Ma soeur est capricieuse

Actually saw the 1955 musical remake first several years ago when my film taste and knowledge was nowhere near as broad and when my reviews and taste were not particularly good at all (or so from personal opinion that is). This is to confess that this was without realising at the time that this 1942 'My Sister Eileen' existed. Absolutely loved that film then, still do and slightly prefer it while enjoying this film very much.

1942's 'My Sister Eileen' is adapted from the Broadway smash, its appeal is unsurprisingly so, there have been stage hits where the appeal is a mystery by personal standards, that opinion just to say has been extremely rare with me and have really tried never to adopt that way of thinking, but not here. 'My Sister Eileen' may not be perfect but much of it is an absolute delight and it is very difficult to be too hard on it. There is a good deal of talent involved, with Rosalind Russell being the biggest name and draw, so it's hard to resist.

Do feel that the pacing is rather rushed and frenetic, and do agree that some of 'My Sister Eileen' does try too hard where it does go a little too over-the-top and become somewhat strident and chaotic.

It does have a silly story, but will be honest in saying that this film is hardly the only, first or last film from the "golden age" to not have the story as a strong suit and sometimes for that reason. Brian Aherne also has very little to work with and gets somewhat lost amidst everything else.

Having said all of this, 'My Sister Eileen' does boast some charming production values that don't look too stage-bound and is nicely photographed. There are a lot of very funny and often hilarious moments in the script and while the story and pace have their short-comings the story stays upbeat and impossible to dislike and even if the film did need a slowing down at least it engaged me and the deliciously kooky characters entertained. Got a lot of fun out of the conga sequence.

That is all thanks to a cast at the top of their game, with a few cast members reprising their roles from the stage and doing a great job at it. In support, Donald MacBride is a big standout. While Janet Blair is every bit Rosalind Russell's equal and the chemistry between them crackles Russell is the reason to see 'My Sister Eileen', her comic timing is just effortless and she is basically a joy to watch.

On the whole, not perfect but with a lot to enjoy. See it for Russell. 7/10

Though this appears to have been filmed entirely on a sound stage, the feel of the original stories comes through. This is the Village as it has been as long as I've lived here.

Please note: I was not born when this movie came out. But maybe my mother, a writer, saw it and decided ti was for her. When I was a child we lived a few blocks from where the stories were set. And for the last decades, I have lived maybe three blocks from there. And how it has changed! And how much for the worse: Rich people, high rents and buying (who'd heard of buying an apartment in 1942?!) Noisy clubs ...

Janet Blair is fine as the title character. Rosalind Russell is very good as her sister Ruth. (The real Ruth, who wrote the stories, married Nathanael West and died tragically at a young age.) Russell is sort of like her Sylvia Fowler character in "The Women." But we can see hints of the broad style that was to come and was to sink her by the time of "Auntie Mame." George Tobias is fun as the girls' fast-talking artistic landlord. Without knowing it at the time, I rented my first Manhattan apartment from the man on whom this character was based. That was 30 years later.

Brian Ahern is OK as the male lead. He's a little stuffy, but he's meant to be. In fact, his character is insufferable. Why Ruth is drawn to him is not made clear.

I loved seeing the organ grinder near the end. I remember them on nearby Waverly Place a decade later when I was a small child! This gives a better view of the Village than any other commercial movie I can think of. It's fun and definitely is recommended..

The film begins in Columbus, Ohio and young Eileen has visions of stardom on the stage--though she only has worked in community theater. Her older sister, Rosalind Russell, is an aspiring writer and they agree to both go to New York to seek fame and fortune. Along the way, they meet a bazillion crazy characters who wander into their basement apartment faster than is humanly possible. And, yes, I truly do mean wander into the apartment. It's like Grand Central Station in there and after a while the gimmick just doesn't make sense. Subtle it ain't!

MY SISTER EILEEN is a screwball comedy that is very, very aware that that is exactly what it should be. While often cute and enjoyable, all too often the film seems to think that by being too loud, too chaotic and too goofy, it will be a successful film. Personally, I enjoyed it but wish they'd perhaps slowed the whole thing down and tried for at least some subtlety and style. It made the pacing of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE and BRINGING UP BABY seem absolutely slow by comparison!! Throughout this film, whenever the action seems to slow, the film makers seem to just randomly toss characters into the mix with the instructions "act kooky"--sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. As a result, it's a very hit or miss production. However, fortunately, the film ends on a very high note with a surprise (and funny) cameo appearance. I won't say more--it might spoil the fun.

Overall, it's a good time-passer and a decent film, but don't expect magic.

Rosalind Russell was one of the finest comediennes in the American movies, and this in a period which saw the likes of Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard, Jean Arthur, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Katharine Hepburn and others. Russell was a rarity: though all the others often played dizzy women, in her comedies, Russell always played smart, hard-edged career women (the exception was her first major comedy role, as the catty Sylvia in THE WOMEN).

At a time when HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS is set to open, with its lackadaisical heroine pursuing a writing career as she tries to make sense of her romantic entanglements, it behooves us to remember MY SISTER EILEEN, which (when it was filmed in 1942) is the prototype, as the two Sherwood sisters (Ruth, played by Rosalind Russell, and her younger sister Eileen, played by Janet Blair) come to New York City to try their hands at writing (for Ruth) and acting (for Eileen). The slapstick annoyances, the charmingly maladroit Greenwich Village denizens (part ethnic, part "bohemian"), the stereotypical romantic encounters, all make for a charming entertainment. In the wake of the sexual frankness of HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS, MY SISTER EILEEN might seem dated, but it's a lovely reminder of the wit and the humor of the generation growing up during World War II, when women were (again) finding new possibilities in the workplace, but still had the same problems finding proper dates.

ROSALIND RUSSELL was always at her best in comedies and here she had a role that got her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 1942--and it's easy to see why. She's downright hilarious as the gal from Ohio with writing ambitions and a pretty blonde sister (JANET BLAIR) with a penchant for attracting men and trouble.

All the wacky situations stem from their Greenwich Village basement apartment which seems to have more visitors than Grand Central Station. It's all exaggerated fluff, but it works, thanks to a fine cast and sterling performances.

RICHARD QUINE and GORDON JONES do repeats of their Broadway roles, and DONALD MacBRIDE as a policeman who wants quiet on his route is hilarious. JUNE HAVOC makes a brief appearance as a medium who used to live in the girls' apartment. GEORGE TOBIAS, as the opportunistic landlord with the Greek accent, is at his funniest in a colorful supporting role.

My favorite moment is the conga sequence with Russell and Blair trying to get rid of sailors who don't speak a word of English, creating a disturbance that lands Blair in jail. Janet Blair is pleasant as the blonde bombshell but it's Russell who milks the most out of her role and gets all the laughs. She's terrific.

BRIAN AHERNE does what he can with the role of the talkative editor, but it's not much of a part. Still, he adds a certain debonair charm to the role.

Summing up: Notable chiefly as a terrific vehicle for Russell's unique brand of comic talent.