robertguttman

This is one of those movies which has sadly been almost completely forgotten. I suspect that is probably due to the fact that there aren't any "stars" in it. Instead, in this film the sort of character actors who usually appeared in the secondary and supporting roles take center stage and are given a rare opportunity to shine, and they certainly succeed in doing so. The inimitable Zasu Pitts takes center stage as a singer who makes Florence Foster Jenkins sound like Maria Callas. Nevertheless, she has gained one devoted fan, a Damon Runyonesque gangster who is determined to use his money and his muscle to place her on a Broadway stage. The dialogue is razor-sharp and hilarious, and it is delivered by some of the best character actors in the business. This one is not shown very often any more but, if you ever get the chance to see it, it definitely is worth seeing.

There is no question that "The Magnificent Ambersons" is a magnificent film. However, when one considers the context of what was going on in the country at the time when this movie was released (July 1942) one can easily perceive why it was doomed to failure. The country had recently entered World War II and, at that point, the fortunes of war were not going well for the Allies. Back home, moviegoers wanted to see "Yankee Doodle Dandy", they wanted to se "Casablanca". What they did NOT want to see was a down-beat movie about the decline of a late-19th-Century upper-class Midwestern family. Under those circumstances, one can easily see how this movie was foredoomed to flop.

Based upon a book by Dorothy Macardle, who was better known for writing romance novels, this is actually one of the first "haunted house" movies in which the notion that a house may be haunted is actually treated seriously, rather than as a joke or as a hoax. In this instance a brother and sister get a good deal on a beautiful old house and soon discover that there is a reason why nobody else wanted to buy it. Moreover, they become socially involved with the daughter of the previous owner who appears to harbor a strange and seemingly somewhat unhealthy fascination with the house. Little by little they uncover the history of the house and its previous residents which may or may involve infidelity, adultery and murder.

This is a stylish film with an excellent story and a good cast which has held up remarkably well over the years. Better, in fact, than poor Gail Russel, whose first movie this was. Despite her extremely promising start Her career petered out far too quickly and she died far too soon.