Chasse aux maris

This movie is so cute! I'm a sucker for May-December romances, and when two good-looking people are the romantic leads it always makes a movie better, so I was all set to like this romantic comedy starring Robert Montgomery and Ann Blyth. Even if you don't have a crush on him like I do, the adorableness of the romance might win you over. It's very cute, and Bob and Ann are so darling together.

The premise is a little odd, but it has to be, so you'll expect and accept the oddness of Ann's character. Bob is a WWII veteran-turned-actor, and he's called in for a special government assignment because of his acting experience. He's tasked with seducing a young debutant, Ann Blyth, so that her ex-boyfriend, who's wanted by the government for stolen jewelry, will get jealous and surface from his hideout. Yes, it's odd, but when Bob meets Ann, it gets even odder, so you'll need to be prepared. Ann falls in love with him at first sight and becomes obsessed with spending every minute with him until they're married, preferably as soon as possible!

To me, it's not that unbelievable, because if I bumped into Robert Montgomery, I'd want to spend every minute with him, too. However, the hilarious dialogue makes sure every audience member is shocked, even me. Ann prances around in her pajamas, Bob turns his face away from a kiss, insisting she won't have any respect for him if he gives in, and they both have the audience in stitches before the movie's even halfway over.

Check out this adorable comedy that's a time capsule of the 1940s, that glorious time when couples had to get married to express their love and going away for the weekend was scandalous. You'll get to see two very adorable people, and Ann balances and transitions perfectly from child to adult, since she was very young at the time but starting to play romantic leads. Bob is cute and charming, and he directed the movie, too!

Engaging comedy with a rather nutty premise but the skillful playing of the cast make it work. Ann Blyth embraces her inner ditz as the bubbly, forward teen who is instantly smitten with Montgomery on sight. Montgomery, one of the best light comedians of Golden Age Hollywood, carries the film right along with an air of deer in the headlights helplessness at the onslaught of ardor that Ann's character unleashes his way. Theatre great Jane Cowl is also highly amusing in one of only four film appearance's as Bob's mother.

One small drawback. Montgomery is a perfect choice for the breeziness necessary to make his character work but he was 45 at the time this was made and looks it, whereas Ann Blyth was 24 playing 19 and is convincing as such making their pairing a bit off. They would have been better paired as a father and daughter at this point. Be that as it may this is still a pleasant little known film.

This movie had a plot of having a good screwball comedy. The selection of the stars was a I felt a bit wanting. Robert was (he was about 45 and looked so too) looked to be a bit too old for Ann. She was only 21, and on screen 19, and her personality suited the role, of a scatter-brained teenager (she did quite a few roles of this type, and successfully too). But probbaly he wanted it to be his vehicle (he was the director to this movie too), though not on the screenplay team for this movie, I wonder, why didn't Joan Harrison interfere ?

The movie was quite good, and without much hiccups for about one hour (which is two third of the movie), but the moment the two eloped, it (the movie) simply went to pieces and even till the end, they couldn't or may be didn't want to, gather them back.

To her credit, Ann did try to keep the things to some order, and was quite convincing as the scatter-brained teenager. I would rather say she lived in the imaginary world of pulp-romantic-novels, which in real life too some do, and with her personality, she could very successfully live it, without being an eyesore, and I said, while the scene was her, she did it.

But who disappointed (after the hour mark), was Robert, both as actor, but more so as director. One who had been put in sleuth job, can't be that idiot. In fact the movie had simply degenerated into a pulp from there. Whether the sequence of forcing a clearly uninterested stranger, into a police agent, the police party, clearly looking for them, missing the parked car in broad day light, and that too three times ? Or they having put only one 'Police Marker' for the 300 miles journey? What if they had been ambushed on the way? Which would have been the intelligent thing to do. Or the cycle overtaking the car (lifted from Katharina, Die Letzte , there it was necessary, and was justified by situation) ? Why didn't the heist-man shoot the prone and perfect target, hero in the first place? How the police, who were supposed to be on hot trail, and that too the MP, reach the site after not only everything is over, but also two other parties have traced to rescue/ save the girl from the lecherous hero, and many such sequences. All these were in fact not necessary, and with minor thought, movie would have reached the same conclusion, without becoming an eyesore.

Only for the sake of Ann Blyth, one can watch it, she looked quite charming as the almost-child "Killer" role, else,...

I like Montgomery in several movies, especially "The Night Has Eyes" with Rosalind Russell. However, this movie is clearly not one of his best. The plot does not make sense. No one would believe for a moment that Ann Blythe would fall in love with Robert Montgomery, at least not in this movie. For this movie to be a comedy, the only time I found myself laughing was when the older woman (at his mother's shindig)asks Blythe's character if she is the one who is wearing the perfume shortly before she coughs. Charles McGraw (I know I keep talking about him, but you know he's my favorite actor)could have seen his role beefed up since it is obvious his character is a comedic foil for Collie's character. Definitely not a good day for Montgomery and company. I do not think the people responsible for this movie really thought it through before making it. I'm glad Montgomery rebounded later with "They Were Expendable". He went on to become a speech adviser for President Eisenhower. Mercedyz

Collie Lang (Robert Montgomery) is an aspiring actor - though he seems a bit old to just be aspiring. Maybe the war delayed his plans? This is never explained. His mother is an accomplished attorney. She must have been practicing in the roaring 20s - what a trailblazer. But I digress.

The beginning of the film shows Collie appearing on a movie set dressed in kilts and speaking his lines that include the title - "once more my darling" while focusing on a set technician who looks like a bulldog. This is amusing in and of itself, but even more so if you know something about Montgomery's career. Twenty years before, in Buster Keaton's sound debut "Free and Easy", he was forced to dress up like a Cossack and sing a duet. It was ridiculous, so maybe Montgomery is reminiscing?

Montgomery, as an army reservist, is unwillingly pressed back into service to romance a debutante so that he can out her jewel thieving boyfriend, who is apparently very jealous. Why is the US government interested in a jewel caper? Because the purloined jewels came from a European estate that is still under allied supervision. The reason they pick him? He's "pretty". That's it. Not his acting skills or anything else. This is the preposterous premise I mention in the title.

The debutante turns out to be Ann Blythe in a delightful and unexpected performance as "Killer"/Marita Connell. She is a very quirky girl who speaks her every thought to everyone she meets while soaking herself in a particularly pungent perfume. Montgomery directed this film and he did a great job with this screwball comedy about ten years after that genre reached the height of its popularity.

It does get close to breeching the production code at times. For example, there is a scene where Killer and Collie are sharing the same hotel room, Killer is wearing a skimpy tennis outfit with the word "KILLER" embroidered across the front, and they are discussing whether or not they are safe.

Very much recommended if you can ever find a copy.