Moviecut—Easy Living

source: Easy Living

My favorite films are from the '30s to the late '40s. Jean Arthur is one of my favorite actresses. Edward Arnold is one of my favorite character actors. I looked forward to this film with high expectations, but was very disappointed. The reason this movie disappointed me is difficult to pinpoint. Without more background, some elements of the story just don't seem to add up. There is a whole lot of yelling in this movie; that gets old. Oh yeah, and lots of slapstick. The Automat scene was waaaay too long. But mostly, the characters just don't seem quite on the mark. In addition to many great dramas, Miss Arthur's resume includes many of my favorite comedies: The Whole Town's Talking (1935), If You Could Only Cook (1935), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936), You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Town (1939), The Devil and Miss Jones (1941), The Talk of the Town (1942), The More the Merrier (1943), A Foreign Affair (1948). I recommend them all over Easy Living. I even prefer A Lady Takes a Chance (1943). As much as I love Jean Arthur, her character here isn't portrayed quite right. She is just too innocent and unquestioning of everything that happens. Her attitude should have been less naive and more like, "I don't really understand why this windfall has come my way, but I'm going to take advantage of it while I can." She needed to be less ingenuous and more opportunistic. Her idealism and optimism needed to be tempered by a little realistic skepticism. The character of the Hotelier (Luis Alberni) is an immigrant Italian chef who has learned fluent American slang somewhere, but also has opened a HUGE, opulent hotel for upper crust clientèle. So, he has this great ambition to run an elite hotel, but doesn't see the need to speak to his proposed clientèle any differently than the boys in the Bronx? PLUS, we don't know how he convinced the "Number 3" financier in New York to finance this operation. How much money did this humble chef bring with him when he immigrated from Italy? Moreover, Arnold, the shrewd banker, has extended the guy not 1, not 2, but 3 mortgages! AND the 1st mortgage is overdue by 3 YEARS, the 2nd by 2 YEARS and the 1st by 1 YEAR! Not consistent with Arnold's character at all! Ray Milland is pretty light weight, and he never infuses his character with more than 1 dimension. There isn't really a character with whom I could identify. For me, a successful screwball comedy needs one stable character for all of the silliness to revolve around. That gives the audience somebody to identify with and grounds the movie in some kind of reality. William Powell in My Man Godfrey and Brian Aherne in Merrily We Live are the best examples. I thought this movie was a lot of noise and action that never really drew me into the story. In sum, I felt like an outsider watching a movie. It never really tickled my funny bone or inspired my empathy as better comedies do.

Sometimes amusing madcap, but not front-rank. The premise is a clever one—a falling mink coat elevates a working girl's life from a cheap flat to the penthouse. In the process, we get a humorous look at how reputation can make all the difference, especially among the rich and powerful. And how about that madcap eruption at the auto-mat. I'd almost forgotten about those serve-yourself banks of fast-food, something like an early McDonald's. Here, the goodie filled cubby-holes are turned into a hilarious free-for-all as hungry Depression era folks help themselves to a free lunch. Trouble is Jean Arthur has no one to really play off of, no Cary grant, so to speak. True, Ray Milland is her swain, but their scenes together are few and lack comedic spark. Then there's Edward Arnold as the bullying Wall Street tycoon. His constant yelling and abrasive manner, however, are more annoying than humorous, thus detracting from the overall mood. On the other hand, Arthur shows the engaging potential that often blossomed. Here, however, she's not really given the chance to sparkle, Arthur- fashion. Part of that is due to her many scenes with Luis Albernoni as the obnoxiously over-bearing Louis Louis. All in all, the film's something of a disappointment given the many talents involved. But it'll certainly do for a slow evening or a look at lavish movie interiors.

"Easy Living" is one of several outstanding film comedies that had a perfect combination of screenplay, direction and actors. This is an early brilliant and witty script by Preston Sturges. It has numerous scenes with running dialogs of witty and funny lines. And, when the dialog dies down, it's punctuated by slapstick, mayhem or sight gags that leave viewers roaring with laughter. What a marvelous film with multiple scenes of repartee and malapropisms. Jean Arthur shows once again why she was considered one of the finest comediennes who ever lived. Her Mary Smith is a likable, somewhat naïve character who is just right for the exchanges with a host of opportunists. She never really knows what all the fuss is about, or what others are talking about. None of the main characters know what all the opportunists think they know, so this bounces along from one hilarious situation to another. The supporting cast includes some of the best comedy characters in Hollywood at the time. Luis Alberni as Mr. Louis Louis utters some riotous malapropisms. "Oh, Mr. B, what a sight for an eye sore." Ray Milland, as John Ball Jr. is hilarious in his exchanges, especially with his father. But I think Edward Arnold as J.B. Ball, tops every scene he is in. How the man could keep a straight face, and maintain his grumpy posture throughout the film, is beyond me. It must have required many takes to put this comedy on film. I think this movie, like most very clever comedies, has a subtle message of satire. Here it clearly is high society, the spoiled nature of the rich, and the opportunists who pander to such society. They are a part of it, in that they live on the fringes and are welcomed in only because they are the willing servants and caterers to the society – by choice. Franklin Pangborn as Van Buren is the epitome of such people. And he plays the part perfectly. Watch for a long scene in the food automat after Ray Milland (Johnny) meets Jean Arthur (Mary Smith). The pandemonium and mayhem that break out make this one of the longest slapstick scenes I can remember. What a riot. Here are a few funny lines from the movie to whet your appetite. J.B. Ball says to son, John: "Oh, pooh! I was a banker's son, and up until I was 26 yeas old, I was just as dumb as you are." Graves, the butler, has been standing by and chimes in: "Yes, indeed, sir." Ball continues: "But after a while, all the fat fell off my brains and I… Say, how old are you?" Later in the conversation, John says to his dad: "I'm gonna make you eat those words." Ball: "That's all you'll be eating." John: "Possibly!" Ball: "Probably!" John: "Right! Yeah!" Ball: "Right! Yeah" John: "Yeah!" The butler, Graves: "Yes sir!" Mary Nash as Jenny Ball: "Well, you want me to look nice, don't you? After all, the wife of the fourth biggest banker..." Ball: "I beg your pardon. The third biggest banker. Well, I guess you've got me, Jenny." Jenny: "You're not as smart as people think you are." Ball has thrown a $58,000 sable coat his wife had just bought out the window of their high-rise apartment. On the street, he sees Mary Smith trying to find the owner and he tells her to keep it. Smith: "Now, wait a minute, Santa Claus." Ball: "Huh?" Smith: "What's the matter with it? Is it hot?" Ball: "Well, I don't know. I've never worn one." Smith: "What kind of fur is it anyway?" Ball: "Zebra. Anything else you want to know?" Louis Louis: "Miss Smith, I am a man like this. I don't beat around the bush to come in the back door." Smith blindfolds her piggy bank before she smashes it with the heel of her shoe. "Sorry, Wafford," she says. Johnny and Mary are at the breakfast table looking at the want ads in the newspaper. John: "Well, there must be something for somebody that can't do anything."

