Monkey Business

With Cary Grant, Ginger Rodgers, Charles Coburn and a young Marilyn Monroe this hilarious testament to the great screwball comedies is worth it's weight in gold. Far funnier and more delectable than the paltry Hollywood comedies (i.e. Adam Sandler) that grace theaters these days, this gem filmed in black and white is a model of a great genre.

Directed with mercurial class by Howard Hawkes and featuring the great Ben Hecht among the screenwriters, this 1952 comedy has a zany but totally logical premise. All the players simply shine in the material; especially Grant and Rodgers who do hilarious takeoffs on becoming and behaving like children.

I find comments made here concerning the political incorrectness of the cowboy and Indian scene to be laughable. Why do modern movie goers judge a movie 50 years old by current standards. I was born in 1950 and every kid on the block all over the USA played cowboys and Indians. It wasn't politically incorrect in 1952; it was in fact, part of the mainstream socio-cultural structure. Shall we not play "The Merchant of Venice" because Shakespeare's Shylock is anti-semetic. I'm reminded of how ludicrous "Pearl Harbor" was with none of the sailors smoking because it's "politically incorrect" these days. One must put the time and context of certain works of art in perspective. Frankly, the cowboy and Indian sequence is one of the funniest in the movie and very true to the 1950's. Anyway, enough of that diatribe. Run out and see this movie. It'll make you laugh! Guaranteed!

This is a very good movie to watch when all you want to do is to have a good time and some good laughs. There isn't a minute of it that would hold up to logical analysis, but there's barely a minute of it that isn't fun to watch. The story is pleasantly zany, the characters are entertaining, and the stars were all perfectly chosen for their roles.

Hawks's opening gag with Cary Grant in the doorway sets the tone, and lets you know right away that you can sit back and not take anything seriously for a while. Grant's character, a somewhat befuddled scientist who is trying to come up with a "youth formula", is the kind of role he could play in his sleep. As Grant's wife, Ginger Rogers doesn't get much to do for a good while, but then she has some fine comic moments later on. Charles Coburn is perfect as Grant's boss, and he gets a couple of the best lines in the whole show. And who better than Marilyn Monroe to play Coburn's secretary?

It's an entertaining throwback to the screwball comedies of a slightly earlier era. "Monkey Business" may be no masterpiece, but it's good fun of the pleasantly offbeat kind that is rare anymore.

Buoyed by the tremendous energy of Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers, MONKEY BUSINESS is a charming throwback to the screwball era of the 1930s and 40s. You know that you're being asked to leave reality behind and just settle back for a good laugh the second the film begins, especially when the narrator repeatedly warns Cary from beginning the film before the credits are done rolling! Directed with great skill by Howard Hawks (mastermind of brilliant films such as 'Bringing Up Baby' and 'His Girl Friday'), the film shares the trademark rapidfire dialogue and zany situations typical of most Hawksian comedies. As always, following the conversation between the characters is more than enough to leave the viewer breathless... One example, out of so many, is the scene in Room 304, when young!Edwina loses her temper and the couple squabble about Hank Entwistle and she finally locks Barnaby out of the room--to hilarious and painful effect!

As with most screwball comedies, the premise of the film must first be accepted, since the entire film is a logical development from the original (zany) premise. In 'Monkey Business', Barnaby Fulton is working on the development of some kind of youth elixir, which he is testing on chimpanzees. Unbeknownst to him, one of his test subjects escapes his cage and successfully concocts the potion, leaving it in the water fountain. Of course, when Barnaby tests the potion on himself, he drinks some water to get the bitter taste out of his mouth--and almost immediately becomes about 20 years old mentally and physically. Before the elixir wears off, Barnaby gets a funky new haircut, coat and car, all with his boss' sexy young secretary (Marilyn Monroe, who else?) at his side. His wife Edwina (Ginger Rogers) then gets in on the action, taking some of the elixir to allow Barnaby to make scientific observations about someone else's reaction to it. It isn't long before she drags her husband to their honeymoon hotel, dances the night away, and impetuously starts divorce proceedings when he upsets her. The ending is a terrific exercise in belief-suspension, as the rejuvenated Barnaby and Edwina (simultaneously, this time) engage in paint wars, hair-pulling and scalping.

The best part of the film really would have to be the central performance given by Cary Grant as Barnaby Fulton. He's evidently one of Hawks's favourite actors, and for good reason too--he makes the trippiest of dialogue sound perfectly natural, and plays science-geeks and debonair reporters equally convincingly. With Barnaby, the viewer is instantly reminded of David Huxley, a role Cary Grant infused with life about 15 years ago in Bringing Up Baby. Just as David is kickstarted to life by Susan, Barnaby is youthened by the elixir, and in both films, it's a delight to watch the transformation take place. Initially, Grant's Barnaby is as stuffy as you can imagine a scientist--he's absent-minded and somewhat stern; in effect, all 'grown-up'. But the moment the youth elixir kicks in, the change is miraculous yet believable. Watch in delight as Barnaby flips an effortless cartwheel; drives like a daredevil; and conducts an entire chorus of children in a rousing war song. The 'joie de vivre' that Grant infuses his character with is almost palpable.

Cary Grant is also capably matched by Ginger Rogers in their second film together. Her ability to turn into a little girl is charming in the extreme, and you can see the years drop off her in her final stint as young Edwina... it's so evident that she's having fun as she tap-dances through the hotel, or flips rubber bands at people, chews gum, and scribbles "Barnaby loves Edwina" across the conference room chalkboard.

In general, the film itself is a little uneven: it has brilliant and hilarious moments, but you definitely get the feeling that much of the film is coasting on the considerable energy and skill of its cast--a splendid Cary Grant, a lovely Ginger Rogers, and an intriguingly young Marilyn Monroe. You probably won't be in too much of a hurry to rewatch this film once you've seen it the first time, but there's really no reason to put off your first viewing... so what are you waiting for?

Thoroughly enjoyable comedy with Cary Grant as the absent-minded professor who's messing around looking for the fountain of youth. Ginger Rogers gets to dance a little without Fred Astaire plus demonstrate a wonderful comic style as she mixes it up with Marilyn Monroe. It's 1952 but you wouldn't know it (except for Marilyn's presence). Howard Hawks takes you back to the good old days when Hollywood demonstrated total mastery of time and space with the screwball comedy.

Along with monkeyshines and child actors, you really get a lot in this film: Grant and Rogers play off each other very nicely and the driving scene with Monroe and Grant is a classic. Adding to the hijinx is Charles Coburn, who always dominates the screen with his easy charm. I bet he loved chasing after Monroe with a spray bottle.

The movie holds up well over 50 years later which makes one wonder why Hollywood hasn't, cringe, chosen to ape the storyline for Jim Carrey or maybe Tom Hanks, who might be looking for a comic turn these days.

But then they remade Freaky Friday this summer, didn't they?

This movie contains a part that is one of the funniest I have ever seen. It is when Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers get called into the board of directors room and they both are acting like children, having both taken the formula without knowing it. To top it all off, the monkey was on the ceiling throwing light bulbs.

Overall it was a very funny movie, clever, yet far-fetched. I would rate this as one of Cary Grants best performances. Ginger Rogers was also very good. However for some reason there wasnt enough Marilyn in this movie. I few parts that she was in, she was very funny. I don't know why she only played a small role in this movie. Her funniest line was at the beginning when the boss told her to go to every ford dealership and look for Barnaby. Her reply was, "Which one do you want me to do first."

It was a funny movie with parts that will have you on the floor.