The Magnificent Dope

If you've read my reviews, you know I have a saying about Henry Fonda: he's gorgeous until he opens his mouth. Well, folks, I'm happy to report that there's a movie where he's so cute his winy voice just doesn't matter: The Magnificent Dope. He's absolutely adorable!

Don Ameche plays the head of a success school that's about to go out of business. He doesn't have any students and he's in debt to his eyeballs, but his faithful sidekick Edward Everett Horton and his patient girlfriend Lynn Bari help him cook up a scheme to gain national publicity: set up a contest to find the biggest loser and turn him into a success. Henry Fonda wins the prize. He's an unemployed, loafing fisherman from a small town. But the only trouble is, he's happy being a flop! He loves being lazy and has no interest in becoming ambitious. Don sends his girlfriend to motivate Hank, but she does too good of a job...

Even though he's supposed to be a terrible coach with horrid advice, some of the things Don says are very funny and quite true. "Wives seldom believe in insurance. Widows always do." He emphasizes the importance of a clean-cut appearance, a firm handshake, and a confident smile. So even though he's not exactly the hero in the story, you're still rooting for him to have a happy ending. Not as much as you're on Team Fonda, though. Who would have thought the normally wooden Henry would be able to act so naturally goofy?

With cute, peppy silver screen music by four great composers, Emil Newman, Leigh Harline, Cyril J. Mockridge, and David Raksin, and an adorable ending, this forgotten gem is not to be missed. It's by far my favorite Henry Fonda movie - if this were the first movie I'd seen him in, I'd love him forever. What a cutie pie!

Yet he is, in this movie, a charming and sly country vs city tale. Fonda is the title character. He is chosen as a prime loser who can take Don Ameche's positive thinking course: If he can come through it, the cynical Ameche and his sidekicks reason, anyone can. And others will try.

Edward Everett Horton is one of these sidekicks, as is Bari, his mink-wearing secretary.

Fonda is from rural Vermont and teaches everyone in New York a thing or two himself. He wins over a famous financier, who promptly retires to enjoy life. He shows all and sundry how to relax. And he pines for Bari.

It's a cute idea, which twists and turns several times before its ending. The premise resembles a far less cynical and cruel "Curtain Call" -- which is an infinitely better, less conflicted, movie.

This movie contains some incredibly racist lines. It was obviously aimed at southern belief system. I wouldn't let my kids watch it. Lynn Bari makes remarks about Louise Beavers making a cake with her "lilly white hands". Louise Beavers basically says she can't read. Then during the actual party scene Don Ameche sings in a pseudo black voice.

On the other side the movie does have some very fun scenes but some of the lines are not funny and unnecessary to the plot of the movie.

The clothing in this movie is fabulous. Lyn Bari's outfits are quite fashionable. I don't think she ever looked better in a movie.

Henry Fonda, Don Ameche and Everett Horton play their usual excellent comedic roles. Good for a quick laugh.

The city of New York is home to millions of people who desire to become successful in business. Thus a man like Dwight Dawson (Don Ameche) believes he can teach any candidate how to succeed in business without really trying. Dawson is worried however that his school is lacking students and therefore needs to increase his student body count by offering a $500.00 prize and a free 8 week course to the Laziest man in the country. He hopes by transforming a failure into a go-getting success, his school will flourish. His contest selects Thadeus Winship Page (Henry Fonda) who is selected, but has no ambition to change who or what he is, that is until he meets and falls in love with Dawsons' assistant, Lynn Bari (Claire Harris) who along with Horace Hunter (Edward Everett Horton) strive to make him unhappy with himself. The original story originated with Joseph Schrank and is further directed by Walter Lange who combine to creates a wonderful film that is fun for the entire family. Indeed, audiences reacted well to the movie, so much so, both Fonda and Ameche launched their careers with it. In the end, the entire cast should be credited with this milestone. Excellent viewing. ****

Peter Gibbons, meet Thadeus "call me Tad" Page. Selling life insurance may have been the 1940's equivalent of a cubicle job, but in any case Tad Page doesn't take to it much better than Peter Gibbons did in "Office Space", and they both appreciate fishing. Henry Fonda is the perfect personality for demonstrating the value of well-timed laziness. Don Ameche was either Alexander Graham Bell or a pleasant schemer in his films (until "Trading Places" at least) and his Dwight Dawson-ambitious-man-with-a-gimmick is nicely drawn here. I also appreciated the subtle manner in which the tune "Lazy Bones" was woven unobtrusively into the background during Fonda's scenes. Watch for it on TCM; worth your time.