Ehekomödie

In "That Uncertain Feeling", good performances by the three lead actors give some life to a rather simplistic story. It is a mildly amusing movie, but there isn't enough to the plot or the script to make it any more than that.

Melvyn Douglas and Merle Oberon play a married couple who seem to be reasonably content, but a chance meeting between the wife and an eccentric pianist (Burgess Meredith) suddenly threatens their whole marriage. Rather than choosing direct confrontation, the husband tries to use psychology to turn the situation in his favor, leading to some comic situations that only partially come off.

The three leads are all pretty good, especially Meredith, who has the liveliest role. And Ernst Lubitsch directs with his usual dapper style. But there isn't really much of a story, and the behavior of the characters, while generally humorous, is too often completely implausible. So the movie is really never more than mildly entertaining.

This will probably only be of particular interest to those who are fans of the director or one of the stars.

Loved "That Uncertain Feeling" (1941)! Here, a superb, substantive, yet oft-times simultaneously silly, screenplay (adapted from the stage) meets first-rate actors. (The beautiful Merle Oberon is at her comedic best.) What makes this a must-see film is the palpable pathos swirling just beneath it all. In lesser hands (actors and writers all) this might've fallen into the snidely melodramatic or the mildly comedic.

By the by, who says the feeling man is dead? The reviews give credence to the fact that-- whether in their teens, twenties, or, like me, in their fifties-- men enjoy romantic comedies as much as women. I suspect that any polls showing otherwise are eschew for the very reason that too many films today use a "straw man," where the male lead isn't much more than duplicitous, a nitwit, a heel (or all three). In "That Uncertain Feeling," a certain maturity and balance rules the writers. Sure, men AND women's flaws come to the fore, but as (or more)importantly, both sexes' attributes are on show, too, to boot. If the writer creates, equally, humorously offensive male and female characters, then it actually mirrors the real world while not playing partisan sexual politics. Do that and movie theatres will be swarming with women AND men, maybe like in days of old...like those when I, too, was young.

Suffering from hiccups and insomnia, beautiful Manhattan socialite Merle Oberon (as Jill) feels neglected by successful insurance peddling husband Melvyn Douglas (as Larry Baker). While seeing psychoanalyst Alan Mowbray (as Vengard), Ms. Oberon meets fellow patient Burgess Meredith (as Alexander Sebastian), a troubled pianist. As Oberon and Mr. Meredith grow closer, Mr. Douglas tries "reverse psychology" to win back his wife. Meanwhile, secretary Eve Arden (as Sally Aikens) may move in on Douglas.

This lesser Ernst Lubitsch offering was a re-make of the director's silent "Kiss Me Again" (1925), which made the critically polled "Film Daily" and "Motion Picture" magazine's annual year's best lists. Unfortunately, the original is presently a "lost" film. "That Uncertain Feeling" was a letdown after "Ninotchka" (1939) and "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940). But, it's definitely not awful. Douglas is in good form, particularly during the last act. Oberon wears some sexy outfits, especially during the early running.

****** That Uncertain Feeling (4/17/41) Ernst Lubitsch ~ Merle Oberon, Melvyn Douglas, Burgess Meredith, Eve Arden

Just a quick observation: It is my impression that the reason TUF is such a neglected gem appears to be the unwillingness of audiences, both in 1941 and to this day, to accept Lubitsch's melding of his own European style with the then-popular American 'screwball comedy' genre. I don't think either the ordinary American audiences who liked their comedy broader, or the European audiences - along with intellectual sophisticates in the US - ever understood, and certainly never accepted, this hybrid.

I think that's a shame, because I like the film, and find it both witty and hilarious, and abundantly blessed with the sort of intelligence and polish which makes Lubitsch films a sheer delight.

There's a lot of talent here: Merle Oberon, Melvyn Douglas, Burgess Meredith, Ernst Lubitsch. Where the talent was lacking was in the script. It just isn't very clever. Everyone tries their best - it was a potentially great role for Meredith - but they can only do so much with a dull script. So, while there are occasional funny moments here, the movie as a whole is pretty much a dud.

More's the shame, since, as I said, there was so much talent here.