Bachelor Mother (1939)

This is a little gem starring none other than Ginger Rogers and David Niven. It revolves around Polly Parish (Rogers) being mistaken for the mother of an orphan baby boy. Niven plays David Merlin who is willing to help Polly with the child.

I have always enjoyed both Rogers' movies and Niven's. Especially Niven because he had a very easy and charming presence. Rogers was at her best when she got to show off her comedic talents (not to say she didn't have dramatic chops, she did win an Oscar for Kitty Foyle [1940] after all). But she'll always be immortalised by being Fred Astaire's best and most frequent partner, a bit of a shame when she was so good.

The film has it's weak points, the close ups are far too frequent and become a little tiresome. This is just my opinion, some people might not really care about close ups. Another flaw was that there were a few plot holes and here and there. Clearly it was no masterpiece. Just an enjoyable screwball comedy with mistaken identities and strange situations. Like most screwballs, why break awat from such a winning formula anyway?

Garson Kanin is the man whom we blame the close ups on, but otherwise he directed the film quite capably. The supporting cast kept the ball rolling with Charles Coburn as a brilliant wet blanket and Frank Albertson as a flimsy and slightly annoying character. Donald Duck is also featured throughout the film. That's right, well, he was there as a mechanical wind-up toy but he was there!

It's no Bringing up Baby (1938) or His Girl Friday (1940) but it was a charming little film. Nowadays we'd call it 'fun but not memorable'. Note that i said 'not memorable' rather than 'forgettable'. Because it's not forgettable, it's more unremarkable. But what would have been a tiresomely unremarkable film was lifted up by the chemistry of Niven and Rogers.

"I dont care who the father is- i'm the grandfather" J.B Merlin (Charles Coburn), Bachelor Mother

My Second Serving of Duck Soup

I watched Duck Soup again recently and have a wildly different opinion. I saw the lines as inspired and witty, in fact i laughed in every scene and at 98% of what the Marx Bros said/did (the other 2% i was shewing people away from my room). I found the songs, while not cute and catchy to be very funny (especially the first song that Groucho sings).

Now i didn't feel thirsty, but i must say that i only ever feel thirsty while i watch musical comedies, while this was musical it's far more comedy than musical and i suppose that my feelings prior to watching it had an effect on my viewing skills, (hence why i always watch things twice). I have written the film down to buy, along with several other Marx Bros films that i think i shall enjoy (and even if i don't i can just keep them in my movie cabinet to look good). It's such a shame the this was Zeppo's last film his brothers, despite his small role in it i liked seeing him there for some reason. *Sigh* Groucho, Harpo, Chico and sometimes Zeppo will always be how people say who was in the Marx's Bros films.

While i still don't believe it was a masterful comedy (although i can see why many people say otherwise) i think if i watch again i will enjoy it even more. This is the kind of movie i like, the kind that i can watch over again and enjoy even more. Very few films make me feel like this. I think i enjoyed it more the second time because i watched it alone, the first time i watched it with my dad who talks through movies and doesn't 'get' certain styles of comedy. So i suppose i didn't 'get' it at first because he caused me to miss bits of it.

I don't think i would recommend it to any of my friends since they think that Disaster Movie was funny so clearly have bad senses when it comes to good comedy movies, so no i wouldn't recommend it to them, but to other people who are way different to them. Anyway i enjoyed it much more the second time and am sure that if i see it a third time (i have to take it back to the rental shop tomorrow) it'll be a joy to watch.

"I'll see you at the opera tonight, i'll hold your seat till you get there. After you get there you're on your own" Rufus T. Firefly

A Marxist fellow who was a bit of a Grouch....

Mr Groucho Marx may be one of the funniest men i have ever had the pleasure of watching on that tremendous website we call YouTube. He is well remembered for the Elephant joke in Animal Crackers.

You may remember that i gave a rather unfavorable review of the Marx Brothers classic Duck Soup recently, i want you to know that by know means does that mean that they weren't funny. It's just i didn't enjoy that particular film. Anyway Groucho is my favourite. He always seemed to have something to say and it was always clever and his snappy ad libs run rings around the comedy of Adam Sandler, everyone involved in The Hangover and Jerry Seinfeld (although i admit to being a fan).


Here are just a few Groucho quotes.... 

• I wish you'd keep my hands to yourself.
• Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.
• Women should be obscene and not heard.
• Ice Water? Get some Onions - that'll make your eyes water!
• Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana
• Here's to our wives and girlfriends...may they never meet!
• A man's only as old as the woman he feels.
• If you want to see a comic strip, you should see me in the shower
• Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.
• Although it is generally known, I think it's about time to announce that I was born at a very early age

i like the one about the comic strip. So anyway the guy was great and i especially like the way he talked, it was.. well it had that comic quality. Bugs Bunny! his voice had the same quality of Clark Gables that reminds me of Bugs Bunny. Just listen to the clip above of the elephant joke.


i think that i wouldn't have as much respect for classic comics (there once was a time where i thought that Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny were the be all and end all of comedy). I have to say that upon re-watching Duck Soup i enjoyed it far more, i like the songs more as well, so yes i think i like the movie as a whole. This is why i watch things twice. Stand vy for a post on my re-watching of Duck Soup.


"Anyone who says they can see through women is missing a lot" Groucho Marx