1946 (June) A Warner Bros. First National Picture Directed by Vincent Sherman Written by Agnes Christine Johnston, based on characters created by Josephine Bentham and Herschel V. Williams, Jr. Photographed by Carl Guthrie Music by Frederick Hollander 89 minutes Starring Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Dorothy Malone, Hattie McDaniel, Dick Erdman, Claire Foley, Donald Meek, Barbara Brown, Margaret Hamilton, Anne Gillis, Ruth Tobey, William Frambes. The plot revolves arounds the trials of a young married couple -- Janie Conway and her soldier beau, Dick Lawrence, just returned from overseas. As Dick tries to get adjusted to civilian life, the high-spirited Janie attempts to adjust to the role of dutiful wife. She does rather too much than too little -- secretly getting him a job on her father's paper, and financing their housekeeping with money provided on the sly by her mother-in-law. A serious complication, at least from Janie's perspective, is the arrival in town of a gorgeous WAC named Spud Lee (an old trenchmate of Dick's). Spud, installed as houseguest, seems to usurp Janie's role as wife, and, growing more and more suspicious of her husband's fidelity, Janie determines to arouse his jealousy by throwing herself at her old boyfriend, Scooper Nolan. Unfortunately, the ultra-puritanical newspaper mogul Mr. Stowers spies Janie embracing Scooper, and Janie has cause to fears that she has just upset her father's plan to sell his paper to him. All and sundry are invited to Janie's first dinner party -- and Stowers is shocked, first to learn that Scooper is not Janie's husband, and again when the real Dick shows up late for the party with Spud and a convoy of drunken soldiers. Stowers storms out, and the fur flies as the Van Brunts and Conways accuse each other's children of gross marital misconduct. In the middle of it, Dick and Janie are on the verge of a breakup. Janie's secret rental and job arrangements are revealed in the general acrimony, and the former plantoon leader is dejected at his wife and family's lack of faith in his ability to provide for them a decent living -- sans handouts. But -- you guessed it -- all the complications are resolved in the closing frames as Stud steps in to explain what's what. Most of the reviewers didn't like the picture, a sequel, with Joan Leslie taking over as the title charater (Joyce Reynolds had played her in the first movie, Janie (1944), which, in turn, was a popular adaptation of the Broadway play). The main problem here, most observers agreed, was a feeble script. The cast, including some of the best supporting actors who ever drew breath, is very distinguished: Edward Arnold as Janie's dad, Ann Harding as Mrs. Conway, and Robert Benchley and Barbara Brown as her in-laws, the Van Brunts. A very nice moment occurs when Benchley and Arnold share an aspirin and brandy cocktail to toast the sale of the latter's newspaper to Stowers (Donald Meek). Dorothy Malone, still a brunette at this point, had an important early role as Sgt. Spud Lee, the beautiful WAC. Robert Hutton, Joan's romantic interest in Hollywood Canteen, co-stars as Janie's ex-GI husband. The situations were perhaps a little tired, as a rash of similar films had come out before this, and the dialogue may be flatter here than in the best of them. It may also be, as Variety suggests in its review, that Joan Leslie and other members of the cast were a little dispirited by the overall lack of quality in the material (this would be one of Joan's last pictures for Warners). Perhaps. My brother -- also an ardent admirer and collector of vintage Warner Bros. movies -- insists that this was Joan Leslie's best acting job. The truth is that even routine products out of this studio at this time can have more to recommened them than more acclaimed products out of other film companies in later times: a radiant leading lady, an appealing leading man, and expert supporting players in familiar but not unpleasant situations. And in that context -- and with fifty years' historical perspective -- Janie provides a diverting, and sometimes very charming, ninety minutes' viewing. Recommended. |
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