Enchanted April

While Ann Harding and Katharine Alexander are charming as Lotty and Rose, too much time is spent on their husbands, played by Frank Morgan and Reginald Owen. This may be closer to the structure of the play and novel, but it deflates the women's roles when the whole point is their blossoming at the Italian villa.

Also shortchanged in this 66-minute version are Mrs. Fisher and Lady Caroline (Jessie Ralph and Jane Baxter) who hardly get to establish their characters. While the basic plot exists, the lush detail that makes the 1991 version so delightful is completely missing. We only get a hint as to how the women change during their enchanted April.

While Morgan does an OK job as Wilkins, Owen is overbearing and oafish as Arbuthnot and he dominates far too many scenes with his over-acting. Ralph Forbes, as Briggs the landlord, also gets little to do, and his ultimate attraction to Caroline is pretty much bypassed in favor of reconciliation between Harding and Morgan.

The power of the 1991 version lies in its focus on the four women, their growing friendship, and how their enchanted April breaks down the differences in their ages and social strata (very important in 1920s English society). This version smartly downplays the men's roles as secondary to the women's. The 1991 version is a story about how women can grow when freed from their marital and social roles. The 1935 version never gets to this as the women are subservient to the men.

Worth seeing for Ann Harding, but don't expect the magic of the 1991 version.