California Express

Cute comedy about a novelist (Claudette Colbert) who meets a soldier (John Wayne) and realizes she loves him. There's more to it than that, but that's the bare bones of the plot. The movie moves quickly, is VERY funny and who knew John Wayne could do comedy so well? Colbert beautiful and charming (as always). There's also a few appearances from stars of that era. Bright, breezy...well worth seeing.

Claudette Colbert and John Wayne star in this lightweight comedy about an authoress who may not know enough about men to write about them. Her first book is a smash hit, but John Wayne scrutinizes it a bit, when he meets Claudette, not knowing she wrote it. He and his pal Don DeFore make a nice pair of guys to hang out with, and he and Claudette have good chemistry and repartee, but somehow the last 30 minutes goes off course and keeps this from being a very fulfilling movie experience. They're all good company and they have quite a few madcap escapades together, but things just don't fall into place as they should and the film tends to wander and go on too long. But if you get a chance to see Without Reservations, it's enjoyable and undemanding entertainment for almost two hours.

If you know John Wayne films it's not surprising that He could be humorous, even in his heroic roles that He usually portrayed. This film is amusing and the characters are appealing. It's good for a viewing every few years or so. The only problem is a that John Wayne is about 10 years too old for this role. Born in 1906, in 1946, when this film was released, He was about 40 years old. The reason that He wasn't actually in the military during WWII was that He was a little too old. Before His breakout success in "Stagecoach" Wayne spent nearly 10 years cranking out B-Westerns. For the remainder of His career He was almost always a little too old for His character, which was especially evident as He got older. Until his last few films, He was still playing the hero roles that got the girl in the end. I 've always wished that He had played more age appropriate character roles once he was in his 60s. It's only a small gripe, and He does well in this lite comedy.

"Without Reservations" is a cute but canned knock-off of "It Happened One Night" (also with Colbert) -- a road picture pitting the sexes against each other and then against the elements of a screwball universe. Though very flimsy in plot structure, Colbert and Wayne end up as interesting foils. Colbert puts out with her usual impeccable timing, urbane wit and unique, feminine charm. It strikes one that Wayne is not left behind in her proverbial comedic dust, a testament to the plain fact that he was actually a fine actor masquerading as a big lug, and moreover capable of playing comedy.

For any fellow "reactionaries" there is some good dialogue delivered by Wayne against Progressivism and in favor of freedom, which, except for its brevity, might as well have been lifted directly from a James Edward Grant script. Unfortunately these ideas (symbolized by the Wayne character) are categorized as the non-thinking position, but nonetheless they are involved in the overall plot resolution.

In all, the film means well but doesn't deliver, and the actors take in the slack where possible.

Many in the Hollywood elite belittled John Wayne. To get back at him for his Americanist views, liberals panned his movies and acting ability. If you have seen "The Quiet Man" or "The Searchers" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" or "The Sands of Iwo Jima" amongst many others, you already know that John Wayne could indeed act.

Watch "Without Reservations." My family loves John Wayne but who would have thought he could do comedy? And then do it well?

"Without Reservations" is a funny, amusing, delightful movie which is one of my wife's favorite (a New York City liberal by the way). Get a big bowl of popcorn. Sit back with your family and enjoy a lighthearted adventure. Cobert and Don Dafore are perfectly cast.