Sans tambour, ni trompette

This is sort of the reverse of the sublime, and rarely shown "Easy Living." In that, working girl Jean Arthur is treated to life as a rich person. Here, tycoon Frank Morgan masquerades as an average Joe.

The cast could (with the exception of Robert Young, though he is OK here) scarcely be improved on. Mary Astor graces anything in which she appears. She was one of the true greats. Edna May Oliver, Frank Morgan, Herman Bing … They're all fine and here work well as an ensemble.

The title is a bit misleading. It sounds racy and, though there are some faux naughty scenes involving devious divorcée Astor, it is good clean fun. I wonder who actually are the three?

Nevertheless, it's a charmer: not a great movie but a highly appealing one.

"Paradise for Three" is a wonderful movie, full of laughs and winter sports. The delightful and handsome Robert Young is a contest winner who is mistaken for a millionaire by villainous Herman Bing, with Frank Morgan (at his befuddled best) as the real millionaire, mistaken for a hobo. It's also got Sig Rumann, and Mary Astor as a shameless gold-digging hussy. 10 out of 10.

I read the original novel "Drei MŠnner I'm Schnee" many years ago when I was an undergrad at my university and thought at the time it would make a fun movie. To my great delight I watched "Paradise for Three" not knowing it was adapted from that book and was more than pleased when I recognized the story. Frank Morgan was always one of my favorite actors, Robt Young was at his youthful and handsome best and Ms Rice was, as could only be expected, exceptionally beautiful as Tobler's daughter. The manager and butler at the hotel were classic and hilarious -- a more appropriate cast would have been difficult to assemble.

I doubt if today's youth would appreciate such a movie, but those of us who like the old ones definitely would. What a shame to realize that the setting was Vienna in 1938, a city destined to be overrun by Hitler's hordes and its society shattered within 2 years.

Multi-millionaire soap industrialist Frank Morgan (as Rudolph Tobler) holds a slogan contest for his company, with the winner and runner-up prizes awarded a two week vacation at his ritzy Palace hotel in the Swiss Alps. Unbeknownst to all, Mr. Morgan has entered his own contest under the name "Edward Schultz" and come in second place. First place winner is Robert Young (as Fritz Hagedorn), an unemployed American in Vienna who is several months behind in his rent payments. Morgan decides to go on the vacation and see how poor people live. Concerned about her eccentric boss receiving less than spectacular service, his possessive housekeeper Edna May Oliver (as Mrs. Kunkel) calls to let the hotel staff know Morgan is arriving incognito...

Due to a mix-up, the staff thinks Mr. Young is the soap tycoon. Both men attract attention from fortune-hunting divorcée Mary Astor (as Irene Mallebre). Long-time MGM editor-turned-producer Sam Zimbalist scores a real winner with this comedy. It started with the common "rich/poor" switcheroo, given a good treatment by successful story-teller Erich Kastner. Hollywood writers added some fine lines for the marvelous cast. The skiing segments reveal a less than spectacular budget, but these type of silly skiing scenes were common, at the time. Under the circumstances, not having Edna May Oliver mug and take a tumble on the Alps would have been filmmaking blasphemy. Everything is skillfully managed by director Edward Buzzell.

******** Paradise for Three (2/15/38) Edward Buzzell ~ Frank Morgan, Robert Young, Mary Astor, Edna May Oliver

Of all the innumerable B movies churned out by MGM to fill the lower half of a double bill it was inevitable that every once in a while one would jell into an mini classic. Paradise for Three is one of those happy accidents.

The story of hidden identities and crossed signals played for laughs certainly wasn't new even in 1938 but director Buzzell moves things along at breakneck speed and is fortunate to have the cast filled out with some of the best character actors working at that time.

The nominal leads are Robert Young and Florence Rice and while Young is his usual polished, amusing self and Rice is pretty and game they aren't really the engine that makes the movie run. That falls to the main trio of supporting players, Mary Astor, Edna May Oliver and especially the delightfully wacky Frank Morgan.

Astor is all sly cunning as a gold digger with an amazing wardrobe and Edna May grumbles and fusses as only she can enduring hilarious indignities along the way. But it is Morgan and his dithery befuddlement and kindly manner who steals the picture. The blending together of all their terrific work manages to take the ordinary material and add an extra punch to it that makes it laugh out loud funny in several spots and an undiscovered gem.