That Way with Women

The usual romance story, with a couple different subplots going on. You have the man vs. female misunderstandings and high-society dame vs. the common man battles, with racketeers and the police sniffing around. Stars Dane Clark and Martha Vickers, who had both been making films for a couple years. Also has big names Sydney Greenstreet with his usual, famous guffaw and Alan Hale, who was in almost every single movie made in the 1930s and 1940s. The story is a bit convoluted, which is probably why they don't show it very often. It's pleasant enough to watch, but they do everything except take a rocket to the moon. The best role in this must have been the costume designer Leah Rhodes, who has Martha Vickers dolled up in exquisite dresses and hats throughout. Rhodes won the 1950 Oscar for costumes in Don Juan, a couple years after this one. Directed by Fred DeCordova, who also produced and directed Johnny Carson all those years.

From the cast principals (Clark, Vickers, & Greenstreet), I was expecting moody lighting, a stylish snarl, and maybe a .45 slug to the gut. But no. Instead the two guys are humorous and nice, while Vickers is not looking for just anything in pants. Still, it's only a mild comedy, at best. Wealthy old man Alden (Greenstreet) takes a shine to working stiff Wilson (Clark), equipping him with a super modern gas station, except Wilson doesn't know Alden's true identity. Meanwhile, a white-collar gang of extortionists tries to muscle in on the highly profitable set-up. Sounds convoluted because it is, especially when Alden's snappish daughter (Vickers) is added to the mix.

Most of the comedy comes from the mix-up of true identities. Seems poor Wilson doesn't know who anyone really is. Greenstreet's both tough and amiable, which helps create the proper tongue-in-cheek mood, while Clark manages a regular guy attitude to go along with his blue-collar looks. Plus, Vickers is drop-dead beautiful, but has a very waspish attitude. Her barbs with Wilson, however, lend humorous grit to the proceedings. But the movie never really gels as a comedy, while the extortion angle seems an unneeded and unamusing complication. Too bad Alan Hale's typically jovial character doesn't get more screen time. The real problem, however, is with the slack direction. Whatever deCordova's skills as director of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, they don't show here. Instead, there's no needed snap or drive to heighten the slender comedic effect. Thus, the movie unfolds in strictly pedestrian fashion.

All in all, the movie's chief attraction may be in seeing some well-known 40's actors playing outside their usual stereotypes. Certainly, it's a chance to catch the one-&-only Greenstreet doing something besides sitting in a chair and looking gruffly sinister.

Dane Clark's hair remains a distraction; that any leading man should look like a cheap $5.00 party wig was provided as part of costuming/makeup shall forever remain a mystery. Whenever Dane appeared on screen it would appear a pompadour was glued about his head. Of the many romance comedies on TCM from the 1930s and 40s, this singular distraction of a leading man is comical in its own right.

This light-hearted, lightweight comedy is also a romance, since the story revolves around the (far-fetched) falling in love of two main characters.

But the film's significance orbits Sydney Greenstreet's portrayal of J.P. Alden, an automobile magnate who has moved to sunny Pasadena and now follows the orders of his doctor, his wife and his daughter--who are concerned for his health. He is cantankerous and bored. He longs for the old days, when he could eat whatever he preferred and he could work on cars.

After a series of coincidences and Alden's assumption of a false identity, he finds a way to assuage his cravings. Soon he is smiling again and ditching the pharmaceuticals. There's a solid message here for those who lose sight of their heart's desires.

It's nice to see Greenstreet in a comedy. And there are some notable appearances by recognizable character actors, notably Ian Wolfe as L. B. Crandall, Alden's personal attorney.

The mating dance between boy and girl is fairly routine (no surprises), but the real joy of this film is watching Sydney's character blossom and learn to self-actualize again.

It seems reviewers look for the major stars and the big laughs -- and if they don't find them, relegate a film to 'B' status. This film has no leading man/leading woman who was a glamour aficionado, but it doesn't need one. The strength of this film lies in the plot, the solid acting by the principals, and the powerful entertainment value the film provides to the audience.

I saw this film for the first time last night and was dumbstruck by how good it was. Rather than downloading current movies to my DVR and being surprised by how bad they were and then deleting them, when watching "That Way With Women" I was thoroughly entertained. This is another classic movie that is not well known today -- perhaps because it was not an MGM property, or perhaps it wasn't distributed well at the time to get publicity. Who knows? But I do know this is a gem and it would be well worth your time to watch and enjoy this classic from 1947.