Car of Dreams

A good tune or two and having Robertson Hare on hand adds some sparks to this otherwise pretty run-of-the-mill production. The film is surprisingly too quickly paced for its own good for the first half hour, but once it stops rushing, it is becomes quite passable stuff, if not much else. There are some pleasant ice-skating sequences added in, probably just to buff up the running time, for they add very little to the story, but neither do they really detract from the story. It is not an awfully funny picture, and Grete Mosheim's airy-fairy performance has a tendency to get on the nerves, but it is rather watchable nevertheless.

Intriguing mild (very mild!) British musical comedy. Noteworthy mainly for the eponymous car (a Rolls Royce Phantom III coupe - those were the days when you get a RR PIII and still get change out of £2,000...) and some Brirish film stalwarts. The hero is a youthful John Mills near the start of his cinematic career; Robertson Hare has a supporting role, both trying to inject some life into a leaden script. The rather clunky back projections give some fascinating glimpses of 1930s London and the Lake District.

(Purists might quibble why the heroine (Grete Mosheim)has a German accent while her "sister" has a "cut glass" English accent) RW

Likable young John Mills plays a part in Car Of Dreams that Cary Grant would perfect over in American films. In one of his earliest films Mills plays the rich young owner's son of a store that sells all kinds of musical instruments. A rather dreamy young woman played by Grete Mosheim starts working at the store, but she doesn't meet him quite yet.

Grete loves to windowshop and dream of things that she can't afford and when she's in a Rolls Royce dealer's shop Mills is there and they take a test spin. Later on though her world gets turned upside down when the car arrives at her family's all paid for. Imagine having enough money to just plunk down and pay for a Rolls right up front. The Rolls Royce wasn't quite the expensive status symbol it later became, still it was a mark of prosperity especially in those Depression years.

Not only does he buy the car for her, but Mills assigns himself the role of chauffeur. He wants to see if she really loves him for himself or his dad's bankroll.

Car Of Dreams is yet another one of those rich boy meets girl from other side of the tracks that's a universally popular theme. It has a musical score and we get to hear John Mills sing. Mills had a pleasant voice, but Bing Crosby was in no danger. Grete's accent was popping up throughout the film with no real explanation. Robertson Hare was very funny especially trying to teach Grete the proper rhythm to rubber stamp orders.

I'm not sure the musical score was necessary, the film would have been good without it. Car Of Dreams is an entertaining piece of romantic fluff that film audiences loved during those hard times.

This obscure bit of romantic silliness stars John Mills, the talented British actor who went on to many great dramatic roles in American films. The plot involves a factory girl (played by Grete Mosheim with her unexplained German accent) who loves to shop and ends up with a free Rolls-Royce. An obscure little gem full of art deco sets, anti--Great Depression optimism, and cheerful tunes, especially "Do a Little Good to Someone."

For the purist pointer-outer, Molly wasn't Vera's sister, she was her friend so it didn't matter what kind of accent either girl had. "Vera", in point of fact, had an accent that was closely matched by her "father" (a man who reminds me of Felix Bressart).

OK, with that aside. This is a lovely fun movie with no pretenses whatsoever. The music is hummable and sticks with you after the film is over. The dialogue is witty and snappy ("Up goes her money, bang goes her reputation.") John Mills has a nice tenor voice and looks as if he is thoroughly enjoying himself. All the cast looks as if they are having fun and couldn't wait to get to the set each day.

The back-projection is no worse than any other picture of the period.

It has high production values. Very nice costumes and makeup.

The thought of the movie brings a smile to my face even as I'm commenting about it.