Dulcy

"Not So Dumb" is a movie you'll probably love or hate...and I could easily see someone hating it. After all, it's the story of a ditsy and obnoxious woman who talks nonstop....and a little of this does go a long way.

The story starts with Mr. Forbes and his family arriving in California for a big business deal with Gordy. Gordy's fiancee, Dulcy (Marion Davies) insists that she host Forbes and his family for the weekend. However, it's obvious Forbes isn't interested and only goes because his wife and daughter want to go.

From the minute the guests arrive, Dulcy talks nonstop and tries way too hard to make sure Forbes has a great time. But she also NEVER listens to him nor his body language and instead thrusts various things on him...insisting he'll have a great time...which he obviously is NOT having. So what's to come of this big business deal after Dulcy annoys Forbes half to death?

Marion Davies works very hard to be flighty and annoying....but the problem is that she really IS quite annoying. This made the film hard going for me....I found a little of Dulcy goes a long way...and making her less abrasive might have made for a better film. Apparently, I am not alone in this sentiment, as the film lost money and the public mostly avoided it.

By the way, if you do watch, you might be shocked when Dulcy tosses out the N-word in the middle of the movie. It seemed to come from the middle of no where and no doubt will offend some!

This was an egregious misfire, considering the talent involved. I kept waiting for a belly laugh or even a chuckle, but I could barely force one throughout the picture. Marion Davies was a talented comedienne, but here her timing seemed off and she appeared ill at ease with the material. All I could think of was that this must have worked better onstage, as it was adapted from a play by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly, two of the biggest names on Broadway at the time. To top that, the Director was King Vidor, one of Hollywood's best. I thought the website rating was overly generous by half, which is what I rated it; half of it.

Not So Dumb (1930)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

The third film between director King Vidor and star Marion Davies isn't in the same league as SHOW PEOPLE or THE PATSY and really comes off as a major disappointment. Based on the play Dulcy, Davis plays that character, a blond moron who tries to help her boyfriend get his foot in the door of a big business by inviting his boss and his wife over for the weekend. Once there, Dulcy plays host to try and make herself appear smarter than she actually is. I've said this about a lot of films from this era but here it goes again. This is an early talkie that is so impressed by the fact that words can be heard that it never knows when to shut up. You can tell Davies and Vidor aren't too comfortable with the new format because it's hard to look at this film and see any of the director's trademarks. The film looks rather ugly and some of the editing will leave you scratching your head and wondering if only one take was done on certain scenes and they had to cut away from it quickly. Davies, God bless her, gives it her all but it seems Vidor just let her go off in any direction and the end result is a bit of a mess. Her character is a complete idiot and Davies gets this across just fine but after a while she starts to get very annoying because she's reduced to silly facial gestures and various facial "shock" moves. Franklin Pangborn steals the show as Leach and George Davis is also good as the rather strange butler. Fans of Davies will probably watch this no matter what but the only others that might be mildly interested are those interested in early talkies. I'm sure they've had to sit through some pretty rough films so this here is yet another. I've yet to see the original 1923 version or the remake in 1940.

There is absolutely no bias against early talkies, despite giving a low rating and negative review to 'Not so Dumb'. The title alone gave the feeling of not to expect much, so expectations were not exactly high. There is also no bias against Marion Davies, who was a natural in comedy, or against King Vidor, responsible for silent film greats 'The Big Parade' and 'The Crowd' (high recommendations if you haven't seen them already).

'Not So Dumb' just doesn't work and redeeming qualities are sadly few. There are far better Davies vehicles, more her early work than later, of which 'Not So Dumb' is very much a lesser one and doesn't show her in a good light. And it is for me definitely among Vidor's worst, not a patch on the best of his silents and he even did better later. Neither of them are well served and neither of them, after solid careers in silents, seemed comfortable here with the still in infancy talkie film medium.

What redeems 'Not So Dumb' a little is the supporting cast, all doing very well with what they're given. Amusing George Davis comes off best.

Did like the costumes and sets which were quite elegant.

A word that can't be used describing the rest of the production values sadly. Most of 'Not So Dumb' looks cheap, with very static camerawork that is very restricted and never opens up or feels cinematic and editing that lacks cohesion. Davies' comedic chops are not in sight in a very strident and over-compensated performance that has no subtlety whatsoever. Making her character incredibly irritating. Vidor's direction is very ill at ease and like he didn't know what he was doing.

Furthermore, the sound is very distorted which makes some of the dialogue hard to hear. Not that it was worth hearing anyway, with it being so stilted and unintentionally camp. The story would have been out of date and old-fashioned at the time and creaks badly now, it is slight and when there is a story discernible it is neither interesting or natural. The length is not long but the dullness of the pacing and lack of interest or connection with the story makes it feel longer than it actually is.

On the whole, pretty weak failure and to be for completest sake pretty much only. 3/10

In 1930 taking advantage of the fact that sound demanded that the movies now have lots of dialog what was better than a play where the title character keeps a constant stream of chatter. Not So Dumb was the first sound version of the George S. Kaufman-Marc Connelly play Dulcy and had Lynne Fontanne as its star on Broadway. A silent version of the play was made in 1923 that starred Norma Talmadge.

Every reassessment of Marion Davies has always said that William Randolph Hearst's obsession with Davies had to do roles as the heroine in such costume drama as When Knighthood Was In Flower and Janice Meredith. Her real talent lay as comedienne and the role of Dulcy is a natural for Davies. Best line in the film was her ever so innocent put down of Franklin Pangborn about "it's the early worm that gets the bird". You got to wonder who actually thought up that gem, Kaufman or Connelly.

The play is set over a 24 hour period and it deals with a small party that Dulcy is hostess. It's to put over a business deal that her husband Elliott Nugent is trying to get William Holden to agree to. Nugent is repeating his role from the stage.

Dulcy was prototype of the dumb blond, a character Marie Wilson honed to perfection in several film and on radio and TV. In our modern era Jessica Simpson is the successor.

Watching this I also wonder why Burns&Allen never did a version of Dulcy for the screen. This was the perfect vehicle for them, Gracie was born to play the title role.

I'm surprised that this is never revived it seems. It would have been so right for Jessica Simpson.

Still adjusting to sound Davies really hones this one to perfection. Having not seen a later version with Ann Sothern I wonder how it compares?