What Works, What Doesn't in TURNABOUT
What works -
The excellent supporting cast, probably the best ever for a Hal Roach film.
The elegant set designs, easily the most lavish ever for a Hal Roach film.
John Hubbard's adventurous performance as the sex-changed Sally. Hard to imagine many of his contemporary actors diving into the part so unflinchingly.
The final gag, which is quite amazingly passed the censorship boards.
What doesn't work -
Sally (as Tim) and Tim (as Sally) keeping their original sex voices. I imagine this was done to keep the audience always in mind that the two had changed places (as if they could forget a little thing like that!) or maybe a belief the actors couldn't "essay" the new sex as well with their own voices. It also appears Carole Landis wasn't as successful as dubbing in her voice into John Hubbard's mouthing as well as he could do it for her, sometimes she a few seconds off and John's mouth is moving before we hear anything. This bit also doesn't work in relation to the supporting cast, who all recognize the strangeness of the person's voice and yet fail to notice it as that of their spouse whom they all know.
Carole Landis could have been better, certainly another actress could have. She wasn't really a strong enough comedienne or actress for the part. Oddly enough, she seems more inept playing Sally! Her opening scene in bed is particularly a misstep.
The bit with the excellent character actor Franklin Pangborn. Pangborn was a terrific comedian, always a little prissy and suggestively gay but here it's kind of offensive that Tim is so hostile to him, the presumption being he can't stand Pangborn because he's gay. Certainly a big shot executive would have kept such a prejudice to themselves when concerning a important cilent like Pangborn. He may have mocked him behind his back but he would have never avoided him. Later, the now Sally-is-Tim and Pangborn hit it off swimmingly as if Pangborn was just some silly little queen to gossip with, not a powerful industry figure. It's probably the most degrading role Franklin ever had to play and one feels sorry for the real life man having to be ridiculed so personally on this level.
The silliness that Sally-as-Tim would be so mortified to see male models posing in underwear. She's a New York sophisticate after all, let's face it Sally as probably seen more men than just her husband in their drawers pre-marriage.
Sally-as-Tim spilling the beans about Sally's "cousin" during a business meeting. There's a difference between being a woman and being stupid and surely Sally would have had the brains to know this was all a set-up Tim had to have been aware of and that it was all done to woo that cilent into resigning with the company.
The bear on the loose bit. Huh??