Eternamente tuya

This is a nice classic comedy about the romance between a bishop´s granddaughter and a successful magician. Although it isn´t a typical screwball comedy it has the usual charm of the 30´s. One of the things I most like in the film is the naturality of the characters and the relationships between them, without any superfual mildness. It´s also a film about marriage and divorce in a way that I find outstanding for that time and it´s full of funny and emotive situations in the way of films like Ernst Lubitsch Bluebeard´s Eighth Wife. In a funny way, i just want to comment one detail that makes me laugh but I don't know if that was the original intention. It is near to the end, when the magician is going to make one his most dangerous tricks and his assistant wants to stop him because is going to kill himself. The magician calls the police to take the assistant away from him and says: "arrest him, he is a communist!". And it wasn´t witch-hunt time yet!!

This movie survived by a very effective layer of gloss, the class and distinctiveness of both Niven and Young's portrayals and the production values. But, oh, the surrounding stuff. Broderick Crawford as a love interest for Ms. Young? Magic acts? What an embarrassing entry this must have been for the star performers in the year of some of the most classic films ever made. This film is one good example of the leads overcoming the liabilities of the vehicle, thus saving the show. Well, sort of. Ms. Young later recounts the scene on the bed with Niven being her favorite subtle type of love scene. Reviewers cite this particular scene as what could have been a censor objection had not the actors handled it with so much sophistication and grace.

David Niven and Loretta Young pledge to be "Eternally Yours" in this 1939 film also featuring Hugh Herbert, C. Aubrey Smith, Broderick Crawford, Eve Arden, Zasu Pitts, and Billie Burke.

Young plays Anita, who is engaged to Don (Crawford); however, she attends a performance by The Great Arturo (Niven), a Houdini-type who also reads minds and palms, and it's love at first sight for both of them. They marry, and she becomes part of his act, traveling full time all over the world.

Anita is hoping to settle down with Arturo and have a home and family. With the help of her grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) she secretly builds her dream home. When she shows it to Arturo, he dismisses it. She leaves him, divorces him, and marries Don.

Light comedy with a charming cast. Young is beautiful, 26 at the time, and she and Niven work well together, as they did in one of my favorite movies, The Bishop's Wife.

People commented that this is a horrible plot, bad script, etc. It seemed pretty typical to me of the type of comedy done back then, no better, no worse.

David Niven was a remarkable man who died an awful death from ALS. An accomplished writer as well as actor, he was a gentleman through and through.

When he died, the porters at Heathrow sent a wreath that said, 'To the finest gentleman who ever walked through these halls. He made a porter feel like a king'.

I saw this on an AMC DVD. It was not a very good print. Most scenes looked somewhat muddy. I hope someone releases a better print someday.

There is a lot of talent in bit parts here: Billie Burke, Eve Arden, Hugh Herbert, Zasu Pitts, and Broderick Crawford each contribute a few minutes of pleasantness.

I wasn't all that impressed with Loretta Young. She was fine, but I didn't see anything special that she brought to her role. On the other hand, David Niven was quite impressive. He brought just the right tone of bravado and cool to his part of a dare devil magician.

James Bond writer, Ian Flemming, wanted David Niven to play James Bond. You can see why from this film. He is handsome and suave in the Cary Grant manner, but he's also sly and intense. When he does a handcuffed falling out of a plane stunt, one really feels his fright and nervousness.

Niven did end up playing James Bond in the spoof "Casino Royale" (1967), but by that time he was about ten years too old for the part.

The movie jumps a bit. It looks like they edited out a number of scenes. Still, it is fast paced, clever and surprising. I recommend it, but I hope they come out with a better print.

I enjoyed this picture a lot. It has the warmth of the classics, yet the characterization and the whole plot fits to today's world. The incredible chemistry between the two leads is (I found) very rare among movies from that age.