One Sunday Afternoon

Gary Cooper plays a dentist named Biff whose former friend Hugo (Neil Hamilton) stabbed him in the back many times when they were younger and even wound up with the woman Biff loved, played by Fay Wray. Now Hugo has come to Biff to have a tooth pulled. While Hugo is sedated, Biff flashes back to how things went down between the two men. Good movie but later remake called The Strawberry Blonde is better. That one stars James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, and Rita Hayworth. It's lighter and funnier than this one, which is dark in parts. Cooper's great here and his support is fine but I'm not sure Fay Wray was quite right for her part. This is yet another movie from the early '30s where Neil Hamilton played a man that women go crazy over. Something must have been in the water back then because I just don't see any woman preferring him to Gary Cooper. I remember another movie where he was picked over Clark Gable. Insane!

I am a huge fan of Fay Wray. For those of you who think of her only in terms of her performance in "King Kong" (and if you are reading this, you probably don't), you are truly missing out. Try to catch anything she's in! She's great in "One Sunday Afternoon"; gorgeous as usual.

The real star of this movie, however, is Frances Fuller. She is an absolute delight. A beautiful, tremendously talented actress who shines throughout. She plays a very tough role - the kind of sappy woman that may drive today's moviegoers crazy. But she pulls it off with charm, grace and pride. This is a must see.

Didn't know anything about Frances before watching this movie. Not surprised one bit to see that she had a successful Broadway career as well as a successful life off stage.

One Sunday Afternoon (1933)

*** (out of 4)

When Hugo Barnstead (Neil Hamilton) comes to a dentist office to have a tooth pulled he never expected to run into Biff Grimes (Gary Cooper). Years earlier Biff fell in love with the vamp Virginia (Fay Wray) only to have his heart broken when she ran off with the other man. It seems this film has been forgotten over the years due to how popular the remake with James Cagney was when it was released. That's really too bad because even though THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE was a fine film, this early sound version features a terrific cast and is a pretty good time on its own. What I enjoyed most about this film were the performances from the cast. I really enjoyed Cooper here who was simply superb playing this man who goes through his entire life with rage and anger because the girl he loved got away. I thought Cooper did a terrific job at playing the more dramatic parts extremely straight but I also thought he was wonderful during some of the comic moments. The sequence when he first meets Virginia was a classic because of the comic timing he brought to it. Wray is also extremely good as the vamp, although she's not given too much to do here. I will say that her attempt at Mae West at the end of the film didn't work all that well but it was still entertaining seeing her do it. Frances Fuller is terrific as the woman Cooper marries on the rebound and Hamilton makes for a good villain. I think the biggest problem with the film is that Cooper's character is such a jerk and is at times so mean that you somewhat lose sympathy for him. I thought he was especially cruel to his future wife and I was a little surprised to how mean his character was. Still, ONE Sunday AFTERNOON is a pure gem that's certainly worth checking out and especially if you're a fan of the cast.

The exposition that takes place in a dentist's office, before the flashback that constitutes the major part of this film, seemed rather long to me. And the main character, Biff Grimes (Gary Cooper), seemed to be the least likable. So, I thought this film was going to be a drag.

But as the story develops, one learns that Biff, though a dense, insensitive lout, has an interesting story to tell. And the first part of the film is necessary to fully appreciate what follows.

I have always felt that Gary Cooper is best suited for characters that are socially awkward. Biff is just such a role. Cooper is surrounded by actors who outshine him at times. But they form a solid ensemble for this adapted play (that would be remade two more times in the forties). Fay Wray, in particular, amazes with her transformations throughout the film.

This plot is a simple story about revenge that no doubt pleased audiences of the depression era who looked to champion the common man.

"One Sunday Afternoon" is a charming and little-known piece of Americana, the first filmization of James Hagan's play about a dentist named Biff Grimes (Gary Cooper) who has long tried to revenge on his old friend Hugo Barnstead (Neil Hamilton) for marrying Grimes' girl Virginia (Fay Wray) and leaving him with the charming and devoted Amy (Frances Fuller). The film opens with Grimes and his pal Snappy Downer (Rascoe Karns) singing and drinking. Barnstead shows up Grimes' home to get this tooth pulled. Grimes puts him on nitrous oxide gas, and then the film dissolves into a flashback as Grimes remembers their past, providing him with a motive for revenge.

"One Sunday Afternoon" was remade in 1941 by Warner Bros. and Raoul Walsh into a timeless and unforgettable classic, "The Strawberry Blonde", starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, and Rita Hayworth. Walsh's version is infinitely superior, but "One Sunday Afternoon" is worthwhile for Gary Cooper's superb performance.