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The Groom Wore Spurs
Pretty female attorney Abigail "AJ" Furnival is hired to keep high-flying cowboy movie star Ben Castle out of trouble in Las Vegas. Despite his many faults, Abigail falls in love with and marries Ben, with the hope that she can mold him into the virtuous hero he plays on the screen.
Release : | 1951 |
Rating : | 5.4 |
Studio : | Fidelity Pictures Corporation, |
Crew : | Director, Producer, |
Cast : | Ginger Rogers Jack Carson Joan Davis Stanley Ridges John Litel |
Genre : | Comedy |
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The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
I don't know how Ginger Rogers was prevailed upon to make a movie supporting the blustering, camera-hogging Jack Carson (who has all the best lines, the best camera angles and the best bits of "business"). She obviously didn't read the script beforehand. Ginger is also upstaged by Joan Davis and some of the character actors including Stanley Ridges and Mira McKinney. Nevertheless, she looks rather attractive in Peverell Marley's photography even though director Richard Whorf obviously doesn't like her and always indulges the egotistical Carson at her expense in just about every frame in which the two stars appear. The plot is also taken too seriously and tends to get in the way of the comedy. A further problem is that the movie seems to have been written on the run. There are some turns in the plot, particularly near the end, which those of us who know Hollywood realize could never ever happen in real life.
Long before the original generic product wrapper came tons of formula plots in comedies like this. Some of them were amusing, some of them were obnoxiously forced, but most of them were sadly unfunny. This B grade comedy with an A grade leading lady is sadly one of the later, one of those misfires which makes you wonder how its star got involved in it. In this case, it is Ginger Rogers and the titled groom is Jack Carson, recently free from Warner Brothers. Ms. Rogers was far from a has-been, but her presence in this has signs of desperation.At first, this is a tale of two egos, she an attorney hired by him for legal advice, he a ham western movie star in trouble over gambling debts. They quickly fall in love and marry, but faster than you can say Merman and Borgnine, they realize what a mistake it was. But she isn't willing to let it go so soon and shows up just in time to prevent his bottle breakfast. An effeminate Asian houseboy and a butch housekeeper add to the complications as does the predictable murder of his bookie.The waste of the extremely funny Joan Davis is the film's biggest crime. She has no real purpose here but to add a few wisecracks here and there, mostly towards herself. Charlie Chan's number two son, Victor Sen Young, has an amusing moment when he minces to a record on too high a speed. A finale threatening to rip off the hysterical Fuller Brush Girl never goes there, giving an ending that just lays there.
Beautiful blonde lawyer Ginger Rogers (as Abigail "AJ" Furnival) arrives to help chubby cowboy star Jack Carson (as Ben Castle) get rid of a Las Vegas gambling debt. Obviously a fan of her client, Ms. Rogers falls in love at first sight, despite Mr. Carson admittedly being "a little slow on the draw." In fact, Carson hates horses... This slow-moving star vehicle didn't advance or sustain anyone's career. Rogers and Carson are appealing but unlikely lovers. More sparks are generated between Rogers and Carson's handsome pilot James Brown (as Steve Hall). But "The Groom Wore Spurs" has moments, especially when hilarious maid Mira McKinney (as Mrs. Forbes) makes the scene. The nicely assembled cast includes future producer Ross Hunter (as Austin Tindale), a bank clerk being seduced by Joan Davis (as Alice Dean), and director Richard Whorf.***** The Groom Wore Spurs (3/14/51) Richard Whorf ~ Ginger Rogers, Jack Carson, Joan Davis, Mira McKinney
There are very few genuine laughs in this movie. For most of the running time I was somewhat amused. Overall the direction seemed pretty lackadaisical. Scenes that call for some quick cutting just sit there until they run out of steam. But still I did like to see Ginger Rogers and Jack Carson interact. They deserved better material. The film could have used more scenes with Jack Carson being shown up as the phony cowboy he was and that he did not aspire to be. Getting help mounting his horse was amusing and Jack does a nice job. Had they milked and added ideas such as that this could have been much more enjoyable.Joan Davis provides some nice comic bits to enliven things. However the scene with her erstwhile boyfriend in which they work on an alarm clock thus making it ring at inopportune moments is just painful to watch due to the sheer mugging required. There again the direction is sorely lacking.