La mariée est folle

June Allyson doing her thing. This time, she's a down-home gal and ace illustrator who wins a contest for her artwork to be used in a new children's book penned by the beloved Uncle Bumps, a modern-day Hans Christian Andersen. Turns out Uncle Bumps is really a hard-drinking, free-wheeling bachelor who dislikes children--yet he is so taken with this uptight artist once he meets her, he attempts to woo her under an alias. Why? It doesn't matter, for this is a vehicle for Allyson and Van Johnson (movie favorites at the time), and the script treats their characters like human bumper-cars just to keep star-watchers on their toes. Johnson's ruse is soon exposed, forcing him to emulate an honorable guy--which includes 'borrowing' an orphan to pose as his son. June threatens to dislodge him from the ranks of celebrity by reporting him to her cousin, a banner of controversial books and plays (she actually seems to proud to know such a person). Throw in an obnoxious hometown beau waiting in the wings, a wedding overcome with ants, and Hume Cronyn as a publisher on the brink of a nervous breakdown, and you have all the ingredients for a laughless family fracas done with neither style nor merit. *1/2 from ****

"The Bride Goes Wild" is the fourth of six movies that Van Johnson and June Allyson were in, and one of five in which they were the leads. Their films ranged from drama, suspense and action to comedy romance. They were best in the last, and this is the best comedy they made.

Except for an occasional barb or slight jab, the comedy in this film isn't built around clever and funny dialog. Instead it has a variety of antics and humorous situations, including pratfalls by Johnson. In one scene, Johnson's Greg Rawlings has miscue after miscue with a nemesis character of Bruce Johnson, played by Richard Derr. Johnson's Rawlings has a pen name for the children's story books he writes -- "Uncle Bumps." Well, in this one scene with Derr, he has more lumps than bumps. He gets hit in the forehead by a gold ball, his fingers get smashed in his typewriter, he hits his head on a table, he has a door shut on his face, the typewriter carriage returns and smacks him in the face as he's getting up off the floor, he trips and falls over his typing chair, he steps on a golf ball and does a pratfall, and has a door bang into his head as he's lying on the floor.

This is one of those films with a title that leads one to wonder what the moviemakers were smoking at the time. June Allyson plays Martha Terryton, an artist who has been selected by a panel of children to be the next illustrator for a new book planned for Uncle Bumps. Rawlings snookers the country girl Martha into having a cup of coffee with him, and after several Tasmanian Coffees, Allyson plays one of the best performances on film of a happy inebriate. She's very good, very realistic, and very funny.

Hume Cronyn plays John McGrath, the publisher of the leading children's author in America (Uncle Bumps). Una Merkel plays his secretary, Miss Doberly. They mix well and add to the comedy. Arlene Dahl is Tillie Smith Oliver and Lloyd Corrigan plays Pops - booth of whom provide for some humorous moments. The other main character is Danny, the "meanest" boy in the orphanage. But looking at Jackie Jenkins with his two prominent front teeth and face full of freckles, one has to stretch to see him as mean. He is a practical joker, however, for some added light humor.

The plot is a good one and the screenplay keeps the film moving with considerable action. So, while it's not a laugh-a-minute comedy, it has a running sense of humor with some funnier injections in places that raise this well above the average comedy. It's a film that the whole family should enjoy.

Hollywood made several movies in the mid decades of the 20th century with themes of publishers bailing and and/or sobering up problem authors. While those were all fictional, the frequency of the theme in films leads one to think that perhaps that was a difficult situation with some publishers of the period.

Here are some favorite lines from this movie.

John McGrath, "See if the idol of young America has made any more of those speeches against children."

John McGrath, "Off the record, your bull was the best by far." Martha, "Oh, thank you. I just tried to think as a child thinks."

John McGrath, "Greg, you've got to grow up. You're Uncle Bumps. You okayed your pen name. You agreed to be wholesome, edifying and lovable. Greg, you're an institution. Children adore you. Their parents trust you. "

Martha Terryton, "What you need is a cup of coffee." Greg, "Oh, you're so right. A cup of coffee, then home to my typewriter. I wonder if I could." Martha " Well of course you can. Greg, "Oh, but you wouldn't have a cup with me?" Martha, "Oh, I... I'm afraid not." Greg, "That's always the way isn't it? One needs a helping hand, a grain of sympathy - one gets advice. Talk is cheap."

Greg Rawlings, "You're going too far, McGrath. McGrath, "You blew in her ear, I didn't."

Pops, "Is he a friend of yours?" Greg, "Off and on."

A famous children's' story writer named Uncle Bumps (Van Johnson) needs someone to illustrate his latest book. A contest is held, and an artist is chosen, Miss Martha Terryton (June Allyson). Martha is an uptight, prudish woman with little tolerance for wasting time. Uncle Bumps is really Greg Rawlings, a young playboy with no work ethic and a penchant for young women. He attempts to work his magic on Martha, and after hard work and trickery, including telling her that he has a son (Butch Jenkins), it begins to work. That's when his married girlfriend (Arlene Dahl) comes into the picture and messes everything up.

This movie has the same sentiment that another Johnson and Allyson film does: Too Young to Kiss. There is the same love-hate relationship between the two with the obvious ending, but plenty of fun along the way. The two had a strong chemistry, which is why they made so many films together.

Another wonderful addition to this film is Jenkins, the same kid from The Human Comedy. He's a little older here, and such a lovable little boy, though he isn't traditionally cute, but he's lots of fun to watch.

Van Johnson and June Allyson team up with young Butch Jenkins in The Bride Goes Wild, really a rather inaccurate title. She doesn't go wild at all, in fact Allyson's a very proper young lady. But she does have a rather wild wedding through no doing of her own at the climax.

She's an illustrator who is hired by a publishing company to do pictures for a series of children's books that are published under the name of Uncle Bumps. The character of Uncle Bumps as described seems to be a more civilized version of Gabby Hayes. But like Mark Twain is a creation of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, Uncle Bumps is the pseudonym for Van Johnson who's a rather wolfish sort and just eagerly contemplating how to get better acquainted with June.

Allyson's a frustrated mom wannabe so Johnson borrows young Butch Jenkins from an orphanage, a kid with some behavioral issues. Today he'd be on all kinds of meds, but back in the day that wasn't available.

As Johnson is running into a creative dry spell, young Jenkins proves to be something of a muse. And he does actually draw Johnson and Allyson closer together despite the fact they have some long term involvements, he with Arlene Dahl and she with Richard Derr.

I think you see where this is going. I wish The Bride Goes Wild, misnamed title though it has was run more often. It's a nice family comedy and Jenkins has some real appeal as a child star. Allyson and Johnson were teamed many times by MGM and this film is a perfect example of their chemistry together.

Martha Terryton (June Allyson) is a Vermont schoolteacher who wins a contest to illustrate the next book by popular children's author Greg Rawlings (Van Johnson). When she meets Rawlings, whose pen name is Uncle Bump, his moral turpitude conflicts with her moral rectitude. The publisher, John McGrath (Hume Cronyn), is caught in the middle, trying to get them to cooperate. He concocts a story that Rawlings is only acting out of frustration, because his son is a hellion. McGrath then recruits a prodigious troublemaker named Danny (Jackie "Butch" Jenkins) to pretend to be the son.

The film's title seems irrelevant to the story. Nevertheless, it is a funny film that might be described as broad comedy.

Jackie Jenkins shows more range than expected. And Hume Cronyn, as usual, does a fine job in his role. The two stars plays rather predictable roles, but keep things moving. I think designer Helen Rose, as the busiest woman in Hollywood, deserves credit for the designs that flatter the actresses of this and many other films.