Jalna

The grand old house stands on an extensive estate, for generations home to the Whiteoaks, prosperous Canadian farmers. Ruled by a sharp-tongued but benevolent matriarch, life flows on much as it always has, evenly & predictably. But when two brides are brought home on the same day, passions are unleashed that will bring heartbreak, despair & death, right to the very core of JALNA.

Based on a Canadian bestseller, this unpretentious film has been unfortunately ignored. Filled with both charm & good acting, it rewards thoughtful viewing.

All of the performers do a fine job: Ian Hunter as the brother too busy running the farm to have a life of his own; David Manners, in arguably his finest role, charming & self-centered as the brother with a poetic bent; Theodore Newton, blunt & passionate, as the brother determined to find love; sister Peggy Wood, jilted by hearty neighbor Nigel Bruce, suffering noisily for twenty years; Sir C. Aubrey Smith & Halliwell Hobbes as the old bachelor uncles; Jessie Ralph, as the peppery 99-year old grandmother, wise with age; and Kay Johnson, compassionate & sensible, as the American newcomer who marries into the family.

Notice the interesting way the film introduces the characters in the first scene, by panning around the supper table & labeling each actor.

Still the same ol' story... the fight for love and glory.

Girl marries into family, not realizing what a bunch of nutjobs they all are... tries to come up with a solution.... but gets in deeper & deeper. Some great personalities in this ... Nigel Bruce (was Dr. Watson in all those Sherlock Holmes films), Jessie Ralph (the nagging wife to W.C. Fields), Aubrey Smith (was the stately old uncle in Every film in the 30s and 40s). George Offerman plays "Finch", one of the brothers, but might as well be George Awful-man.. with that bad acting.

Story of how the family with all the brothers, sisters, and family members deal with all the ups and downs. It's pretty entertaining, but every scene is very spelled out for us, more than it needs to be. It would have been more interesting if a little more was left to the viewer imagination. Directed by John Cromwell, who married the star of this film Kay Johnson in 1928, a couple years prior to filming this project. He had been blacklisted in the McCarthy hearings of HUAC.

If you get the chance to see JALNA don't miss it! You will find yourself drawn into the story of the Whiteoaks family of Canada almost from the first. The family consists of very distinct, eccentric characters which makes the story interesting. Gran is the 99 year old matriarch with a crabby parrot named Boney as a pet. Don't let Gran fool you--she's a smart old bird, just like the parrot! Renny, Piers and Eden Whiteoaks are the three brothers who's love stories intertwine. Alayne Archer and Phesant Vaughn are the two ladies. Hmmm...three men and two ladies--yes, that's where the plot starts to thicken. How's this for a twist--the Whiteoaks' sister Meg was jilted years before by Phesant's father, Maurice, but both still have feelings for each other. The screenwriters expertly intertwine the romances of Renny, Piers, Eden, Alayne, Phesant, Meg and Maurice and the story does not disappoint.

Although this movie boasts a fine cast, Kay Johnson as Alayne, Ian Hunter as Renny, Nigel Bruce as Maurice, C. Aubrey Smith as Uncle Nicholas, Halliwell Hobbes as Uncle Earnest and David Manners as Eden, the character that really steals the show is Gran, played with just the right comedic touch by Jessie Ralph. What a mixture of spice, pepper and wisdom, all rolled up under a lace cap! Gran gets most of the funny lines, and mugs outrageously for the camera. You forgive her though, because she's such a wise old soul.

I think if you visit Jalna, you will not come away disappointed. This movie appears occasionally on Turner Classic Movies so keep your eyes peeled.

John Cromwell is a name that is forgotten today but he was a good class actor/director who helmed a number of prestige projects with A list casts including Anna and the King of Siam, The Enchanted Cottage and The Prisoner of Zenda amongst other notable movies. He does good work here, too in the curiously named Jalna, which refers to the central family's house name. It is a quaint little piece and only runs an hour and 17 minutes and plays like a soap opera with moments of humour. The plot is pretty much centered on the young men of the house and the love triangles between them and the women they marry. Kay Johnson and Molly Lamont do well as the two women and Ian Hunter is quietly effective as the eldest brother but David Manners and Theodore Newton are rather insipid as brothers two and three. The slack could be taken up by top class character actors; C Aubrey Smith, Halliwell Hobbes and Willie Best, but they are sadly given too little to do (particularly Best who has less than a spit and a cough!). Hooray then for Nigel Bruce and Peggy Wood who do good work both together and apart as a couple who were destined to be together 20 years previous to the action of the piece and perhaps might get together yet. They share a wonderfully fun inebriated scene and Bruce is also in fine Baritone voice round the piano as well as delivering a decent pratfall. But the film is stole from under the noses of all by Jessie Ralph, memorable and funny as the 100 year old matriarch of the family with and without her talking parrot!

Jalna is a neglected little gem of a soap opera, partly because there are no stars in it. Nice little film about a Canadian family living together on an Ontario estate. Lots of complicated lives, squashed ambitions, family squabbles. Sort of the Dallas or Dynasty of its time. Kay Johnson is "the bride" who changes things for the better. Jessie Ralph is excellent as the grandmother. David Manners is the sulky poet, Ian Hunter is the solid brother. Ted Newton and George Offernan play other brothers. C. Aubrey Smith and Halliwell Hobbes play the unmarried uncles. Molly Lamont is "the other bride." Nigel Bruce is the neighbor in love (for 20 years) with jilted spinster Peggy Wood. Forrester Harvey is the butler. No big stars, but solid acting across the board. And it's oddly funny to hear the opinions about "the States." Going to New York is like a trip to the moon. Jalna was also made into a French Canadian miniseries in the 90s.