Oustanding Grant Film
Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors and certainly my favorite of that era. His comedic films are light and funny. This one had a more serious tone, but I kind of wish they had gone for more drama. The setting and subject matter deserved a more serious tone, but some of the pratfalls and jokes fell flat because it didn't feel right in this film. Grant's demeanor in some of the invasion scenes just felt off.
I've never been a fan of Ginger Rogers and nothing about this role changed that. She is gorgeous and is a wonderful dancer, but her acting leaves a lot to be desired. I didn't sense the chemistry between her and Grant was all that remarkable and the romance felt forced.
Having said all that, the film is wonderfully done. Grant plays Patrick O'Toole, a reporter trying to get the scoop on the wedding of Roger's Katie O'Hara and her husband, Baron Von Luber, played by a dastardly Walter Slezak. He oddly falls in love with from first sight and sets about tailing the pair across Europe. The backdrop of the Nazi's invasion of Europe is well handled and makes for an interesting plot. Once Katie realizes her husband is a Nazi sympathizer, she flees with Patrick. Through an elaborate set up, the pair are confused by the Nazis as Jews. The scene of them sitting with all the other refugees and remarking on both their own plight as well of those of the real Jews was pretty powerful.
On the lighter side, the scene at the end on the ship where Rogers is trying to explain that she just dumped her ex-husband over the side is comedic gold. Grant's inability to grasp what she is trying to tell him and Rogers' consternation at not being able to get the point across was hilarious.
The unevenness of the tone I think hurt the overall story in my eyes. Grant is a great comedic actor, but he also does well with serious issues. I think this film would have played better as a drama and left the comedy for other films. Still, I found myself glued to the characters and the plot. A few edits here or there and this would have been an instant classic.
My memory foam pillow says it can't remember my face. I can tell its lying.