On Approval

On Approval is an extremely amusing comedy of upper class British manners. It is wickedly malicious without being mean-spirited. The four leads play off each other flawlessly. Unfortunately, it seems to be one of those forgotten gems. The DVD release awhile back may have given it some new recognition. (And the DVD transfer is first rate.)

Clive Brook, who also wrote and directed the film, is priceless as an aristocrat who finds it entirely reasonable to take his pleasures at the expense of others. He was a major star in the Thirties, but made only one more movie, The List of Adrian Messenger, after this one. At 76 he proved he still could hold his own against all comers, including George C. Scott.

First of all, the pictorial quality of the print on this 1943 comedy is amazingly good; the diction of the actors speaking the King's English is also impeccable, and on that level alone this film is watchable--but much more for me; it's a wartime English film, obviously done on the cheap--but done very well and featuring top quality stage actors who delight in the clever quip and character-driven drollery.

A wee bit of story: a demanding woman decides to take her prospective hubby to an island retreat to see if they can properly relate before they marry--two friends tag along. Now largely forgotten actor Clive Brook (a lead in Dietrich's Shanghai Express) directed and stars as an effete snob who has lessons to learn, and the impeccably hilarious, viper-tongued Beatrice Lille, who made far too few movies, is showcased at her raised-eyebrow best. This is an old-fashioned drawing room comedy, adult in nature, literate in approach, and short, sweet and delightful.

"On Approval" is a comedy of manners and it delivers on its promise to delight. The dialogue is the thing--filled with insinuations, clever slights, and unabashed insults. The four leads make the most of the plot, which is about two men trying to marry into wealthier circumstances via two sisters.

One reviewer said this film is not up to Oscar Wilde's standards. Well maybe it is too tame to be Wilde, but it is still charming and filled with plenty of caustic throw-away lines and honest insights.

I think I will have to see it more than once to fully appreciate the film because of the sheer volume of memorable lines. That's a prospect I can bear to suffer.

This is a send up about British society people set in the 1890's that not only keeps your interest but gets progressively funnier with time. Beatrice Lillie plays Maria and Googie Withers plays Helen, with Maria deciding to go for a trial marriage for a month's holiday in Scotland with Richard. George, a Duke, tags along and through a series of planned misadventures, all four of them end up in the same castle on an island they have to row to to reach. This film must have been a breath of fresh air in 1943, as the war was still going on. Sixty five years later, it is still fresh. I had a great time watching it, it is a well made farce, and the acting is terrific. If you like British comedy at all, this is absolutely essential.

Maria (Beatrice Lillie) invites Richard (Roland Culver) to stay with her in her house in Scotland for a month to see if they are compatible and thus suited for marriage. George (Clive Brook) and Helen (Googie Withers) come along as chaperones for their friends, Helen for Maria and George for Richard. The staff at the house walk out of the residence, leaving the four main characters to fend for themselves and find out about each other.....

This film is very amusing - a good example of dialogue-driven humour. The script is well written and the cast deliver it with precision. All four main characters are well suited to their roles and equally excellent. The only oddity is that Googie Withers, playing an American, couldn't be more English! At the beginning of the film, a narrator delivers an intro in a very British comedy cartoon fashion. Perhaps this segment could have been shorter. However, once the film starts properly, it immediately holds the viewer's interest and runs for a decent length. There is also a twist in the tale.