Here Comes Happiness

A picture from the days when Hollywood ground out pictures just to be sure there were two on the bill. That's right, once upon a time when you went to a movie theatre there were two films, an A and B plus a cartoon, previews, and even sometimes a newsreel or short. An evening out was an evening out. Here Comes Happiness was a B picture but one whose theme is timeless and whose plot resurfaces even today (2004). Poor little rich girl finds happiness with common man thanks to helpful and understanding father who knows his money can't really buy happiness regardless of what his wife thinks.

The picture has no recognizable actors except for Russell Hicks, the father, and Edward Gargan, the chauffer, both veteran character actors of many B movies. You recognize them from having seen them so often but you never know there names.

Why watch? It's still a pleasant hour and frothy fun.

Here Comes Happiness was released in March of 1941, so we hadn't been dragged into the war yet. Mildred Coles plays Jessica Vance, the young heiress who isn't so sure she wants to marry the society bigshot that her mother has picked out for her. She gets her own apartment, meets the locals, and tries to find her own prince charming. It's a lot like watching an episode of Father Knows Best - no surprises, no big names, plain, simple entertainment based on misunderstandings. One of Warner Brothers shorties - only 57 minutes. Edward Norris does a good job as one of the suitors. Keep an eye out for William Hopper, the son of Hedda Hopper, as Blaine's original best man. This was one of the last films directed by Noel Smith -- he only made a couple more after this. It's also ironic that they keep talking about going to Honolulu, since in just a few months, terrible things were about to happen there...

Unhappy copper heiress Jessica Vance is engaged to Mayflower born Jelliffe Blaine. She is not convinced of their love and wonders if he only wants her money. She abandons it all for a working class apartment where nobody knows of her wealth. She makes all new friends and falls for budding entrepreneur Chet Madden. Slowly, everybody starts to wonder about her.

It's a low budget comedy drama B-movie from WB. I don't recognize any of the actors. The story is fine for an average sitcom. I like her story although he needs to be sweeter. I'm not sure if he's jealous or suspicious. He shouldn't be either. Does he think that she has a sugar daddy? I guess that they can't say it out loud. It's all relatively fine.

Mildred Coles, daughter of the improbably wealthy Russell Hicks, is going to be married to social-register Richard Ainley, which makes her mother, Marjorie Gateson happy. Miss Coles realizes what a nullity Ainley is and runs away, with her father's approval, to a working-class environment, where she and Edward Norris soon fall in love. But when her father shows up, Norris thinks he's her sugar daddy. Norris understands the pressures of poverty and asks her to marry him. But he wants to start his own business, and is short about $3500. The man who franchises the equipment understands what it is to be in love, and says another $2000 will cover it. But when Miss Coles shows up with her father's check for the amount and asks him to keep it secret, he changes his mind about the discount, and in a fit of masculine pride, Norris breaks the engagement. So Miss Coles goes back to marry Ainley, figuring at least her mother will be happy.

It's a Warner Brother B remake of 1934's HAPPINESS AHEAD, and while not a world-beater by any means, is such an amiable little story, with nary anyone to dislike -- except Ainley, who's a worm. Hicks is delightful as the honest and friendly millionaire who made his way up from nothing, and the cast is ably directed by the competent but unremarkable Noel Smith. It doesn't seem to have done anyone's career much good, but it's a pleasant hour.