La Folle Alouette

The opening scene of Skylark is hilarious. Claudette catches her husband's pal ordering her anniversary present at a jeweler, since her husband is too busy and nearly forgot. I always like to see Walter Abel in a sizable part, even though in this movie, he gets terribly insulted. He insists not everyone is in an untrusting relationship, and his wife quips back, "Sure I trust you, but look at you!" I don't know why they kept such a mean line in the script, since he's a good-looking man.

But back to the movie: Ray Milland is a workaholic whose wife feels neglected. She's fed up and flirts around with a handsome charmer at a party, Brian Aherne. In the middle of his come-on, Brian correctly assumes that Claudette isn't really interested in him. She wants to "play at meeting him" and then return home grateful for the near-miss. Once challenged, Claudette leans back and says, "Okay, show me the moon." That's not the end of Brian, however. Ray Mi-bland turns out to be too "bland" for Claudette, and she files for divorce while pursuing an affair with the Errol Flynn look-a-like.

This movie is full of funny one-liners, even though I didn't like the way it ended. When they first go out together, Claudette orders her hamburger with onions; Brian orders his without. The waiter rolls his eyes and says, "You might as well order yours 'with', buddy." Later in the movie, when she warms up to the idea of an affair, she smiles at Brian before ordering her hamburger "without". In another scene, Ray argues with Claudette over the monotony of marriage, insisting she can't have ecstasy all the time. It's like eating caviar three times a day, he argues. "If I liked caviar, I'd eat it three times a day," she quips back.

If you like domestic comedies, you'll probably like this one. You've got a beautiful leading lady, a handsome leading man, and a "bland" husband trying to win her back. Just kidding; Ray is a cutie, too. But Brian is the star of the show. He's wise, smooth, and also extremely nice. In other words, he's completely unrealistic!

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. In the end when Claudette is on a boat, the camera bobs and tilts, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

A top cast -- Claudette Colbert, Ray Milland, and Brian Aherne star in "Skylark," a 1941 film directed by Mark Sandrich, and based on the play.

Milland and Colbert are Tony and Lydia Kenyon, celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, and they're having a party. Tony is in advertising, so all of his clients' products have to be on display. He's preoccupied with one client in particular, Frederick Vantine (Grant Mitchell), from whom he's trying to get another million dollars in advertising.

At the party, and right after an altercation with her husband, Linda meets a charming attorney, Jim Blake (Aherne) who becomes very smitten with her. She takes a drive with him to a diner. When she arrives home, the party is over and Tony is furious. The attorney was a guest of the Vantines, and Mrs. Vantine (Binnie Barnes) is angry that she went off with him. He demands that she call and apologize. Lydia does, and then she leaves him and spends more time with Jim -- against the wishes of Mrs. Vantine.

Funny marital comedy about a woman who doesn't want to be a second thought to her husband, and a husband who adores her but is afraid of not being good at his job. He's also jealous of Jim.

Some wonderful scenes and performances: the cast is top-notch, and Colbert's scene on Jim's boat is hilarious, and her encounters with Barnes are delicious. Aherne is likable, debonair, and charming, and Milland shows vulnerability as Tony.

"Skylark" could have better directed, which would have brought the film up a couple of notches. If Leo McCarey or Ernst Lubitsch had directed it, it might have been up there with "It Happened One Night." Nevertheless, it is delightful, with the three stars at the top of their respective games.

Or, if you prefer, Comedy Lite, because 'Skylark" is only semi-funny. I can only guess Director Mark Sandrich didn't have a good feel for comedy as several scenes which could have been funny seemed forced and heavy-handed. A Leo McCarey or Mitchell Leisen could have gotten more mileage out of them, but, as is, "Skylark" is unsatisfying and leaves you feeling unfulfilled, like Lite beer or diet soda.

Other reviews recount the plot, but just let me say that the main reason to watch this one is to watch several old pros give their all and try to make a mediocre picture better just by their presence. It belongs mainly to Claudette Colbert, who tries mightily and comes off the best of the principals. She is ably supported by Ray Milland and Brian Aherne, who also do their best. Walter Abel does not come off so well and is better in straight drama parts. And the old pop standard 'Skylark" is apparently not from this picture. I put my star rating in the heading as the website no longer includes them.

I like these actors in most everything I've seen them in, but this one has a whiff of cheese going bad in the fridge. Ray Milland is psychotic over his search for financial success and kicks his wife around like a dog. Colbert has lost her mind and her self-respect as she whimpers fondly around him hoping for a pat on the head. And then things turn weirdly comic as Brian Aherne drops in to distract her.

A divorce seems comfortably inevitable; she and Aherne seem soul mates for sure, until Colbert's own psychosis turns her back towards a scheming Milland. Me oh my, who will she choose? Is anyone following this? I could have used cue cards for applause and hissing because the director didn't know where this thing was going. And it didn't get there.

This mishmash was not fun, and now I've got to carve off the mold to salvage a single bite of cheddar goodness. One of the few times I've rated a film at less than the user average, but at only 103 voters, this fuzzy stinker seems to have kept most of them out of the fridge.

Lydia (Claudette Colbert) and Tony (Ray Milland) have been married for five years. Tony is in love with his job and his wife is mostly an afterthought. Inexplicably, she accepts this and loves the big jerk in spite of this. However, after years of being neglected emotionally, the problem comes to a head during their anniversary. Instead of a romantic dinner for two, he invites over clients-- clients who Lydia doesn't like--and she has every reason to dislike these nasty folks. She's in a funk and a dashing guy, Jim (Brian Ahern), offers to take her away from this dinner party and she impulsively goes. She returns many hours later--long after all the guests have gone home.

Jim realizes, finally, that his marriage is in trouble. His plan to woo her back--lie to her and tell her he's quitting his job. But, he has no intention of leaving this job--and it really isn't much of a plan. Eventually, Lydia learns about this and leaves him. Soon they are divorced and NOW Jim finally tries to actually do something to win her back. But, considering they are divorced and she doesn't want to see him, it really seems like he's stalking her and is an abusive ex-spouse. It's really quite creepy and about as romantic as a case of the clap. The film might have seemed cute back in 1941, but today it comes off as an endorsement for a man to claim ownership over his 'property'--and Jim would, in the real world, end up in jail for his boorish behaviors!

Considering how good these actors are, the film should have been so much better. I also take off a point for the terribly overdone scene where Lydia keeps falling in the sailboat--it was about as subtle as a stripper at a Baptist picnic. Overall, it's a big disappointment, though the film does have its moments.