La fortuna è bionda

The delightful MGM film "Slightly Dangerous" proved to the world the power and star appeal of Lana Turner, who at 21, was at the height of her beauty. The film, directed with great comedic style by Wesley Ruggles, feels as fresh today as when it was released. The excellent quality of the print TCM showed is one of the reasons to enjoy it even more.

"Slightly Dangerous" is a fun film, typical of those wartime years. We are introduced to Peggy Evans. She has been selected for an award of $2.50, in merchandise from the small department store where she works, for her punctuality. Figuring it would take her another three years to earn the $10.00 prize, Peggy, who has quarreled with her new boss, Bob Stuart, decides to try her luck in Manhattan, where she undergoes a make over and goes from a brunette into a ravishingly looking blonde.

Her problems start when she is hit by a bucket of paint in front of one of the daily newspapers. Since her clothes are ruined, and has no proof of identity, the people around her believe she has suffered a temporary memory loss. Thus begins her adventure in the big city in which she pretends to be the lost daughter of a millionaire.

Bob, who has been fired himself, comes to the city trying to locate Peggy after he sees her picture in the newspaper. By now, Peggy has turned into Carol Burden, the daughter of the rich Cornelius Burden. Her troubles start when Bob wants to prove she is Peggy the girl with whom he has fallen in love.

The film is delightful because of the light touch Mr. Green gave the story. Lana Turner was a good comedienne who was perfect in playing the double role of Peggy/Carol. Robert Young was also an actor that was effective in all the comedies he played, as he shows here with his take of Bob. The perfect supporting cast couldn't be better. Walter Brennan, Dame May Witty, Eugene Palette, Ward Bond, Ray Collins, Alan Mowbray.

"Slightly Dangerous" will please everyone because of the magnificent cast in the movie.

Soda-jerk Lana Turner (Peggy) wins $2.50 for punctual attendance over 1,000 consecutive days and she has the privilege of spending this gift within the store that she works for. What a lucky break! She is horrified at this pointless achievement and so quits for better things. Quote right, Lana. What she does next is pretty dodgy, though. Watch and find out in this romantic comedy which also stars Robert Young (Bob) as the man pursuing her in more ways than one.

This film has a good cast with Turner very good in the lead role. I wasn't too keen on Young, he's a bit drippy in this but he does get some amusing dialogue. Turner gets some clever scenes, eg, serving customers whilst blindfolded and when she is given a test to identify a treasured toy in a roomful of options. Her logic can't be faulted. She is both strong, calculatingly clever and funny in this film and she looks just like Marilyn Monroe. I wonder if Monroe copied her look? There is a convincing supporting cast although the story is based on a pretty dodgy idea! Doesn't matter, it's all fantasy. And it leaves the viewer feeling happy.

I didn't find this film to be a let down in any way - I found it very funny. I didn't take my eyes from it; the gorgeous sets and beautiful Lana Turner were mesmerizing. There is a hilarious scene in which Peggy Evans (Turner) is trying to decide what her new name will be: Walking down a city street, she sees ads and signs of retailers and tries out the names to see if they suit her (Abercrombie & Fitch, Suzanne Hats, etc...). She's debating with herself, trying out new names - and it's just hilarious. There are a few scenes where we hear her talking to herself, and I find these scenes some of the most fun. She's clever and serious, but her logic is unfounded. This is a fun movie, and I don't believe the cast took it too seriously. The cast seemed to make it a light comedy-drama, with a few madcap laughs.

Slightly Dangerous finds Lana Turner bored with life in small town Hotchkiss Falls and bored with her job as a soda jerk in a department store. She even does her job making a banana split blindfolded to the amusement of the customer, but new general manager Robert Young finds he's not amused. She's fired, but then so is he after she leaves a fake suicide note saying she's throwing herself in the river.

Instead she goes to New York and when she's hit by a falling ladder after she's heard talking to herself when she comes to, everyone thinks she's got amnesia. Instead using that she decides to become the long lost daughter of millionaire Walter Brennan who was lost at the age of 2 by nanny Dame May Witty while going to the circus.

It's interesting that none of the previous reviewers noted that this a reworking of the Anastasia legend. But that's a serious story involving a plot to deliberately defraud the exiled Romanovs.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I find a comedy based on a premise of fraud and extortion not all that funny. Yet even with a lousy starting point, Slightly Dangerous does holdup somewhat because of the incredible cast of name performers in this film like Ray Collins, Ward Bond, Eugene Palette, and Alan Mowbray besides those already mentioned.

And there's Lana Turner who just has to be Lana Turner to get me viewing a film. She's got that winsome quality throughout her films in the Forties that men and women found so appealing.

Anyway with a cast like this, chances are you'll find something enjoyable about Slightly Dangerous.

SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS gave 21 year-old LANA TURNER her first big starring break in a film not dominated by a male star. MGM couldn't have chosen a better vehicle to show off her talent as a light comedienne with a gorgeous face and figure. And ROBERT YOUNG does nicely as her leading man in a farce that has elements of screwball comedy.

It takes the mistaken identity theme (based on a false case of amnesia) and puts Lana in the clutches of rich relatives--WALTER BRENNAN (in an unusual role for him) and DAME MAY WITTY--who believe she is their long lost daughter. Young knows the real story and spends most of the movie chasing after her to prove to the folks in her hometown that he shouldn't have lost his job over her disappearance.

It's all lightweight comedy and Turner never misses a chance to give the role of the scheming girl a sense of fun and innocence with a sexy twist. She goes from brunette salesgirl to blonde heiress in a series of outfits that only MGM's wardrobe department could devise. This is the kind of light escapist entertainment that weary wartime GIs were crazy about--and Lana looks sensational while giving an expert performance.

ROBERT YOUNG is no slouch as her leading man. He has some scenes that reveal just what a flair he had for light comedy--and some of it very physical.

The big delight is seeing so many well-known names in character roles: Ward Bond, Florence Bates, Alan Mobray, Bobby Blake (as Lana's kid brother), Ray Collins, Frank Faylen, Norma Varden and Howard Freeman, to name a few.

Well worth a look--a pure delight from start to finish.