Le roi des reporters

Joan Bennett is tempting as "The Housekeeper's Daughter". Ms. Bennett is given some great lines, fine direction (Hal Roach), and neat things to do - like putting those thigh bells on! She has a past, which comes back to haunt... she was involved with Victor Mature and a bunch of gangsters. Bennett desires the son in the house she tends, and he is a reporter working on a crime which begins to involve Bennett's past life. There is an interesting accidental "Houseboat Murder" to solve. Adolphe Menjou and William Gargan are okay as a couple of reporters. Overall, I found the "slapstick" is often more annoying than enjoying.

"Benny" makes a mean cup of coffee.

**** The Housekeeper's Daughter (10/26/39) Hal Roach ~ Joan Bennett, Adolphe Menjou, William Gargan

"The Housekeeper's Daughter" is supposed to be based on a 1938 novel of the same title by Donald Henderson Clarke. The book is a romance about a reporter who has roommates in a boarding house, and all of them fall for the daughter of the housekeeper. But, after watching this film, one might wager that this was a common Hollywood project regarding the purchase of a book's film rights. It's just to use a theme or part of the story on which to build a completely different plot on film. And Hal Roach did this by piling on the sub-plots, different characters, lots of slapstick, and mixture of crime and a scathing put-down of the press and crime films of the day. It's a great farce for satire of the news media, but that might be lost for some amidst the slapstick and mayhem.

The cast are all very good in this comedy, drama, romance, satire, crime, and spoof of newspaper films of the golden age of Hollywood. John Hubbard isn't a name that springs to mind for actors of the past. But he was a very good supporting actor and occasional leading man during the war years. He's superb here as Robert Randall. Joan Bennett has a very good role as Hilda, a daughter who strayed into some bad company before being fed up and getting out. Adolph Menjou is ace reporter of the big time newspaper, but his Deakon Maxwell is a shyster, womanizer and con man whom Randall says is a genius in making up the news. His sidekick, and competitor when it comes to "dames," is William Gargan as ace photographer, Ed O'Malley.

When these guys move into the Randall home, while John's parents are off on their usual summer excursions, anything might happen, and does. Hilda's mom, housekeeper Olga, is played wonderfully by Peggy Wood. She gets laughs out of all of the guests at the Randall home. That is, until the hooligans begin to show up. The gangsters are all good, and Donald Meek, as the newspaper editor, Wilson, is very good in an a-typical role for the usually very meek Meek. One of the funniest scenes is when Deakon goes to see a caller who asked for the reporter from the Randall house. It's not shown on the screen, but the thud is loud and clear when Victor Mature's Lefty punches Deakon. Then with Deakon in bed and Olga caring for him, there are some very funny moments. And, toward the end, the Randalls return home early only to walk in on the mayhem. Leila McIntyre's Mrs. Randall passes out a couple times and scurries around on the floor behind the furniture to keep away the crime boss, Floyd (played by Marc Lawrence) and all his thugs.

What a zany film. Besides all the slapstick, there are a few faints and poisoning deaths. The later is the work of George Stone's Benny, who just can't seem to get the right wrong people to drink his coffee. What a good hoot and lot of fun all around.

Here are some favorite lines from this film.

Ed O'Malley, "Did anyone ever tell you you had beautiful eyes?" Hilda, "Mm, the wrong people always do."

Deakon Maxwell, "This guy throws money around like it was water." Ed O'Malley, "So what?" Deakon, "So, I wanna be around when the tide comes in."

Ed O'Malley, "Say, do you snore?" Deakon Maxwell, "Only when I'm asleep."

Robert Randall, "You don't understand. They're going to shoot me. They even threatened to cut my throat."

Editor Wilson, "Shoot you? I defy them to shoot you."

Editor Wilson, "We're going to build him up till he has to kneel down to pat the flagpole on the Empire State Building."

Deakon Maxwell, to Hilda, "She looked at him suspiciously - just as you're looking at me now."

Deakon Maxwell, to Olga, "Oh, I know I'm a little wild, and, uh, I've been around a lot. Think of the fun you'd have reforming me."

Floyd, "What are you tryin' to do, make a monkey outta me?"

Editor Wilson, "Are you a gun mol?" Mrs. Randal, shaking her head, "I just live here."

