SNMR 6.24: "Easy Living"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Easy Living" (1937, NR, 88 minutes, B&W), starring Jean Arthur, Edward Arnold, Ray Milland and Luis Alberini. The film was directed by Mitchell Leisen.

PLOT SUMMARY: In the right place at the right time is exactly where Mary Smith (Arthur) happens to be when an expensive mink coat falls on her head from the sky as she's sitting on the top floor of a double decker bus. Actually, the coat was thrown off of the balcony by an angry J.B. Ball (Arnold) because it was purchased by his wife without his knowledge and despite the fact that she has a closet full of mink coats. Ball is the Bull of Broad Street, a wealthy banker and stock broker whose son (Mlland) doesn't want his father's money, preferring to make it on his own. Soon all kinds of weird things begin to happen to Smith, because she is assumed to be J.B. Bull's mistress.

MY OPINION:This DVD is highly touted as one of the best screwball comedies of he 1930's and perhaps of all time. It's a good comedy to be sure, but hardly the best ever. The situation is highly improbable, and it works on the premise that these coincidences or accidents happen in a snowball effect, one after another after another. Jean Arthur has quickly become one of my favorite actresses. While I think she's been better in other movies, she does a fine job here. I've seen a few of Edward Arnold's films and the jury is still out for me on how good of an actor he was. This is the second movie that I've seen with Ray Milland in it. He seems to have been a good actor but I haven't seen enough of his work to tell for sure.

If you've never seen this movie before, that's fine - neither had I. It's not my favorite movie, but at 88 minutes of run time, it's short enough to be a worthwhile rental. Check it out if you can find it.

*** out of *****