I'm convinced that some of the brilliance of this little gem must come via inspiration for the writers gleaned from It Happened One Night. I do not know Bette Davis's oeuvre well enough to be sure, but I'll bet one dollar she never regretted doing this screwball comedy. She performs her romantic co-lead beautifully,
and she surely looks like she's having a great deal of fun doing it. James Cagney too, I think, is very often only remembered for his dramatic roles, more specifically, his heavy dramatic roles. But when you see him romping through this fluffy little fairy-tale romance, you can't help but notice both that he is a very good comedic actor and that he seems to be enjoying himself as well. For Davis fans and for Cagney fans this is a must-see, and for huge Jack Carson fans like me, this should not be missed. As all of his fans know only too well (and usually hate) poor Jack Carson gets the raw end of the deal again : ) He really does make any film he's in better. Truly a remarkable actor.
January 11, 2011