Joan Bennett (was "Mom' in Father of the Bride) plays Hilda, the daughter and Adolphe Menjou and John Hubbard are reporters in Housekeeper's Daughter. Everyone involved (except Mature) had made tons of movies by 1939, so the story moves right along. In Housekeeper's Daughter, Benny (George Stone, was in the "Boston Blackie" films )helps serve Hilda's guests, and there's a murder to be solved. The newspaper reporters go on a bender and get fact and fiction confused. The dashing Victor Mature (Samson & Delilah 1949) is one of the mobster's men who goes to visit Hilda, the housekeeper's daughter to see just how much she knows. Keep an eye out for the always funny character actor Donald Meek ("You Cant Take it with You" and "My Little Chickadee" ) as the newspaper editor Mr. Wilson. Reminded me a little bit of "His Girl Friday" which would come out a year later in 1940, but not nearly as clever as H.G.F. How could anyone compete with Cary Grant & Rosalind Russell? See also "Big Brown Eyes" from 1936, also Cary Grant, also a newspaper caper....

Unworldly professor's son John Hubbard returns to his father's house, ambitious to become a newspaper. He's encouraged in this by The Housekeeper's Daughter (1939), Joan Bennett, who has just quit Marc Lawrence's mob in disgust. Newspaper editor Donald Meek wants a story on Lilian Bond's death, apparently form falling off a houseboat, and after a night of drinking with ace reporter Adolphe Menjou, Hubbard writes a story claiming he knows who did it and falls soddenly asleep. Lawrence thinks he's going to be framed, so he continually sends henchman Victor Mature (in his screen debut) to beat up Hubbard, failing because he is a wimp.

Hal Roach not only produced this movie, he directed it, and it's pretty uneven: best when Menjou, Lawrence or Miss Bennett is about, while Hubbard is uninteresting as the mild-as-water lead. At least part of the problem with this movie seems to lie with the editing by William Ziegler, which introduced a couple of plot points which it then ignores, or has people do things simply to set up a gag. But the comedy keeps this one continually interesting.

The two (2) main studios for comedies from 1915 to 1930 were Hal Roach and Mack Sennett. Sennett developed or introduced many great stars including one (1) Charles Chaplin. The Sennett form of madcap slapstick humor were staples of the silent era. Competing with him was Hal Roach with his comedy genius Harold Lloyd. The third genius was Buster Keaton an independent. Sennett lost Chaplin and Roach later Lloyd but Roach was luckier. He was able to pair up the perfect comedy couple Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel and a group of ragamuffins called 'His Rascals' then 'The Little Rascals'. He also proved a better business man. When their mutual distributor Pathe collapsed in the early 1930s Sennett went down the tubes. Roach attached himself to LOEWS and M.G.M. the most successful combo in film distribution and production of the time.

After the mid thirties though Laurel & Hardy were showing their age as well as the 'Rascals'. Roach also had made some poor business and political connections attaching himself to the Fascist Dictator Mussolini. This ended his association with LOEWS and M.G.M. He rebounded though selling off 'His Rascals' to M.G.M. which became THE OUR GANG series. Others who supported the short subjects would also be jettisoned as the move was made to feature films distributed by UNITED ARTISTS. Later in 1940 even Laurel & Hardy would be let go.

THE HOUSEKEEPER'S DAUGHTER showed that Hal Roach had not lost any of his skill as a Director/Producer. The cast was first rate, lead by Joan Bennett and Adolphe Menjou. By this time Joan had abandoned the blond look and had become a attractive brunette with a lithe though rounded figure. This was used to advantage in several scenes. Menjou of course was always the professional. The rest of the cast is filled with other top flight character actors including, William Gargan, Marc Lawrence, Donald Meek, George E. Stone and Peggy Wood. Also in his debut feature, Victor Mature. The only weak link is the male lead a John Hubbard.

The story revolves around the murder of a Broadway BABY and has the right mix of comedy, drama and suspense. None of these are over the top nor do each of them interfere with the other. Roach was able to keep the disparate plot lines cleanly delineated. The film from start to finish is very satisfying and this was clearly reflected in other HAL ROACH STUDIO productions like OF MICE AND MEN and ONE MILLION B.C.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has for the past year featured many of the efforts of the HAL ROACH STUDIOS. Those who appreciate their efforts should contact TCM and tell them so. There are many other GEMS in their library that have not seen the light of day.