Moviecut—Looking on the Bright Side

source: Looking on the Bright Side

A very dated romance about two friends who does not really see each other as much more that just friends until luck be it, true heart wins. Shocking, because how dated it feels both storywise and singing wise. The age of the film just pops off when watching the film. Given that this was also written during the infancy of sound. A lot of things feels underproduced but Miss Gracie sounds really different to even some of the songs contemporary to the film. The romance too, I would describe as too gentile for modern taste. Anyways, an interesting time piece but boring as a whole. [2.5/5] PS: I did not telegraphed that they were lovers in the film, but rather just close friends. Maybe that is also a dated vibe of the film?

In her second film, Gracie Fields stars as a woman who works as a manicurist in the same salon as her boyfriend Laurie (Richard Dolman) who works as a hair dresser. They have apartments across the alley from each other and dream of success. He wants to write songs and she wants to sing. A snooty showgirl who is a customer (Wyn Richmond) invites Laurie to a party where a theatrical producer (Julian Rose) is intrigued by his songs and by Gracie's singing. He signs Laurie to write some song and showbiz goes to his head. Laurie and Gracie break up. Gracie gets fired from her manicurist job and is forced to take a job as a policewoman. Laurie bombs as a songwriter and the showgirl dumps him. Gracie eventually gets fired from her copper job and is forced to seek out the producer for a job as a singer. Will she be a success? Will she and Laurie get back together? Gracie Fields is a dynamo here, singing up a storm and digging into the film's dramatic scenes and comedy. Dolman is OK, but Rose and Richmond are very good. Viola Compton is also very good as the police sergeant. Fields gets to sing the title song as well as "I Hate You," "After Tonight We Say Goodbye," "You're More Than All the World to Me," and the comic "He's Dead But He Won't Lie Down." '

While there were plenty of movie musical leading ladies in Hollywood, British films had three. Jessie Matthews was the equivalent of Ruby Keeler and Eleanor Powell, and Anna Neagle was the equivalent of Jeanette MacDonald and Irene Dunne. For good natured light comedy, even Hollywood couldn't match Gracie Fields, a fine singer and able comic whose subtle way of getting laughs was natural and neighborly, making audiences feel that they knew her. For Americans discovering her, she's a far cry from Fanny Brice, Winnie Lightner and Joan Davis who were very funny but never subtle. This enjoyable musical stars Fields as a singing manicurist in love with song writer Richard Dolman. They live across the corridor from each other and have a great set-up of dolls that knock on each other's window when they want to chit-chat. When his first song is published, it's a great day, but he finds himself pulled away from Gracie by musical star Wyn Richmond who has the subtlety of Merman blasting "I Got Rhythm". Gracie's not a glamour girl, but she's loyal and funny and definitely in love. This has many very funny moments even if the songs are rather generic. Fields has her best moments when she finds herself giving Richmond a manicure and nearly drowning her during a shampoo. Fields goes into Fanny Brice territory with the serious ballad, "I Hate You", a definite answer to Brice's "My Man". Julian Rose is delightfully pompous as an agent who wants to sign both Fields and Dolman but ends up stuck with Richmond whom he abhors. The glossy sets, snappy dialog and pacing makes this a fine film to discover Gracie with, although her two American films with Monty Woolley are great as well. It's easy to see why she was such a success in England, but American audiences only got her films in local art houses that specialized in the avant garde.

While there were plenty of movie musical leading ladies in Hollywood, British films had three. Jessie Matthews was the equivalent of Ruby Keeler and Eleanor Powell, and Anna Neagle was the equivalent of Jeanette MacDonald and Irene Dunne. For good natured light comedy, even Hollywood couldn't match Gracie Fields, a fine singer and able comic whose subtle way of getting laughs was natural and neighborly, making audiences feel that they knew her. For Americans discovering her, she's a far cry from Fanny Brice, Winnie Lightner and Joan Davis who were very funny but never subtle. This enjoyable musical stars Fields as a singing manicurist in love with song writer Richard Dolman. They live across the corridor from each other and have a great set-up of dolls that knock on each other's window when they want to chit-chat. When his first song is published, it's a great day, but he finds himself pulled away from Gracie by musical star Wyn Richmond who has the subtlety of Merman blasting "I Got Rhythm". Gracie's not a glamour girl, but she's loyal and funny and definitely in love. This has many very funny moments even if the songs are rather generic. Fields has her best moments when she finds herself giving Richmond a manicure and nearly drowning her during a shampoo. Fields goes into Fanny Brice territory with the serious ballad, "I Hate You", a definite answer to Brice's "My Man". Julian Rose is delightfully pompous as an agent who wants to sign both Fields and Dolman but ends up stuck with Richmond whom he abhors. The glossy sets, snappy dialog and pacing makes this a fine film to discover Gracie with, although her two American films with Monty Woolley are great as well. It's easy to see why she was such a success in England, but American audiences only got her films in local art houses that specialized in the avant garde.

In her second film, Gracie Fields stars as a woman who works as a manicurist in the same salon as her boyfriend Laurie (Richard Dolman) who works as a hair dresser. They have apartments across the alley from each other and dream of success. He wants to write songs and she wants to sing. A snooty showgirl who is a customer (Wyn Richmond) invites Laurie to a party where a theatrical producer (Julian Rose) is intrigued by his songs and by Gracie's singing. He signs Laurie to write some song and showbiz goes to his head. Laurie and Gracie break up. Gracie gets fired from her manicurist job and is forced to take a job as a policewoman. Laurie bombs as a songwriter and the showgirl dumps him. Gracie eventually gets fired from her copper job and is forced to seek out the producer for a job as a singer. Will she be a success? Will she and Laurie get back together? Gracie Fields is a dynamo here, singing up a storm and digging into the film's dramatic scenes and comedy. Dolman is OK, but Rose and Richmond are very good. Viola Compton is also very good as the police sergeant. Fields gets to sing the title song as well as "I Hate You," "After Tonight We Say Goodbye," "You're More Than All the World to Me," and the comic "He's Dead But He Won't Lie Down." '

A very dated romance about two friends who does not really see each other as much more that just friends until luck be it, true heart wins. Shocking, because how dated it feels both storywise and singing wise. The age of the film just pops off when watching the film. Given that this was also written during the infancy of sound. A lot of things feels underproduced but Miss Gracie sounds really different to even some of the songs contemporary to the film. The romance too, I would describe as too gentile for modern taste. Anyways, an interesting time piece but boring as a whole. [2.5/5] PS: I did not telegraphed that they were lovers in the film, but rather just close friends. Maybe that is also a dated vibe of the film?

Looking on the Bright Side

A very dated romance about two friends who does not really see each other as much more that just friends until luck be it, true heart wins. Shocking, because how dated it feels both storywise and singing wise. The age of the film just pops off when watching the film. Given that this was also written during the infancy of sound. A lot of things feels underproduced but Miss Gracie sounds really different to even some of the songs contemporary to the film. The romance too, I would describe as too gentile for modern taste. Anyways, an interesting time piece but boring as a whole. [2.5/5] PS: I did not telegraphed that they were lovers in the film, but rather just close friends. Maybe that is also a dated vibe of the film?