La via del possesso

Frank Morgan, American expatriate, writes home to his estranged wife and daughter that he is a Riviera millionaire. In fact, he's a sort of wily tourist guide who is not above assisting certain associates in shady art deals that help him pay the rent.

So imagine Morgan's surprise and chagrin when his engaged daughter's prospective in-laws accept his invitation to hold the wedding at his château! Always the con man, he quickly borrows a château from a wealthy friend, figuring the wedding party will surely come and go home before anyone catches on. –Yes, it's a classic case of What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The first third of this picture is amusing but a bit slow—it's a long setup, and we get the feeling that we have a pretty good idea exactly where the story is going. It gets livelier, however, and less predictable too—the plot does contain surprises, and it all develops into a very sweet movie featuring not only Morgan but a wild range of supporting characters, all of them nutty and all delightfully acted.

John Beal and Florence Rice are charming and beautiful as the romantic leads. Beal is the actual château owner posing as the caretaker as a favor to his friend Morgan; Rice is the American daughter who may be marrying the wrong man. Herman Bing, Reginald Denny and Vladimir Sokoloff are among the large and varied cast of Morgan's buddies posing as nobility. E.E. Clive steals scenes as a genuine nobleman presumed to be another impostor.

A plot that squeezes in some surprises, plenty of amusing dialog, and lots and lots of great character actors….After this picture picks up steam toward the midpoint, it's both cute and funny.

Just a few years later, the basic plot elements from BEG, BORROW OR STEAL were re-worked into THE WILD MAN OF BORNEO--and both starred Frank Morgan. However, of the two, BEG, BORROW OR STEAL is a far superior film due mostly to the great ensemble cast as well as its charm. BORNEO, by contrast, was a stale recycled idea and the film limped along solely on the power of Frank Morgan's acting--and it was not nearly enough to make the picture worth seeing.

So why is this a film good enough to earn a score of 7? Well, I already mentioned the cast. Morgan's character in both films is a bit of a scoundrel but this time he's accompanied by a group of five friends who are also crooks but exude charm. Later in the film, E. E. Clive makes a wonderful appearance and practically steals the show due to his funny delivery and great lines. This means that the entire production does NOT rest on Morgan's shoulders but is more of a group effort. Plus, the supporting actors are funny, whereas in BORNEO, they are at times pretty annoying. In addition to the acting, the music, direction and setting all work together to give the film a much needed infusion of charm and romance.

In many ways, this film also reminds me of some of W. C. Fields' films--ones where he is a bit of a rogue but by the end, everything works together to bring him a happy ending. A cute and enjoyable film from start to finish.

Pre -world war II film (for the U.S., anyway). Frank Morgan made a bunch of fun, light, caper films in the 1930s and 1940s; this one was just a couple years before The Wizard! When a young couple gets married, they end up taking up her dad's offer to hold the wedding at his fancy chateau in europe. the only trouble is, dad doesn't HAVE a chateau. and is quite the fraud. with the guests on the way, he needs to find a chateau pronto! it turns out Dad is only lying when his mouth is open. the more he talks, the deeper the trouble. the kids' marriage itself is secondary to Dad's antics. a typical Frank Morgan adventure. perfect training for playing the Wizard of Oz! come along for the wild ride. he gets everyone into trouble... can he get them back out? Directed by Bill Thiele. had started in germany but had to leave with hitler coming to power. in the US, he was a proponent of Dorothy Lamour, who was a huge hit, and she made a bunch of films with Bob and Bing! good silly fun, if you go along for the ride.

TiVo and TCM have a window that pops up, giving this one star. Why? That's for BAD films. This is quaint and clever. Want to waste your time with a good old-fashioned 30's comedy of errors and other shenanigans? This is that film. Yep, a B-movie that holds its own. The character actors are all good, there are genuine laughs, and a (predictable) plot that holds it all together. Most of us have not seen Frank Morgan in anything other than 'Wizard of Oz'. He plays a similar- enough role here so that you'll feel at home. I have to say I am paying more attention to TCM the older I get, lol. The junk that they spew out at the multiplex just to fill it up is depressing. Let's all support the good old days of 1930's films. Enjoy!

Who doesn't love the classic story of Apple Annie, the poor woman who tries to be a high-class lady so she doesn't embarrass her daughter? That story keeps getting remade, but if you're in the mood for a twist, check out Beg, Borrow or Steal. In this one, the Apple Annie is Apple Andy: a man who has to pretend he's wealthy to impress his daughter and her fiancé. Frank Morgan stars as the bumbling, irresponsible pauper, who makes his meager living gambling and writes home to his daughter that he's rich and lives in a castle. His daughter, Florence Rice, gets the idea of getting married at her father's palace, so he has to scrounge around and figure out how to continue to fool her.

This is a really cute movie, so if you're a Frank Morgan fan, you've got to check it out. He's his usual adorable, bumbling self who means well but constantly messes things up. If you like cute comedies about people trying to keep a secret, you'll probably like this one. I thought it was very funny, since it's not as silly as a screwball comedy but is still light and fluffy.