She Went to the Races

So-so Romantic comedy of how several professors try to get their colleague's job back by playing the horses scientifically isn't much. What strengths there are lay in the supporting cast, particularly the ever-delightful Edmund Gwenn and Sig Rumann, as well as Ava Gardner in a well-played role as the other woman. James Craig is ok in the lead and Frances Gifford seems to be doing a breathless imitation of Larraine Day, but the overall effect was apparently so unhappy that director Willis Goldbeck did his work under a pseudonym.

The intent was apparently to produce something light and breezy and reminiscent of SARATOGA, but it all appears a bit harebrained.

One of the most enjoyable films of the 1940s was "Ball of Fire". Barbara Stanwyck spends most of the movie hanging out with an adorable group of aging professors and finds love with handsome Gary Cooper. Well, in "She Went to the Races", Frances Gifford also spends most of the film hanging out with an adorable group of aging professors and finds love with handsome James Craig....but the movie is hardly a classic. More a time-passer if you ask me.

When the story begins, Professor Pecke (Edmund Gwenn) learns that his faculty position at the university has been eliminated. The other professors decide to try to save his job by betting at the horse races in order to fund this faculty position...and they use scientific methods to accurately guess the results. In the meantime, Professor Wotters (Gifford) falls for one of the horse owners (James Craig). Unfortunately, another woman (Ava Gardner) also has her sights set on him.

This story is only okay...mostly because while the professors are cute and wonderful supporting actors, the story itself is only okay and nothing special. Watchable but hardly a film you need to rush to see.

If you want to see a crystal clear example of star quality this little B is a perfect place to look.

It's a cute comedy with a wonderful cast of supporting actors and it moves along well enough with its nominal leads James Craig, a second string Clark Gable wannabe, and Frances Gifford, an efficient if somewhat colorless leading lady, getting the job done.

But then suddenly a breathtaking on the rise Ava Gardner turns up and wipes both of them off the screen. Where they function within the story she pulls the camera's focus to her and holds it in a way only a born star can. While they work to put their scenes over she just seems so comfortable with the lens's gaze she just owns her scenes. You wait for her to show up and miss her terribly when she's gone. She's the reason to seek this out.

This is a cute movie. I enjoyed it more than I expected to, leading me to bump my rating up a star. This is one of those second-tier Hollywood productions that usually don't stand out, but I thought it was fun. The cast is really terrific and there's lots to like in this little-known comedy.

Wonderful character actors Reginald Owen, Sig Ruman, and Charles Halton are excellent as the three eccentric scientists. (Think BALL OF FIRE.) Add to that the delightful Edmund Gwenn as their colleague. With Gwenn's position at the university in jeopardy, the scientists pool their knowledge to formulate a system of predicting winning horses at the track to thereby raise the necessary funds.

The romance between Frances Gifford and James Craig has some cute moments, like when lovestruck Craig awkwardly tries to explain away his old friend "Stems".

"Stems", of course, is played by the very alluring Ava Gardner. This was an early credited role for Gardner, a year before THE KILLERS, and she's very good. Definitely a born star. Although she's the main romantic rival, Gardner does not play a "bad girl". In fact, she's rather likable and upright about the whole thing.

In addition to the great comedic performances by the scientists and the sultry screen presence of Ava Gardner, there's the bartender (Frank Orth) who always has just the drink for what ails you, the tough Irish horse trainer (J.M. Kerrigan), and Mr. Mason (Chester Clute), the befuddled little private detective ("Found him and lost him. But I'll find him again. And again and again."). And to top it all off there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it uncredited cameo by the great Buster Keaton as a pratfalling bell boy.

SHE WENT TO THE RACES might not be an important or essential Hollywood classic, but it's a fun movie that's worth catching on TCM once in a while.