When in Rome ** (1952, Van Johnson, Paul Douglas, Joseph Calleia) – Classic Movie Review 11,951

Producer-director Clarence Brown’s 1952 religious-minded comedy gangster film When in Rome stars Paul Douglas as a tough American hood called Joe Brewster, who is on the run in Italy, and takes on the guise of a priest, but soon starts to see the light.

Unfortunately, this light comedy marred by a heavy dose of moral righteousness. Unlike in the superior, similarly themed Brother Orchid (1940), here the combination of hoodlum high jinks, sentimental philosophy and religious revelation is clumsy, simple minded and unconvincing.

Van Johnson, though, is well cast as Father John Halligan and makes quite a good job of his role as the priest who helps Joe Brewster (Douglas) to see the error of his ways, and Douglas is fine too in a very decent performance.

Clarence Brown’s well-crafted MGM production, with its lovely Rome location shooting, is a big asset, making it easy on the eye if not so easy on the brain. William H Daniels shoots in black and white.

It features Van Johnson, Paul Douglas, Joseph Calleia, Carlo Rizzo, Tudor Owen, Aldo Silvani, Dino Nardi, Mario Siletti, Argentina Brunettti, Mimi Aguglia, Emory Parnell, Charles Fawcett, Alberto Lolli, Adriano Ambrogi, Amina Pirani Maggi, Carlo Borelli, Giuseppe Pierozzi, Guido Martufi, Joseph Falletta, Harry Hayden, and Angela Clarke.

Paul Douglas is best remembered for two baseball comedy movies, It Happens Every Spring (1949) and Angels in the Outfield (1951), as well as Panic in the Streets, A Letter to Three Wives (1949), The Big Lift (1950), The Guy Who Came Back (1951), When in Rome (1952) The Maggie (1954), and Executive Suite (1954).

When in Rome is directed by Clarence Brown, runs 78 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Charles Schnee, Dorothy Kingsley, based on a story by Robert Buckner, is shot in black and white by William H Daniels, is produced by Clarence Brown, is scored by Carmen Dragon and is designed by Cedric Gibbons and Edward C Carfagno.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,951

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