Invitación al amor

Orry-Kelly manages to communicate the prinicpal female characters' personas without their speaking a word.

Ann Sheridan's willowy figure, plus his fluid blouses/gowns, minus any foundation garments left Monty Woolley struggling to keep his eyes on her face. I must admit, i couldnt take my eyes off her myself. Every entrance is a chance to revel in her delightful over-the-top style

Contrasted with Bette Davis' perfectly tailored wool suits and accessories, this film shows the exceptional range of Orry-Kelly's Costume Design in one film.

Fabulous.

This is one of the great film comedies of all time. Monty Woolley is priceless as the uppity celebrity who comes to dinner and stays and stays, causing havoc to a socially upper-crust household. The rest of the cast is superb too. Don't miss this film. It is a gem and a joy.

Watching this fantastic black and white flick was a real treat. I played Maggie in the play version by Kaufmann and Hart, and I was among a very competent cast of actors. Yet the performers in this film are so versatile and polished it seems almost an entirely different story. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the wit and sarcasm that so classified the 1940's cinema era. Woolsey, as Whiteside is bitingly on target as the sharp-tongued radio personality, and Bette Davis, I must say, certainly does the role of the starry-eyed secretary justice. Four stars!

Not so much a Christmas movie as it is a movie that happens to take place during the Christmas season. This 1942 farce has a rude and elitist author/lecturer/high society man falling on the icy steps of an Ohio businessman and being forced to stay in the man's home for weeks. Monty Wolley plays Sheridan Whiteside who seems to have contempt to one degree or another for everyone around him. He felt it beneath him to even be somewhere like Ohio in the first place, and he is determined to make life miserable for everyone once he is marooned there. Whiteside has a put down ready for almost everything anyone says to him. His lines of dialog pretty much range from condescending flattery to outright insults. And let it be said here, that he is almost always hilarious.

Bette Davis plays Whiteside's personal secretary who falls in love with a local newspaper man and aspiring playwright. Davis confesses her intent to settle down with the handsome young man, and this is a matter of great concern for Whiteside since he would be nearly helpless without her. Even though his injuries have healed, he continues to act as though he is confined to a wheelchair for much of the picture. And most of the plot deals with Whiteside attempting to sabotage his secretary's blossoming romance.

The film lasts for nearly two hours and seldom lets the viewer up for air. This is a film that you may have to see several times to notice every clever line or plot development. And since it was originally a play, most of it takes place in one room. That being the living room of the put-upon Ohio businessman and his brow-beaten family. Along the way, Whiteside begins meddling in the lives of others, as well. He practically incites a rebellion by the couple's teenage children. He comes up with more insults than one can count for his nurse. And some of the funniest moments deal with an aging doctor attempting to get Whiteside to look at his manuscript about his profession. Many famous people appear and are referred to throughout the film. Most of the pop culture references are really dated, but not so much that it really bogs the film down. The acting is wonderful. Jimmy Durante and Ann Sheridan liven things up in support. The film is rather smug in how it was written by and about famous people who obviously look down on normal Midwestern folk. But the humor is harmless, and all too enjoyable. 10 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

This delightful film is based on one of the three great stage comedies written by Moss Hart and George Kauffman, two of America's most celebrated comedy playwriting teams. A classic farce which spoofs the arrogance of the self important writer, Sheridan Whiteside, and exposes the hidden foibles of high society including a household member who is a secret axe murderer, it's nicely offset by a light comedy romance between two supporting players. Bette Davis gives one of her better performances as the female romantic lead and is, for a change, neither ascerbic nor bitchy. This is a nice piece of ensemble acting, and a perfect example of American comedy of its period.