Playing a big B’way star longing to pivot from stylish society comedy to heavy-weight Ibsen drama (HEDDA GABLER), Rosalind Russell was mirroring her current film trajectory; leaving behind her signature career-gal romantic comedies for heroines like polio crusader SISTER KENNY/’46 or Eugene O’Neill’s repurposed Greek Tragedy MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA/’47. This film opens with the accidental death of lover/producer Leon Ames (very good here) then a long flashback fills us in on cast & motive. The setup’s fine, but execution on this independent enterprise, led by hands-on manager Frederick Brisson (it’s okay, he was married to Russell*), plays like one of those Summer Stock touring plays popular at the time (witty lines, glam couture, supposedly pre-B’way) long gone from the scene. The only feature from debuting director Jack Gage (he shifted to tv), it was lucky to get regular Frank Capra’s lenser Joseph Walker along with a strong supporting cast. Claire Trevor as an aging rival; Leo Genn as a take-charge replacement lover; Frank McHugh & Theresa Harris backstage; Leigh Harline to write a ridiculous theme song and a quip-filled script from Leo Rosten to give the cast opportunities to land a laugh. Or would if they didn’t stomp on the witticisms even harder than Russell does on the drama. Look for two surprises: a plot twist that doesn’t happen (Roz thinks she’s left Ames dead, but someone else finishes him off) and for a third act morph into CRIME & PUNISHMENT; Roz as a female Raskolnikov and Sydney Greenstreet a chuckling NYPD Inspector Porify. Greenstreet, even in this silly piece, makes a fabulous Porify.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Brisson, who mainly stuck to B’way, produced five more films for Russell, all comedies/all flops.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: We get to see just a bit of one of the ‘smart’ comedies with Russell. It looks both hilarious and hilariously awful. We also get the end of GABLER, but without the famous last line: ‘People don’t do such things.’ Best guess, it’s cut because Ibsen didn't/couldn’t give Hedda the last line.
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