Ever Since Eve

Had always heard how rotten this film was. Imagine my surprise when I finally saw it and found it one of the most enjoyable of the Warner's 30's comedies. Marion is a delight, totally natural . . . which is why I guess, they never thought she could act! The film has a great supporting cast. Louise Fazenda has a hilarious role as Abigail Beldon the book publisher, and Merle Oberon look alike, Marcia Ralston makes a vicious "other woman". The whole thing is fun. Take it for what it is . . . just entertainment.

Oh yes, plot is Marion makes herself over to be plain and ugly to get a job and falls for Robert Mongomery, her employer.

What a gem of a movie! Sure, some of the circumstances are preposterous, even for 1937, but the pace is fast, the characters are fun and the building tension as the main character tries to juggle being both Marge Winton and "Sadie Day" is as much fun as the climax of "Mrs. Doubtfire" in the restaurant when Robin Williams just continually change between characters. I'm stunned this has never been remade (or perhaps it has?).

Marion Davies is a delight, every bit as fun as Carole Lombard. I've never seen her in a movie, and always heard she was a mediocre actress. But she's actually quite good, perfect for this role.

On the one hand, this is an incredibly dated movie. On the other hand - is it? Sexual harassment is certainly still a problem in the workplace, though how a woman looks is no protection against it or invitation for it, as this movie implies. But the scene where Marion Davies, in frumpy disguise, isn't helped as she enters a hotel and doesn't get a very nice reception from the front desk clerk, but beautiful "Sadie Day" gets helped and warmly welcomed - has anything really changed from then until now?

It was also startling, and refreshing, to see black British actor Frederick Clarke as the urbane butler, though I held my breath when a character was furious with him started to insult him with a word that started with "n" - and sighed with relief that the word turned out to be "nincompoop."

"Ever Since Eve" is a cute comedy from 1937 starring Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery, Patsy Kelly, and Allen Jenkins.

Davies plays a secretary who gets sick of the men she works for hitting on her all the time - so sick, in fact, that she makes herself into a homely frump and goes to work for Robert Montgomery, who plays an author in need of someone efficient so that he can finish his book.

Davies' transformation is very good, but I have to admit that I didn't find her so much of a knockout normally that no man could keep his hands off of her. It was really a role for someone like Jean Harlow.

The interesting thing is, Davies was 40 at the time. It was unusual in those days for an actress to still be playing starring roles by then and only superstars with clout could get away with it.

Norma Shearer retired at 40, as did Greta Garbo; by the time Joan Crawford was 38, MGM was giving her junk, and she was drummed out of the studio.

Davies is very good, and the film is cute, with good performances from the rest of the cast. Davies' acting abilities come as no surprise to me, as I have enjoyed many of her performances. She was a bright presence as well.

"Ever Since Eve" goes down easily. It's not a masterpiece, not a classic screwball comedy, but it's very enjoyable.

Marion Davies was a accomplished comedienne & actress who has been unfairly maligned because of her long standing affair & association w/ WR Hearst. He bankrolled & heavily promoted her career. This was her final film & she was 39 or 40 when she starred in it. She is still very attractive & 40 isn't old but for a woman in Hollywood, it's the death knell for an actress's career. She was past her time to play an ingenue & she knew it. She quit & devoted herself to Hearst until his death then donated a fortune to children's charities. She also had difficult later years because of alcoholism & cancer but she was not the tragic character, Susan Alexander Kane, portrayed in Citizen Kane. The fictional character was forced by Kane to be an opera singer in spite of no talent. Marion Davies had talent but was neither respected nor appreciated. Ever Since Eve is a minor but successful swan song for her career. The supporting actors perform well especially the very gifted comedienne Patsy Kelly.

I agree with the first comment, that I expected a poor picture and discovered a highly entertaining light comedy. Yeah, perhaps Marion Davies was typically too old to be playing what the reviewers called another "eye-batting ingenue," but she's not batting her eyes here. The entire concept of a woman succeeding based on her hard work, talent, and merit is taken quite seriously for a "silly comedy." This concept has been used time and time again, particularly with Laura La Plante in the English THE CHURCH MOUSE (35), and the earlier Warner BEAUTY AND THE BOSS, with Marian Marsh. La Plante was splendid, Marsh a bit inexperienced to carry off the entire chore, but Marion Davies plays with professional elan, and as usual, she is surrounded by folks who see to it that your time is never wasted - Patsy Kelly, Louise Fazenda, Frank McHugh, Allen Jenkins, and Barton MacLane. Bob Montgomerey was borrowed from MGM, and although he's certainly at home in such material, he doesn't seem to be enjoying the ride as much as the rest of the cast. Davies made four films at Warners, and although Jack Warner claimed they all made (highly suspect) profits, they were certainly lavish affairs. EVE was the final appearance, and although it was not PEG O' MY HEART or SHOW PEOPLE or WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER, it is by no means a poor film, in fact, I would stack it against any later 30s film starring one of her contemporaries, say, Norma, Dolores, Janet, or Joan.