Moviecut—Storm in a Teacup

source: Storm in a Teacup

Storm in a Teacup

Two years before the monumental "Gone With the Wind," Vivien Leigh made this rather bad film with Rex Harrison. Of all people, the wonderful Sara Allgood steals the show whose dog is ready to be put to death since she hasn't paid the local dog tax in Baikie, Scotland. A story of the corruption of politics follows. Leigh's father, the town provost, has political aspirations until he is exposed by Harrison in his news story. The scene with the dogs invading the mansion is quite funny; unfortunately, the movie really isn't; in fact, it's quite inane and dreary to say the least. The person who made Allgood's costume in the last scene of the film in court deserved an Oscar nomination.

Frank Burdon (Rex Harrison) arrives in a small Scottish town to be the new reporter with the local paper. He savages powerful pompous local provost William Gow (Cecil Parker) over an order to kill a dog. Burdon finds himself falling for Gow's daughter Victoria (Vivien Leigh). I don't mind the romance. The conflict is fun although court room drama is not necessarily the best path. I love the doggie fun and I want more of it. The kids should be pranking him in more and more fun ways. The court case is too stupid. I get that that's the point. It's British humor.

I love animals! And I love Rex Harrison and Vivien Leigh. The honest journalist and the feisty daughter of a local politician make a perfect couple of animal rights activists, falling in love while rescuing a dog. The film shows awareness that fascism is on the rise and the British humorous attitude about it, cleverly making an antifascist social commentary while dealing with animal rights. I know it sounds boring, but it isn't. The world of 1937 was free-spirited, even with fascism looming over, and film was still a new and exciting art form. Screwball comedies champion free women and free men.

I agree with most of the other reviews, but there's lots more brilliance that has not been mentioned. James Bridie take a very funny swipe at American 1930's slang (the new maid and a funny reply by the Lord Judge). I don't think of this as being at all Capra-like. None of his films has this kind of snappy, clever satirical dialog. I've come to really consider this film of the best British comedies of the 1930's. The current (2013) DVD issue is part of "The Vivien Leigh Anniversary Collection" and is a really great print. Buy it and you'll see!

I watched this little gem this morning on TCM. What a delight! I'm a sucker for a dog story, and this little comedy captivated me from the first instant. It was refreshing to watch Vivian Leigh and Rex Harrison together in this early film, full of innocence and warm-hearted charm. Cecil Parker was the man you love to hate as the Provost. Although the ending is perhaps too good to be true, the bullying and the egotism, oblivious to the feelings of his constituents, is a very insightful portrayal of how the hunger for power corrupts, even when money is not the temptation. Add money to the mix, and it's a wonder we all aren't stuck in Nazi Germany by now. The romance between the two principles is very charming, with plenty of chemistry. For this film, the old saw comes readily to mind: "They don't make 'em like dat anymore!"

Rex Harrison portrays a newly arrived British journalist in Scotland who uses his new job at a newspaper to take on the local political bigwig in this pleasing British comedy. The unfortunate circumstance is that while he battles the politician, he happens to be falling in love with the politician's beautiful daughter, Vivian Leigh. The issue at hand is the life of a dog that Leigh's father has coldly ordered to be put to sleep. It seems that its owner could not afford a dog license. Dog lovers should enjoy one scene in particular where what seems to be hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes raid the politician's mansion.