Three Blind Mice

Three Blind Mice (1938)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Slight and predictable romantic comedy about three sisters (Loretta Young, Marjorie Weaver, Pauline Moore) who inherit a small amount of money and head off to the big city to try and land rich husbands. Young believes in marrying for money and she gets her pick between a couple men (Joel McCrea, David Niven), although there might be some confusion about which one actually has all the money. Storywise there's really nothing too original here but the attractive cast makes it worth seeing even if you know every twist that the story is going to take. I think the film's biggest fault is that Niven's character is the one you like the most and Young's the one you like the least. This causes some problems because you really start to dislike Young as the screenplay allows her to do some rather ugly things and we really don't like to see them happening to Niven since he's the one we actually do care for. This was an issue I had throughout the film but towards the end the screenplay gets some sympathy thrown to Young that makes everything come together in the (predictable) end. The main reason to watch this film are for the performances, which are all pretty good. As usual, Young manages to be very charming as she has no problem pulling off her role and she has some great chemistry with her two leads. Both McCrea and Niven are extremely good as both men deliver a lot of great lines and the comic banter between them is very funny. Their comic timing is good enough to where they probably would have made for a good comic team. Moore also really caught my attention just for the amount of charm and cuteness that she brought to her role. The rest of the supporting players fill out their roles just fine. In the end, this here certainly isn't anything ground breaking and it's not going to end up on anyones greatest all-time list but if you're a fan of the three stars then it's pretty much a must see.

"Three blind mice" stars one of my favorite actors, Joel McCrea alongside charming englishman David Niven and beautiful Loretta Young. The plot bears a somewhat resemblance to "Hands across the Table" but only in the middle of the movie. The main core of it stays untouched throughout the movie: that you can fall in love with a rich man just as easily as with a poor one. And that's true. You are not in control of your feelings and emotions when it comes to love. When you find that someone you want to spend every minute of your life with, nothing matters anymore.

Joel is one talented actor who can pull out any role he's given and he demonstrates it brilliantly in this one. I've seen David mostly in supporting roles and he surely acts out the most of them, as he does here too. But a pleasant surprise for me was Loretta who was so charmingly gorgeous everytime I saw her face on screen.

Sometimes we're lost. Sometimes we don't know where to go and what to do. Sometimes we're like blind mice that don't see a thing when it's right in front of our noses. This is a good romantic comedy and I would love to watch it again, given that it's only 75 minutes long. Time flies when we're young... or in love.

A romantic comedy from the thirties, which has everything to be an example of the genre, that marked the era and still delights movie lovers today.

A worthy cast, led by Joel McCrea, a regular presence in the screwball comedies of the thirties, Loretta Young, an actress well suited to her character, and David Niven, then the eternal secondary British gentleman, who would only later rise, with full rights, to the leading role, especially in British cinema.

There's also a plot with potential, with three provincial goldiggers looking for husbands, falling in love with the wrong men.

However, the result clearly falls short of the sum of the parts. It lacks pace, direction, events rush without being properly matured, the story seems to be told in a hurry, without giving the viewer time to gain empathy for some of the characters.

It is however a pleasant entertainment, for those who appreciate the genre, from a good harvest, but it lacks the genius, the brilliance and the humor of the best screwball comedies, where the skeleton of the farce, well written and constructed, sustains the whole.

Three Blind Mice is a story that's been put to film too many times to count or keep track of. The three leads here are Young, McCrea, and Niven, all solid performers who I generally enjoy. However, despite their likeability I almost feel like they're miscast here. This screwball comedy is fine but what it likes is the screwy/zanniness of the genre, it just isn't silly enough. Sure, some of that is due to the direction but I think Young, as good as she is, is the weak link with this specific material. The film for me does pick up a bit with the entry of Binnie Barnes as Niven's sister. She has the comedic chops and timing this project needs, unfortunately she arrives a little too late into the proceedings. Still, despite its shortcomings The Blind Mice does come together favorably in the last third to make it a pleasant enough watch.

All true romantic comedies have happy endings; otherwise they are not romantic comedies. If I'm not entertained or do not sense good chemistry and witty dialog in the first fifteen minutes, then I turn them off. Three Blind Mice was a last minute decision to DVR, but it was billed as a comedy and starred three of my favorite actors: Loretta Young, Joel McCrea, and David Niven. Surprisingly, I was hooked well before the fifteen minute mark.

I loved the elegant costuming, the plot, the signature dry humor of Joel McCrea, the suaveness and wittiness of David Niven, the twists along the way, the setting, the chivalry, the necessary scheming for this plot, and, especially, the supporting cast. A more classically comic actress might have suited Loretta Young's part, but her elegance made her character credible.

Next time you get a chance to see Three Blind Mice, give it a try. It was a pleasant way to spend 90 minutes. If you do not like these actors or the standard romantic comedy, then consider if this genre is really worth your time. Otherwise, I highly recommend it.