Snowed Under

A frustrated Broadway playwright finds himself SNOWED UNDER in a Connecticut country house with both of his ex-wives, the flirtatious girl next door, a deputy sheriff and a lawyer.

This delightful little comedy is an excellent example of the fluff films that Warner Bros. was so adept at producing during Hollywood's Golden Age. Boasting fine production values, a literate script & some genuinely funny performances, it is a shame that the film is so obscure today.

George Brent & Genevieve Tobin have charm to spare as the protagonists whose divorce seems in danger of floundering; sophisticated & witty, they are a very entertaining duo. Glenda Farrell is hilarious as the boozy floozy after Brent for unpaid alimony - this brassy blonde could always be counted on for some mischievous merriment.

Pixilated Frank McHugh is the milkman turned most unlikely deputy. John Eldredge plays the gentle young lawyer; Patricia Ellis is not gentle at all as the pushy prom princess from next door. Apoplectic producer Porter Hall & sassy housekeeper Helen Lowell add to the amusement.

Movie mavens should recognize Mary Treen as a secretary & Olin Howlin as the sheriff, both uncredited.

Modest Warners comedy, a little over an hour and filmed essentially on one set, has playwright George Brent holed up in his Connecticut retreat struggling to come up with a third act, where he's visited by the first wife he still loves (Genevieve Tobin, who's charming and elegant), the second wife who wants her alimony (Glenda Farrell, who's a little too shrill and boisterous), and the kid who wants to be No. 3 (Patricia Ellis). Frank McHugh also shows up to arrest him, and a housekeeper who ought to be Clara Blandick but isn't helps out. It's so one-set that it seems to be derived from a stage farce, but isn't, and implausibilities pile up--if it's such a snowstorm, why are the roads so clear? How does Brent get over to the housekeeper's house? Why is everybody suddenly fainting? Gags, such as McHugh getting covered in snow, get overworked, and Ray Enright, never the most dynamic Warners director, doesn't make much of the slender material. But it's nicely shot, with particularly lovely snowbound exteriors, and the cast looks like it's having fun.

Porter Hall wants George Brent to write the third act for his play due to open next week. Brent is at his cabin. Hall sends Genevieve Tobin, Brent's first wife, to crack the whip. Second wife Glenda Farrell shows up with deputy Frank McHugh and her lawyer demanding alimony. Patricia Ellis is already in residence, trying to make herself the third wife.

My first reaction was this was an expertly open-up play, but it was written for the screen. It's certainly cast well; Brent, Warner's choice for a leading man who wouldn't distract the audience from the leading lady, is fine as the hectored yet stolid playwright, and the ladies are nicely differentiated, particularly the speed at which they deliver their lines. Miss Tobin is ladylike, Miss Ellis is twittery, and Miss Farrell continues her reign as Warners' resident motormouth. McHugh sometimes sounds like he's attempting a Down East accent. It's perfectly composed, you know how it's going to turn out, and it's a pleasant series of bumps getting there.

At only 63 minutes long, "Snowed Under" is plenty long for its subject--a comedy about a playwright who holes up in a Connecticut cabin to finish a play, but is continuously interrupted by interlopers. I thought this film felt like a converted stage play, but it is not. Regardless, I think "cute" best describes this story about rekindled love amidst mayhem.

Alan Tanner (George Brent) is the playwright who seeks a third act. His first wife, Alice (Genevieve Tobin), is recruited by his producer to get the creative juices flowing in Alan. The second wife shows up seeking alimony, accompanied by a sheriff's deputy and an attorney. To further complicate things, a young woman with a crush on Alan injects herself into the proceedings.

While everyone is snowbound for a night, Alan and Alice try to write the third act that triggered this tale.

I can't say this is a great story or a hilariously funny piece, but I really enjoyed it. There are too many flaws to consider "Snowed Under" a classic comedy, but it tickles the funny bone. After a while, it feels like doors are slammed just for the sake of slamming them. But there are some good lines (e.g. "Now I hate to interrupt baby's first steps.") And the characters are likable. This comedy does not take itself too seriously and the lightheartedness is infectious. It would be fun to see what Clark Gable could have done with the Alan Tanner part.

George Brent has writer's block. While he is very talented, his recent plays have bombed and the old formula is gone. So, his agent arranges for his first wife (Genevieve Tobin) to meet him at his vacation retreat, as she had been his writing partner during his glory days. However, this plan is in serious jeopardy since the second ex-wife (Glenda Farrell) shows up--and she is THRILLED with the idea of messing up anything that he was trying to complete. Add to that his secretary (Patricia Ellis)--a woman who wants to become wife #3 but who is also a major distraction.

"Snowed Under" is a kooky comedy--much of the mold of films like "Palm Beach Story", "My Favorite Wife" and "The Man Who Came to Dinner". However, the quality of the film is a couple steps below these excellent films and this is for a variety of reasons. First, occasionally the acting and writing are a bit too broad and the film tried too hard to make you laugh. While I love Glenda Farrell in most films, here she was just too shrill. Also, a few of the scenes were very, very awkward and poorly constructed--such as the fainting scene near the end of the film. The film simply is too goofy and cleaning up the script a bit would have made a better film. It didn't help that the fake snow never melted and looked really, really fake. Overall, watchable and even occasionally enjoyable...but also lacking the polish and fun you might expect in such a film.