On Approval

Here is a look of one of England's foremost comediennes and entertainers, Beatrice Lillie. She was, for some unknown reason, shamefully neglected/ underutilized by Hollywood, and here she gives one of her fey, comedic performances for which she was celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic before and after the two world wars. She was primarily a stage actress and appeared in only seven movies.

In this one she is in a cast of four actors in a droll, upper class comedy of manners. Listen intently to the dialogue or you may miss a precious bon mot or a glossed-over aside. The script is delicious and keeps you waiting for the next hilarious remark at which Lady Peel had no peer. It was written and Directed by Clive Brook who also co-stars and gives himself too much to say and do, but you can't keep a good man (in this case, woman) down, and Bea Lillie emerges unscathed and triumphant. If you're a fan you must catch this one when you can.

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.

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.

Wow....what a surprise....

I bought this on DVD sight unseen, due to the fact that it stars Beatrice Lillie in one of the very few films she ever made.

She's absolutely wonderful playing a rather unpleasant, grumpy women. Similarly, Clive Brook, who capped his long film career by writing, directing and starring in this outrageous farce.

I won't give away the plot, but I can't imagine a better example of how well a well known play can be adapted for the screen.

If you can't live without the Criterion DVD of "The Importance Of Being Earnest", then this movie should also be on your shelf.

Get it....before it disappears....

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.