Reviews

Danny Kaye may be the least transferable comedian to the post 1940s. The Court Jester stands up against anything, anytime, period. The FIve Pennies is not a comedy and is fabulous. Basically everything else varies between overdone, momentarily humorous, and painful. This one combines the first and second. The boxing scenes are hilarious. The rest is embarrassing, with especially bad music because the picture does not know if it's a musical or a piece of crap. As for the rest of the cast, Eve Arden stands out as a stalwart, if only because the rest of them are trying so hard to convince us that this is funny. VIrginia Mayo does her best with horrible material. In her defense, "Old Fashioned Song" is not awful; indeed, it's quite pleasant.

Of the $16000 this movie apparently made, 12 dollars were mine. I saw this twice when it first came out. There's something about this movie that is spellbinding. Treat Williams, Laura Dern, Elizabeth Berridge, and Marry Kay Place are perfect in their roles, even if they are more ambiguous than real. Did anything actually happen? Is this "The Turn of the Screw" in California? Maybe I'm reading more into it than exists, but it's worth watching, if only for the acting.

Funny, clever, unassuming, well-cast, and brilliantly acted by an all-star (Harry Potter) cast. Did I mention it was funny? The plot is silly, but even that's a plus. Bathtubs down the stairs (in the trailer) and marmalade sandwiches exploding pneumatic transfer systems are just the beginning of the hi-jinx. And good-on Delores Umbridge to catch Dumbledore. Watch it and laugh; then watch it again and laugh harder.