeup shots of both Stanwyck and Fonda that are quite beautiful.
This movie's for you if...
vincentlynch-moonoi9 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
...if you don't mind taking 84 minutes to tell one joke -- the husband in insanely and stupidly jealous. That's the plot. The whole plot. As the cop says when a crowd gathers, "Nothing to see here folks. Move along." I think both Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck are absolutely top-notch actors. But this film stinks. It's a total waste of 84 minutes. I kept thinking that with a cast like this, it has to get better. It didn't. It even starts out bad with the worse fake skiing I've ever seen in movie.
Now I mentioned 84 minutes, but the film lasts 94 minutes. That last 10 minutes is okay, since all we really need is a happy ending. Right? You know what the most interesting part of the film was? Seeing character actor Edgar Buchanan in a subdued role. Ruth Donnelly, another great character actor, has a nice supporting role here, as well.
I rarely give a rating as low as a "5", but here I considered going lower.
Now I mentioned 84 minutes, but the film lasts 94 minutes. That last 10 minutes is okay, since all we really need is a happy ending. Right? You know what the most interesting part of the film was? Seeing character actor Edgar Buchanan in a subdued role. Ruth Donnelly, another great character actor, has a nice supporting role here, as well.
I rarely give a rating as low as a "5", but here I considered going lower.
nice, maybe
Kirpianuscus28 April 2018
One of films so predictable than, except the actors, nothing could become interesting. the problem is not exactly the story or the vision of director or the cliches but the impression to discover, more and more, not the inspired choices. Henry Fonda is far to be credible as playboy/ rich man/ jealous husband . the story is for him a huge ice field in which each step is a fall. Barbara Stanwyck has great efforts for build a convincing character. but dr. Helen Hunt is just a sort of weather vane. Roger Clark looks for the right tone for his Vandemer. but the character is like a puzzle with too many lost peaces. the virtue ? it is a perfect film for the viewer who needs a refuge against blockbusters of the new milennium, familiar actors, easy stories and who real has low expectations.
So outdated
judyolsz14 July 2018
Stinker
gbill-748775 January 2018
I adore Barbara Stanwyck, but this one is a real stinker folks. Fonda is whiny, histrionic, and tedious in the role of a millionaire who marries a doctor (Stanwyck), only to get immediately jealous of the demands on her time, and her male patients. Stanwyck has some nice lines ostensibly standing up for women's rights early on, but all that is thrown away as she caves in for the silliest of reasons. She is completely unbelievable as a doctor, mainly because of the script. I won't spoil it in case you actually want to watch it (don't!), but you may actually feel vomit creeping up in your throat as the story plays out, that is, unless you're hooting at the screen too hard. Ah, the poor rich white man, with wives not content to stay at home, and unable to take a job lest they displace someone less fortunate from the work force.
Even if you suspend disbelief, or cut the movie some giant slack since it was made over 75 years ago, there is no chemistry between Stanwyck and Fonda, and their sudden romance is unbelievable. Even Stanwyck's make-up is bad, with her lipstick well above her lip line in most scenes. It may have been an attempt to make her lips appear fuller, but it looks sloppy and unappealing. The only thing of interest for me was at the very beginning - the scenes on the ski slopes, which, while silly, have the lithe and svelte Stanwyck in her ski pants. Skip this one, and if you're interested in a 1941 Stanwyck film, watch either 'The Lady Eve' (paired with Fonda) or 'Ball of Fire' (with Gary Cooper), both of which were excellent.
Even if you suspend disbelief, or cut the movie some giant slack since it was made over 75 years ago, there is no chemistry between Stanwyck and Fonda, and their sudden romance is unbelievable. Even Stanwyck's make-up is bad, with her lipstick well above her lip line in most scenes. It may have been an attempt to make her lips appear fuller, but it looks sloppy and unappealing. The only thing of interest for me was at the very beginning - the scenes on the ski slopes, which, while silly, have the lithe and svelte Stanwyck in her ski pants. Skip this one, and if you're interested in a 1941 Stanwyck film, watch either 'The Lady Eve' (paired with Fonda) or 'Ball of Fire' (with Gary Cooper), both of which were excellent.
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