Dir: George Stevens (1943)
FINALLY. Kat has been yammering about this movie for as long as I can remember and I know I've never had a good enough reason for letting it go unseen, but the curse is lifted at last!, as is my lifelong apathy towards Joel McCrea. Forgive me for letting it get this far.
Bad: Despite the many endearing characters he's played, Charles Coburn has always looked like a creepy little pig to me. I found that distracting for the first half of the movie, but then JM came in to shine and I had more important things to think about.
Good: My conversion to the Cult of Joel McCrea Love can be pinpointed to the moment that he started snarking at Charles Coburn. I love a snarky man, especially one who can do a little shimmy-one-two-step when he likes. Not to be neglected is the lovely Jean Arthur, who is one of the only leading ladies I've ever seen (besides Deanna Durbin) who has a booty! Her dancing alone in her bedroom was one of my favorite movie moments.
Summary: It was adorable. It was funny, clever, full of banter and some of the best screen chemistry of all time. Plus, any movie with a scene like this deserves credit for something:
I rest my case.
Stars: 4.5 of 5
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