This movie has madness and a few zany scenes. But I think the accolades of many for Preston Sturges having a great comedy here are overblown. "The Palm Beach Story" is funny, but only in parts. And, some of those are strained. The goings-on of the Ale and Quail Club soon wear out. And Claudette Colbert's hiding from the gang on the train isn't worth any howls.
The premise for the story is OK, and far out. Unfortunately, Colbert's Gerry Jeffers is too "logical" and explanatory with hubby Tom, played by Joel McCrea. And, McCrea is just too dour for most of the comedy. That always serious, almost stern look of his was OK for Westerns, but it wasn't great for most of his comedy efforts. The one exception being, "Adventure in Manhattan" of 1936. Colbert and McCrea don't have much chemistry in this film. Someone like Fred MacMurray would be able to play the straight face, serious look for real comedic effect.
I think the best comedy of this film comes from Rudy Vallee as J.D. Hackensacker III, and from Mary Astor as his sister, Princess Centimillia. Vallee's character is funny in himself – fast-talking and always writing costs of items in his little black book. And Astor's princess has some of the funniest lines in the movie.
The movie is okay and enjoyable. But it's not full of laughable scenes and lines. It's not up there with the best comedies of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Here are a couple examples of the witty dialog.
J.D., "Chivalry is not only dead, it's decomposed."
Gerry, "No, I don't want to listen to anything that begins with 'Look, darling,' so that you can get off another noble saying."
J.D., "That's one of the tragedies of this life – that the men who are most in need of a beating are always enormous."
The premise for the story is OK, and far out. Unfortunately, Colbert's Gerry Jeffers is too "logical" and explanatory with hubby Tom, played by Joel McCrea. And, McCrea is just too dour for most of the comedy. That always serious, almost stern look of his was OK for Westerns, but it wasn't great for most of his comedy efforts. The one exception being, "Adventure in Manhattan" of 1936. Colbert and McCrea don't have much chemistry in this film. Someone like Fred MacMurray would be able to play the straight face, serious look for real comedic effect.
I think the best comedy of this film comes from Rudy Vallee as J.D. Hackensacker III, and from Mary Astor as his sister, Princess Centimillia. Vallee's character is funny in himself – fast-talking and always writing costs of items in his little black book. And Astor's princess has some of the funniest lines in the movie.
The movie is okay and enjoyable. But it's not full of laughable scenes and lines. It's not up there with the best comedies of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Here are a couple examples of the witty dialog.
J.D., "Chivalry is not only dead, it's decomposed."
Gerry, "No, I don't want to listen to anything that begins with 'Look, darling,' so that you can get off another noble saying."
J.D., "That's one of the tragedies of this life – that the men who are most in need of a beating are always enormous."