Damsel in Distress A (1937) – full review!
Damsel in Distress A (1937) – full review!
They don’t make them like this anymore!
Directed by George Stevens this delightfully funny Musical romantic comedy featuring music & lyrics from George & Ira Gershwin (respectively) stars Fred Astaire amidst the string of hit films he made with co-star Ginger Rogers with a different partner several in fact. Though Astaire’s character is again named Jerry as it was in Top Hat (1935) hilarious comic relief this time is provided by George Burns & Gracie Allen (instead of Edward Everett Horton & Eric Blore) and Fred’s love interest is played by Joan Fontaine. The creative "Fun House" dance sequence performed by Astaire Burns & Allen (and also includes many others in addition to the specialized set) finally earned Hermes Pan an Academy Award for Dance Direction on his third and last nomination. Carroll Clark also received a (third) nomination for Art Direction. Reginald Gardiner Ray Noble Constance Collier Montagu Love and Harry Watson provide memorable support.
The story itself is as light as a feather: Fontaine plays Lady Alyce Marshmorton who’s affections are as flighty as Astaire’s Jerry is fleet of foot. In fact a betting pool has been amassed by the large staff of Lord Marshmorton’s (Love) estate with each member picking a name of one of her "lovers". Headman Keggs (Gardiner) reserves the most likely candidate Reggie (Noble) who’s her live-in Aunt Caroline’s (Collier) favorite for himself; boy Albert (Watson) requests & receives "the field" any unknown not included in the drawing. Albert believes Alyce will marry an American she’d met in Switzerland but has been kept from by her Aunt who believes it was just a schoolgirl crush for over a year. When she dashes off to London to find him a series of events leads to Jerry being mistaken for said American by Keggs Albert and later the Lord himself. Hoping to win the ten pound pool Albert pens a love letter to Jerry on behalf of Alyce bringing him to the estate where Alyce who’d only just met him in London is at first confused by his presence but is later won over by his affections.
Burns plays showman Jerry’s publicity agent who has falsely played up Jerry as a lovelorn celebrity such that women who recognize him in public chase him relentlessly; Allen plays Jerry’s ditzy secretary. The Burns & Allen scenes are priceless their brand of radio humor banter (Burns as the straight for Allen’s literal interpretations & daftness) translating well to this medium. Noble’s Reggie is a talented multi-instrument musician who eventually becomes more interested in Gracie than Fontaine’s Alyce. Keggs & Albert "battle" over helping their man lottery pick win Alyce’s affections and even switch horses during the course of events. George’s phony publicity for Jerry also figures in the mis-communications. Love’s Lord Marshmorton besides being the ‘victim’ of one of Gracie’s funny malapropisms is in favor of Alyce’s affections towards Jerry and helps to convince his sister Caroline (though Collier isn’t given much to do besides feign outrage; her character does insist on upholding the family’s proper & formal traditions) of the idea. For her part Fontaine is breezy and adequately walks through her one "dance" sequence whereas Astaire is marvelous as always. Two additional dance numbers worth mentioning include Astaire’s dancing through London traffic to escape being collared by a police officer and his solo drum sequence near the film’s end. The ultimate outcome of the movie’s two romances should surprise no one.
Purchase this DVD now at 