Magnificent Doll

In this loose political biopic, Ginger Rogers stars as a pre-first lady Dolly Madison. She runs a respectable boarding house, and when David Niven comes rolling in with tangible charm, bravado, and guts, she agrees to go out with him one evening. His idea of a good time is far from hers, though; he takes her to a seedy bar and gets into a fist fight. Plus, when Ginger finds herself drawn to the quiet, studious fellow in the corner named James Madison (played by Burgess Meredith), it's pretty clear she isn't ending up with David Niven.

While I don't really find it believable to see Ginger Rogers's heavy makeup and blonde hair in a period piece, this is still entertaining for a bit of light politics and romance. I'll watch anything with David Niven, and I love seeing him in cavalier, playboy roles. If you're a Ginger fan, it's a must-see, and if you like "woman behind the man" themes, you'll love it.

Ostensibly set in the late eighteenth century, MAGNIFICENT DOLL is a biopic of Dolley Madison (Ginger Rogers), who is forced into marriage with her first husband John Todd (Horace McNally); suffers a bereavement due to the plague, and encounters dashing senator Aaron Burr (David Niven). The two of them fall in love, but Dolley discovers to her cost that Aaron is not quite the romantic hero she first assumed. His ambition often gets the better of his reason, so much so that he is prepared to flout the constitution to achieve his ends. Eventually Dolley marries Senator James Madison (Burgess Meredith) and condemns Aaron to a life of perpetual isolation - a free man yet with no one to support him either politically or personally.

Released in the year immediately following the end of World War II, Frank Borzage's film underlines the importance of the constitution, especially the parts focusing on freedom, the rule of law and social equality. There are long sequences involving Madison, Dolley and Aaron which discuss such topics: sometimes it seems that the film has sacrificed plot-development for propaganda. Aaron is a superficially attractive character, but he believes in despotic rule in which everyone should submit to his will. He needs to be ousted in order for the American way of life to continue.

Stylistically speaking, MAGNIFICENT DOLL oscillates between love- scenes involving Dolley and Aaron (with H. J. Salter's lush score appearing somewhat intrusive), and sequences of political intrigue and/or debate. Dolley's first supper-party is impressively staged, with Dolley and Madison sat at either end of a long table, flanked by congressmen and their spouses. Borzage's camera intercuts between the two protagonists, making us aware of their burgeoning relationship which was both personal and political in scope.

David Niven was a highly versatile actor who often seemed to be typecast in romantic leading roles. By the mid-Forties his career as a leading man was on the skids, due in no small part to his military service in the British army. As Aaron, he has the chance to demonstrate his capacities, especially when he tries (and fails) to conceal his frustrations both in love and politics. Meredith makes a convincing Madison; the kind of person whom everyone can trust and hence an ideal presidential candidate. Rogers doesn't have much to do, except for a climactic speech delivered at the end of the film to the Virginian people where she emphasizes the importance of the rule of law. This she delivers with élan.

MAGNIFICENT DOLL is a watchable film, even if its didactic purposes sometimes get in the way of its dramatic development.

Popular historical novelist and biographer Irving Stone wrote the story and screenplay for The Magnificent Doll the story of Dolly Madison and the three men in her life, first husband John Todd, second husband and 4th president James Madison, and 3rd Vice President Aaron Burr. The roles are played by Ginger Rogers, Burgess Meredith and David Niven without his familiar mustache. The charm however is there.

I would rate Magnificent Doll a lot lower but for Niven's portrayal of Burr. It is one of the few villain roles that Niven ever did in his career. But Aaron Burr had a considerable reservoir of charm which enabled him to rise as he did.

In real life Burr did stay at the boardinghouse of Dolly Payne and did pay some court to the widow Todd. But there was no romance there and Burr was hardly her lost love. He had a well cultivated reputation as a rake and after the death of his wife many years earlier he was proving on all occasions his sword was mightiest of all.

There was a wife for Burr and a daughter Theodosia whom he doted on and who was his official hostess and political partner. She's eliminated and Dolly Madison's son by her marriage to John Todd did not die in the yellow fever epidemic. Her son Payne Todd was spoiled rotten and was the bane of the existence of his stepfather James Madison who exhausted a great deal of his own money with his stepson's gambling debts and buying off all the women he consorted with. Children of two of the three leading characters just eliminated from the story.

But that's only part of the problem with what Irving Stone wrote. According to Stone, Burr was early on fascist, not a believer in democracy especially when it went against him. That was a good movie selling point in 1946, but in real life Burr never thought in concrete methods to put his vast plans into action.

But Stone could always spin a good yarn in work like The Agony And The Ecstasy and The President's Lady which were historical novels that became pretty good films. Many years ago he wrote a book with short biographies of the men who ran and lost for president called They Also Ran. His conclusions about some of these defeated candidates are laughed at today by serious historians.

Ginger Rogers and Burgess Meredith are good in their parts. But acting honors go to David Niven in Magnificent Doll for what he does with the man described as the American Catiline, Aaron Burr.

Dolly Madison is a truly fascinating character from American history. Unfortunately, while "Magnificent Doll" does center on her life, it also is filled with historical inaccuracies...enough so that it's not a particularly good history or civics lesson. The biggest problem is that romance between Madison (Ginger Rogers) and Aaron Burr (David Niven) as I could find no indication that they ever dated or had any sort of relationship apart from taking a room at her mother's rooming house. There also is no mention of a child from her first marriage...one that did NOT die from Yellow Fever. And, sadly, what we know Dolly DID do was generally omitted or given only brief mention.

Apart from the inaccuracies, the film is a mildly entertaining but occasionally stuffy film. In particular, the latter portion of the movie seems to go off the rails...and boredom set in as I watched. Not terrible...but Dolly sure deserves better than this tepid plot.

I saw this movie 45 years ago on the "Fabulous 52", a late night show dedicated to old movies. I was a teenager at the time and would stay up very late while babysitting. It made a big impression on me and I never forgot it. I especially enjoyed the story line of her first marriage although, I later found out it was not accurate. I searched in recent years to find it on DVD to no avail. To my delight, I recently was able to watch the entire movie on the Internet, 45 years later! What a treat! I remembered a lot of it. I would love to have a copy of it. Although the story line is not quite accurate, the movie got me interested in Dolley Madison and her life. I thought it was very well done for a movie of its time. I would recommend it to old movie buffs.