Easy Living **** (1937, Jean Arthur, Ray Milland, Edward Arnold, Luis Alberni, Mary Nash, Franklin Pangborn, William Demarest, Barlowe Borland, Andrew Tombes, Esther Dale) – Classic Movie Review 5206

‘IT HAS NO RHYME…IT HAS NO REASON…IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE…IT MAKES LAUGHS! ‘ Well, that is an interesting route to go.

Director Mitchell Leisen’s 1937 movie is a bright, clever and fast slapstick romantic comedy from screen-writer Preston Sturges.

Jean Arthur is on top form as Mary Smith, an office worker who is literally landed with the fur coat that angry millionaire J B Ball (played by Edward Arnold) has chucked out of his office window. Naturally Arthur is then mistaken everywhere for Arnold’s mistress.

In a consistently amusing movie, some of Arnold’s scenes are hilarious, and Arthur is charming in her romance with his son John Ball Jr, played by Ray Milland. Also scoring on the comedy tally are Esther Dale as secretary Lillian, Luis Alberni as hotel manager Mr Louis Louis and Sturges regulars Franklin Pangborn and William Demarest as Van Buren and Wallace Whistling.

This superlative Thirties romantic comedy, based on a play by Vera Caspary, is near the top of the genre.

Also in the cast are Mary Nash, Barlowe Borland, Andrew Tombes, William B Davidson, Nora Cecil, Robert Greig, Stanley Andrews, Gertrude Astor, Lee Bowman, Don Brodie, Hal K Dawson, John Dilson, Arthur Hoyt, Robert Homans, Olaf Hytten and Dennis O’Keefe.

Leisen and Sturges re-teamed for Remember the Night (1940), in which Barbra Stanwyck tells the judge her name is Mary Smith, the name of Easy Living’s lead character.

Supposedly, all of the furs and jewellery used in the film are real and guards were posted during shooting to ensure their safety.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5206

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