One Rainy Afternoon

When a European setting was considered necessary for a "sophisticated" romantic comedy and a "prestige" production, "One Rainy Night" delivered not only the setting, but also the European screenwriters and even the European lead -- Francis Lederer doing a passable Maurice Chevalier-like singing turn. The main plot is a trifle, as is appropriate for romantic comedy. Lederer plays a stage actor who accidentally kisses a stranger (Ida Lupino) in a darkened movie theater, when he thought he was kissing his married lover (billed as Countess Liev de Maigret). Lederer is prosecuted as a masher at the insistence of a public morality committee. At trial, he can't tell the true reason he kissed Lupino, so he says he was overcome by her beauty; the trial makes him a popular celebrity and his stage play a hit, and it starts a romance between Lederer and Lupino.

Lederer is a charming romantic lead and Lupino is radiant in an uncharacteristic early role as a sweet, innocent girl. Unfortunately, they have little chemistry between them, which is the weak point of the movie. But the supporting cast, including the always reliable Roland Young, Hugh Herbert, Donald Meek, Eric Rhodes, and Mischa Auer playing their usual characters, are all given either extended scenes or bits of business that keep the movie light, sparkling, and enjoyable. And Rowland Lee's direction is up to his usual high standard.

This is a fun romantic comedy which relies upon Ida Lupina's face expressions to do much communication. This is an under rated enjoyable movie w lots of laughs. Ida is terrific.

Picture quality is pretty rough at the beginning, but this thing is already 85 years old, so i guess we should just appreciate still having it around. Produced by Mary Pickford, it stars Francis Lederer as Philippe, who is planning on meeting his (married) girlfriend in a Paris Theater. He mistakenly kisses the wrong girl, Monique, played by Ida Lupino. this starts a huge uproar in Paris, as the President of the Purity League was also in the theater. and no comedy would be complete without Donald Meek. and Erik Rhodes and Hugh Herbert. Roland Young (Topper!) this one is just loaded up with the best comedians. and we sit through the whole court case as they demand to know why Philippe kissed a girl. kind of like Much Ado about Nothing! a kissing caper. fun. moves right along. ice skating. Directed by Rowland Lee, who had directed some biggies, Count of Monte Cristo and Three Musketeers. Pickford played such a HUGE role in all aspects of films over her career, although it seems to have stopped when she divorced Fairbanks in 1936. THIS film was one of the last ones she produced. looks like she mostly retired from the biz when she married Buddy Rogers. Definitely catch One Rainy Afternoon if you can find it... Roland Young does a really FUN version of "Rainy Afternoon"!

In Paris, "Incorrigible Philippe Martin, a rakish actor, has arrived at a darkened movie theater for a tryst with his married girlfriend Yvonne. Everything changes when he accidentally sits in the wrong seat and kisses a beautiful publisher's daughter named Monique. To protect Yvonne in the ensuing scandal, he claims that Monique's beauty was irresistible. Now Monique is intrigued, but her fiancé is anything but happy," according to the fine folks at Mill Creek Entertainment.

This is a mostly unsuccessful romantic comedy from the intriguing production team of Mary Pickford and Jesse L. Lasky. She was, of course, THE film sweetheart last appearing in "Secrets" (1933) and he was the likewise legendary former Paramount Studios boss. "One Rainy Afternoon" was the first of two films from Pickford and Lasky, both starring Ida Lupino. The second was better, but they stopped there. Interestingly, you can see traces of Ms. Pickford in Ms. Lupino's character - these parts look like they might have appealed to Pickford herself. Leading man Francis Lederer receives star-billing, but is lesser remembered today; he was a versatile and convincing actor. Everyone delivers competent, albeit uninspired, work.

Interesting, too, is that two of filmdom's very first popular players appear as uncredited extras. They are Florence Turner and Florence Lawrence, two of the movies' first genuine "STAR" actresses. Popular for several years, they were still big enough to appear in the first annual "Motion Picture Story Magazine" players poll, for 1912; Ms. Lawrence was #8, Ms. Turner was #11, and an up-and-coming Pickford appeared at #12. Pickford passed them in the next year's poll.

**** One Rainy Afternoon (5/13/36) Rowland V. Lee ~ Francis Lederer, Ida Lupino, Hugh Herbert, Roland Young

It's a darkened theatre where Phillipe leans over to kiss his philandering girlfriend Yvonne. But it's not her he mistakenly kisses; instead, it's an uptight young Monique who's instantly insulted and causes a commotion. From there events spiral away in Hollywood fashion, such that Phillipe may lose his acting job, go to jail, and get a "monster" reputation. Talk about a mountain out of a molehill: it's that in spades. Good thing for Phillipe that Monique eventually takes a shine to the handsome actor.

It's a hard movie to rate, since it mixes so much cuteness with so much silliness. Too bad comic actor Herbert does his silliness bit in about every scene. It's like pouring sugary gravy on more flavorful soup. Still, lead actor Lederer as Phillipe manages an upbeat charm; at the same time, a youthful Lupino gets a dewy-eyed ingenue role as Monique, a long way from a hardened Road House (1948). And get a load of Eidy Malyon, President of the Purity League, who may make you rethink the notion of kindly old ladies that amounts to the movie's masterstroke. Also, Roland Young gets an amusing role as a theatre owner driven to frazzle. And I especially like that courtroom sequence where the Judge, Donald Meek, slowly comes unglued

Anyway, the comedy's a difficult mix of the silly and the cute. Nonetheless, you may find the 81-minutes a worthwhile gamble.