Three Blind Mice

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.

The plot of "Three Blind Mice" is a lot like that of "How To Marry A Millionaire", as both films have to do with women setting out with two partners to capture rich husbands. However, instead of three seeking out three rich men, in "Three Blind Mice" the three ladies are sisters and put all their hopes and energy on one sister--played by Loretta Young. One of the other sisters poses as her secretary and the third just hides.

The film begins with the sisters all deciding to take their small inheritance and pooling it. Then, they'll leave their farm in Kansas and head to where the millionaires are--California. There, Young meets two seemingly eligible rich men--played by David Niven and Joel McCrea. Unfortunately, however, the one she is smitten with (McCrea) turns out to be from a good family...but completely broke. And, coincidentally, he was interested in her because he thought SHE was rich. As for Loretta, wen she learns the truth, she's still quite willing to marry Joel...but he will have none of that. Later, when he reappears on the scene, it sure appears as if he's changed his mind. By the time it's all over, everything works out miraculously well--like in "How To Marry A Millionaire".

While this is a very pleasant little film, it is hard to truly love this movie--mostly because the three sisters are such mercenary ladies. Still, it's well-acted and pleasant fluff and good for a rainy day.

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.

The three "Charters" sisters are avidly awaiting the news of their inheritance from their recently deceased aunt. $5,800-odd dollars. Not enough to change anyone's life - but they hope that by putting elder sister "Pamela" (Loretta Young) forward and with sisters "Moira" (Marjorie Weaver) and "Liz" (Pauline Moore) acting as her entourage they can head to California and marry well! Their antics result in some hit and miss escapades as they alight on some gents just as bent on "gold-digging" as they are. All, that is, except for David Niven's "Harrington" who has a sort of dating double-act going with "Van Dam Smith" (Joel McCrea) and the poverty stricken "Mike" (Stuart Erwin) who'd give his last (and only) $100 to help out his gal. Can any of the girls get any of the rich guys? It's a bit too contrived and the scenarios repeat themselves a little, but we can see the beginnings of the Young/Niven rapport that went on to work well and there are a few gags that raise a smile over a quickly paced and enjoyable enough seventy-five minutes.

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.