(91 min) Released 1938-05-06
Director: Tay Garnett
Stars: Irene Dunne, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Alice Brady, Guy Kibbee, Lucille Ball, Jean Dixon, Eric Blore
Genres: Comedy | Musical | Romance
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030293/
Although the Soundtracks page lists 6 songs, this doesn't feel like a musical to me. That certainly makes me feel better about elevating College Swing to a 7-.
Although this disappoints as a musical, it's a pleasant film. The stars and supporting players are likable and well suited to their roles. Eric Blore and Jean Dixon really add tang to the flavors. Lucille Ball has a substantial role (she had 8 other films since we last saw her in Follow the Fleet ('36)), and she's terrific as the ungrateful spoiled sister (Broadway musical star ID is carrying her parents, sister+husband+twins, and 3 staff).
This is a dropping-out-of-the-rat-race film, ala Holiday (released in June; this was in May). The philosophy here is wholesome hedonism. Fairbanks owns a cargo ship and a South Pacific island (the natives call it Paradise) and spends most of his time there. While in New York, he strives to enjoy himself on $2/day. (According to this site, that would be $33.53, or $1020/mo in 2017 money; I suppose if he sleeps on the ship... I spend more money than that, but he's advocating an anti-consumerist lifestyle. He'd have a lot less cargo opportunity if everyone adopted that stance.)
I decided to watch Holiday before finishing this post. It's a very different film, and the protagonist is striving for his alternate lifestyle, where this one is well-established there. In Holiday the lead has never had money and is just tasting success; here he had enough money to buy an island and a cargo ship. Oddly, Jean Dixon is in Holiday too, also rooting for the anti-money stance.
DFjr is very handsome and ID sings and acts well. I think my "would you recommend it" threshold is warped by imagining those who never watch b/w films. Or maybe I just have trouble with the ending.
RKO, dir. Garnett; 6+
