Mon cow-boy adoré

Irene Dunne, one of the best comediennes in the history of the movies, retired from acting after completing this comedy that was not up to her best work. Ms. Dunne was seen in great films during her Hollywood career that were made better by her style, sophistication and beauty. Alas, in this one, her character, Kay Kingsley is swept off her feet to a rancher who lives out west.

Kay Kingsley is part of a composing team based in Manhattan. Kay is elegant, smart, and it's hard to imagine she would fall in a short period of time for Chris, who is way out of her league, and who comes with some baggage, as he is a widower with two young daughters back home. This is a big proposition because it involves leaving behind modern plumbing and heat. Accepting that premise, Kay transplants herself to the ranch that is falling apart because of neglect and lack of money to improve it.

Things go from bad to worst. The two girls, Nan, and Tina, give Kay a guarded welcome, but they come around when they see she is a good person who has had no experience with her present situation. With the help of her neighbor Jean, Kay gets a handle on things, not before running away to Manhattan to try to see if she still wants her old life back.

The film was directed by George Marshall, a veteran of the movies, who tried to give the comedy some pacing, but doesn't succeed well. The problem with the film is Fred MacMurray, an otherwise perfect actor, who shows no chemistry with Ms. Dunne. Irene Dunne tries her best to make her Kay a wife and step-mother. William Demarest, Andie Devine, Ann Doran and Philip Ober are seen in supporting roles. Gigi Perreau, a child actress of the time, plays Tina, and Natalie Wood, who, as Neil Doyle points out, was probably having problems at the time and is not her usual self as Nan.

See the film as a curiosity and because this was Irene Dunne's swan song at the movies.

The reviews on this board seem to hold Dunne and MacMurray up to their usual elite standard of comedy. There is nothing wrong with that if you only want to see the best of the best. So, if that's all you have time for, then perhaps you'll want to pass on this one.

However, I watched this film today for the second time. Honestly, I didn't care much for it a few years ago, so I wrote it off. However, I recorded it thinking maybe I'd been too hard on it and as I watched it again, I realized that I had been a bit too judgmental.

The weakness lies in the script. Perhaps the aging Irene Dunne (who certainly still looked lovely and young for her age), wasn't being offered the best scripts anymore. I find that sad for an actress of her caliber, but it still happens today when actresses approach the age of 45-50.

However, it is still a cute comedy with a fine cast. Fred MacMurray is a macho but weary cowboy with financial problems. His performance reflects this stress effectively. His daughters are a bit precocious at first, but Irene passes their tests and their affection grows.

The supporting cast is fine. I love the telephone scenes where all the local women can listen in on a conversation and, of course, begin gossiping. Poor Irene Dunne's character is worked to death by everyone with little appreciation, but this is purely for comic effect. Gigi Perreau and Natalie Wood were darling and great little horsewomen. If Natalie was having an awkward stage, as mentioned in some other reviews, then I'll take hers over the one I had with no braces and an unflattering Dorothy Hamill haircut when I was 11.

Overall, this isn't the best of the best, but it's certainly not the worst of the worst. It's still worth a watch if you enjoy these actors or this genre. Predictable and formulaic it is, but it's still much better than most of what's showing today. Also, it has some catchy songs and we get to enjoy hearing Irene's lovely voice.

I'm glad I viewed this one again. It was a fine way to spend a rainy afternoon with some of my favorite stars.

This may have been the type of movie that gave birth to that infamous variety headline as rural Wyoming townspeople in rancher territory are depicted in classic postwar city-slicker-learns-life-from-rural-perspective fashion. And central casting regulars, William Demarest, Andy Devine, Irving Bacon, Gene Evans, Chester Conklin, and others are on-hand to reprise their familiar supporting characters.

The title is appropriate; the pacing is brisk; and Marshall's direction even shows flair at times. And, certainly, this movie is pleasing as intended - a relaxing and undemanding family comedy. The postwar theme of having able, brave, and plucky women return home to support their husbands without losing their guile or abilities to contribute is prominent and obvious. Irene Dunne, in her final role, smartly overcomes the writing to put her personal imprimatur on the lead character. Her best scenes are with Fred MacMurray's pre-adolescent daughters -- portrayed winningly by Natalie Wood and Gigi Pereau.

Unfortunately, Fred MacMurray, normally a personal favorite who should have been a natural for the part, gives one of his least energetic and dopiest performances in the male lead. And while the moments are not dull, many of the sight gags are predictable, but still mildly amusing.

Performance-wise, a fitting valedictory for Miss Dunne. Overall, Never a Dull Moment is a pleasant-enough movie to relax with and relive 1950 without awakening your brain.

IRENE DUNNE, for some strange reason, is called "Buckshot" by her cowboy husband FRED MacMURRAY. That alone is supposed to be funny and endearing. Not.

Too bad that after the smash success of films like LIFE WITH FATHER, Irene Dunne was so desperate for good parts that she agreed to settle for a film like this--tedious, predictable, banal sort of comedy that struggles manfully to be funny by putting her through some slapstick paces that are about as funny as a stubbed toe.

Occasionally there's a lull in the proceedings that gives Dunne and MacMurray a chance to remind us that they're still the same old likable stars. But then the script takes over again and forces them to play a series of unlikely scenes.

For good measure, they have two obnoxious girls (played by a plain looking Natalie Wood who clearly did have an awkward stage, and Gigi Perreau). They add nothing to the charm or situations which strain for laughs. One of the comedic highlights is supposedly when Dunne shoots a neighbor's pet bull. You get my drift.

You can skip this one. Even the presence of two top-flight stars can't save it from being the most inappropriately titled comedy of the decade.

With Fred MacMurray and Irene Dunne headlining this film, one could expect some great comedy. But, unfortunately, the screenplay just doesn't have it. "Never a Dull Moment" is still a good film and an okay comedy and romance. It has a nice family touch to it with two young daughters of MacMurray's Chris Hayward. One of those is Natalie Wood as 12-year-old Nan.

The film is based on a 1943 biographical novel by Kay Swift (1897-1993), "Who Could Ask for Anything More?" She was a well-known composer for Broadway and Hollywood. Swift had met cowboy, Faye Hubbard, at a rodeo in 1939 and two weeks later married him. She went with him to his Oregon ranch, but the marriage only lasted seven years. She had three children before that in her first marriage, so they may have been on the ranch with her. Atter her 1946 divorce from Hubbard she married again, and that marriage lasted 23 years but ended in divorce in 1969. She wrote her book about the life on the ranch with her second husband while they were yet married.

This film reminds one a little of "The Farmer's Daughter" of 1947 that starred Loretta Young and Joseph Cotton. In that film, Young plays a farm girl who goes to the city. She can do multiple chores and household tasks without problems. That's a great comedy, romance and satire, with a tremendous screenplay. In this film, the writers have Dunne's Kay learning the ropes of farm life including housework, farm chores, etc. But, very little of it involves mishaps or comedy. Nor does MacMurray provide much comedy beyond a couple of lines.

The one thing that Irene Dunne gets to do in this film is sing. She had a good voice but didn't have many roles that included singing. Here she has a couple of tunes- one solo and once with the Western crowd in her home. Maybe the real Kay could sing too.

If one wants lots of laughs, they won't be found here. But, for a light film with a nice family story and some humor, this one will do very nicely.