A real 1930's screwball comedy with some slapstick for good measure, especially in the Automat scenes. Of course, the plot is secondary and is mainly a fairy tale for America during the depression. However, comedy is king and is worshiped throughout. Many of the actors that Preston Sturges used in his later pictures have roles. A first class production all around, and the Hotel Louis suite is Hollywood excess in its most grand.

Unlikely to ever happen in the 21st century but if History is your game, it's plausible on the 1930s. The premise is simple in that a series of mishaps all fall into the lap of an innocent woman. A MUST if you're a Jean Arthur fan...it takes someone of her comedic skill to pull it off. The resulting chaos is again, pure Preston Sturges.

All of the above statements are right on the money; this 1/2 slapstick, 1/2 sophisticated comedy is one of the all-time best of the 1930's. Jean Arthur is simply wonderful, Edward Arnold is great too....as is the young and up-and-coming Ray Milland. In fact, there isn't one single bad performance in this perfect Preston Sturges comedy. Even Michell Leisen often flat direction is pretty darn good here. Here's a bit of trivia: all of the jewels and furs used for this film were REAL and worth tens-of-thousands of dollars. I've read that there were security guards posted during the filming....so be sure that none of the jewels were stolen. It's really quite amazing that Leisen and Sturges got Paramount to rent all of these expensive furs and jewels..... If only Universal (the current owners of this classic) would get around to releasing this film on DVD.......

I agree with the minority reviews that this film didn't quite click. Scenes were too long. The pratfalls too frequent. The plot and characters too flimsy. I found the hotel owner to be more irritating than amusing. Jean Arthur and Edward Arnold were solid but not great. Ray Milland did not make much of an impression. Franklin Pangborn probably was the highlight of the acting. I love slapstick but this film just didn't quite work for me. With all the talent in this film it should have been much much better. Read a couple of the less positive reviews which give more detail about the shortcomings of this film. Unfortunately they are right.

This is a delightful little comedy provided you turn off your brain and just let yourself laugh and enjoy the whole crazy mess, as the plot is very contrived and just about impossible to believe! I could, and as a result, I had a great time! The film begins with a millionaire financier (Edward Arnold) arguing with his wife about her extravagance. In a fit of anger, Arnold grabs a brand-new sable coat and tosses it off the roof of their luxury high-rise! By chance, it lands on the unsuspecting Jean Arthur--who naturally tries to return it. However, Arnold will hear nothing of it and insists she keeps the coat. This little innocent and strange encounter would drastically change all their lives as the notion of a total stranger receiving such an expensive gift starts people talking--and assuming that the nice Miss Arthur is Arnold's mistress. It's actually very funny that not once is the word 'mistress' used but the audience is sure this is exactly what everyone is assuming. Since Arnold is so powerful a force on Wall Street, people almost immediately begin kissing up to Jean--assuming she has the inside track on influencing Arnold. Jean, who is just too naive and nice for her own good, just can't understand why everyone is suddenly being so nice to her and giving her lots and lots of free things--including a super-expensive luxury suite, more furs and practically anything else her heart could desire. In addition to the affair not being the least bit true, there are many other plots and subplots that all are set into motion by this supposed affair--all culminating in a very funny mess. One problem is that Jean has fallen for Arnold's son (who she assumes is just an ordinary working man), another is that Arnold's wife is now suing for divorce and one very innocent statement by Arthur practically destroys the stock market!! It is hilarious and very cute that one tiny little incident kept snowballing into this enormous mess! Given that it's all Hollywood fantasy, you know that by the end everything will somehow magically turn out perfectly. However, despite this predictability, the journey to this happy ending is one that you just have to see to believe--making this one of the better screwball comedies of the 1930s. Any serious fan of the classic years of Hollywood must see this film.