A Viuvinha Indomável

After watching this film several times -- one wonders why the natural talents of Doris Day and Jack Lemmon weren't paired more often. Their totally believable portrayals really hold the viewer -- one can't overlook the fact that these two were at the top when it came to natural talent on the screen. Day's fight with railroad magnate (Ernie Kovaks fits his role like an old shoe) brings to the fore "corporate/community greed" vs. "human rights" as the townfolk and eventually the "nation" get behind Doris' quest to save her lobster business in Maine. The humor is mixed with some thought-provoking questions. In 2001, the film is almost a glimpse at the last vestage of the "town hall meeting" government. The supporting cast is fine (Mary Wickes, in particular adds great comic touch) -- but it's Day and Lemmon together that make this film a must see.

Doris is full of pluck and moxie fighting a big corporate jerk who actually seems unhinged in his singular quest to squash the hard working widow Jane. Jack is the earnest lawyer who has loved her since childhood. Together they make a wonderful pair as they go through no end of complications that drive them apart and united them again. Charming comedy was an inexplicable failure on its initial release probably in large part because of that atrocious title. It's re-release title of Twinkle and Shine was hardly an improvement, why they didn't stick with the initial title of That Jane from Maine which would have fit it perfectly is a mystery. Be that as it may this is a cute family comedy with wonderful location shooting and high production values as well as a super supporting cast.

I was a fan of Doris Day always! They don't make comedic actresses such as her EVER! They don't make actors like Jack Lemmon anymore either! I feel sorry for the audiences of the future because the comedic actors today cannot hold a candle to the actors of the past! The only time I had to watch TV during the year was in the summer when I could stay up late and what the late late show when all the old movies from the 30-50's were shown. Movies have only become worse and worse as the decades have passed and I hardly go to a movie today because they can't write scripts or stories anymore or have actors who are as good as they were then. I'm 62 now and CGI movies don't write scripts anymore!

Having expected a run-of-the-mill comedy effort I was surprised to be drawn into this unusually well-written, -acted, and -produced effort. The story avoided dropping to the "cutesy" level; there was enough grit in the conflict between Jane and the railroad magnate to keep one involved. I can only echo the plaudits given by others in this space to the efforts of Day, Lemmon and, especially, the underrated Ernie Kovacs. I echo the criticism of the brief flash of gratuitous partisanship in Lemmon's little speech about the stingy, nasty Republican running for selectman, but it's a minor flaw. A nice plus is the rich look of the movie, with its portrayal of the New England countryside and its nice footage of the venerable steam locomotive, a form of transport sadly passing from the scene when the flick was made. (The color technology of films from this period is superior to what we have nowadays). All in all, a delightful surprise, and well worth catching.

It Happened to Jane presents Doris Day as a woman on a mission. She's inherited a lobster business from her late husband and due to some cost cutting on the railroad that President Ernie Kovacs has put through, her lobsters were dead on arrival at their destination.

I'd be burned up as well and Doris and lawyer Jack Lemmon sue the railroad. They win a nominal sum, but that ain't good enough. They both carry on the fight and she becomes a media star. Kind of like a Fifties version of Erin Brockovich.

Of course all of this is done at the incredible stupidity and abominable sense of public relations that Ernie Kovacs has. His character is yet another version of Al Capp's General Bullmoose. And that character was a satire on Eisenhower's first Defense Secretary Charles E. Wilson. Wilson at his confirmation hearings uttered that never to be forgotten phrase that he had always operated on the principle that what was good for General Motors was good for the USA. Wilson was a fatuous sort of gent, just like Ernie Kovacs here. I'd have to say Kovacs was having a whale of a good time in this part.

The movie had some nice location shooting which definitely helped. And I completely agree with the previous reviewer who said that Lemmon and Day meshed nicely together as a team. It is a pity they weren't ever teamed again.

A favorite character part in the film for me is Russ Brown who plays Day's uncle and a former railroad engineer, a fact that comes in handy during the climax of the film.

It's a nice family film, but it also gets in a few good satirical shots at American business types.