Un bacio al buio

Middle thirties studio fodder that would be completely forgotten if it didn't have Ida Lupino in one of the star parts. She's very young although starting to move away from the English Jean Harlow mold the studio tried forcing her into when she first arrived. Her voice is still high and light not having yet acquired the smoky whiskey tinge that was to come within a few years. Some fun is provided by two members of the supporting cast, the always reliable Roland Young and the buffoonish Hugh Herbert plus Ida and the forgotten Francis Lederer make an attractive couple but this is a minor romantic comedy nothing more.

It's a darkened theatre where Phillipe leans over to kiss his philandering girlfriend Yvonne. But it's not her he mistakenly kisses; instead, it's an uptight young Monique who's instantly insulted and causes a commotion. From there events spiral away in Hollywood fashion, such that Phillipe may lose his acting job, go to jail, and get a "monster" reputation. Talk about a mountain out of a molehill: it's that in spades. Good thing for Phillipe that Monique eventually takes a shine to the handsome actor.

It's a hard movie to rate, since it mixes so much cuteness with so much silliness. Too bad comic actor Herbert does his silliness bit in about every scene. It's like pouring sugary gravy on more flavorful soup. Still, lead actor Lederer as Phillipe manages an upbeat charm; at the same time, a youthful Lupino gets a dewy-eyed ingenue role as Monique, a long way from a hardened Road House (1948). And get a load of Eidy Malyon, President of the Purity League, who may make you rethink the notion of kindly old ladies that amounts to the movie's masterstroke. Also, Roland Young gets an amusing role as a theatre owner driven to frazzle. And I especially like that courtroom sequence where the Judge, Donald Meek, slowly comes unglued

Anyway, the comedy's a difficult mix of the silly and the cute. Nonetheless, you may find the 81-minutes a worthwhile gamble.

Picture quality is pretty rough at the beginning, but this thing is already 85 years old, so i guess we should just appreciate still having it around. Produced by Mary Pickford, it stars Francis Lederer as Philippe, who is planning on meeting his (married) girlfriend in a Paris Theater. He mistakenly kisses the wrong girl, Monique, played by Ida Lupino. this starts a huge uproar in Paris, as the President of the Purity League was also in the theater. and no comedy would be complete without Donald Meek. and Erik Rhodes and Hugh Herbert. Roland Young (Topper!) this one is just loaded up with the best comedians. and we sit through the whole court case as they demand to know why Philippe kissed a girl. kind of like Much Ado about Nothing! a kissing caper. fun. moves right along. ice skating. Directed by Rowland Lee, who had directed some biggies, Count of Monte Cristo and Three Musketeers. Pickford played such a HUGE role in all aspects of films over her career, although it seems to have stopped when she divorced Fairbanks in 1936. THIS film was one of the last ones she produced. looks like she mostly retired from the biz when she married Buddy Rogers. Definitely catch One Rainy Afternoon if you can find it... Roland Young does a really FUN version of "Rainy Afternoon"!

When you see a cast that contains such folks as Roland Young, Hugh Herbert, Mischa Auer, Donald Meek, Erik Rhodes, Eily Malyon, and Richard Carle in the cast it's almost an obligation to watch the film. All these are in the cast filling out roles you would expect of them supporting leads Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino.

This could only happen in France where they are a bit more permissive. And it could only work for a charming guy like Francis Lederer. Don't try this here unless you're Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. One afternoon Lederer who is opening in a revue shortly decides to spend an afternoon at the cinema with a woman he's dating and do the things couples do at the movies. Only Lederer gets the wrong row and when he reaches over and plants a big wet on Ida Lupino she's started and screams. when she's startled.

When the lights go on and everybody in the theater jumps into their business Lupino is willing to just let it all drop. But Eily Malyon best remembered as the parish housekeeper in Going My Way is there and happens to be the head of the Purity League. She insists on bringing a complaint against Lederer and the gendarmes haul him off to the pokey.

The court scene is pretty funny too as Judge Donald Meek looking for a few jollies has Lederer, Lupino, and Malyon who wants Lederer boiled in oil give their accounts of this incident.. Theater manager Roland Young fires Lederer from his revue, but his popularity among the French public skyrockets.

As was said by another reviewer this is a film that Maurice Chevalier should have done. But as Chevalier went back to France and was unavailable, Lederer is a good substitute.

Does all this lead to romance? Watch this charming comedy and find out.

"One Rainy Afternoon" is an American remake of the French film "Monsieur Sans-Gêne". I have no idea if the French film is any good or not, all I know is that "One Rainy Afternoon" became VERY tiresome almost as soon as it started! This is due to a terrible miscasting of Francis Lederer in a comedy--and his abilities with comedy were nonexistent. A fine actor, yes, but a comedian, no way! In addition, there is a lot of Hugh Herbert in the film and my theory about his films is that the more of him in a movie, the less I'll enjoy it. High laugh just pierces my brain and makes me want to scream.

As for the plot, it's VERY contrived and not enough to support an entire full-length film. Lederer is going to meet a married woman at the theater but instead of sitting there and kissing her in the dark, he accidentally kisses a stranger (Ida Lupino). What makes this so unendurable is everyone's reaction to this--like the world is about to end or something! To base an entire film on such a faux pas--what a mistake and the film comes off as very forced and unfunny.

UPDATE: I saw this film again recently and think the original review a bit too severe. I now admit that the film, while seemingly endorsing sexual harassment, has some charm nevertheless.