lugonian NO TIME FOR COMEDY (Warner Brothers, 1940), directed by William Keighley, stars James Stewart and Rosalind Russell, in what the title indicates, a comedy. This comedy, however, taken from a stage play by S.N. Behrman, as produced by Katherine Cornell and the Playwright's Company that starred Laurence Olivier, is very much a screen adaptation by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein that was very much rewritten to fit in with Stewart's screen persona. Somewhat reminiscing with director Frank Capra's MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (Columbia, 1936) where country yokel (Gary Cooper) takes Manhattan, NO TIME FOR COMEDY offers Stewart something similar as country boy taking on Broadway (with some doses of Stewart's own MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)), especially when both Deeds and Estabrooke characters run off to fires after hearing sirens from fire engines at a distance.Set in the Broadway district of New York City, Linda Paige (Rosalind Russell), actress, along with Richard Benson (Clarence Kolb), producer, and Morgan Carroll (Allyn Joslyn), director, are all set to work on an upcoming play, "Dilemma at Dinner," but are awaiting for the arrival of its author, Gaylord Esterbrook (James Stewart), from Redfield, Minnesota, who's to arrive and oversee production with rewrites. After nearly two weeks, Gaylord does appear, and once seen, is not believed to be taken seriously as the playwright until he shows his identification card being that from the Redfield Volunteer Fire Department. Even its lead actress, Linda, is stunned, after mistaking him for an usher by giving Gaylord a quarter to buy her a pack of cigarettes. Though Benson decides not to produce the play, Linda arranges to have Gaylord's first play go on as scheduled. The play, being a comedy about high society in three acts, much to everybody's surprise, becomes a smashing success. In due time, the shy country boy turned playwright marries his leading actress, Linda. For the next four years, Gaylord writes a succession on comedy hits, until coming up with a writer's block. During a dinner party, Gaylord meets Philo Swift (Charlie Ruggles), a middle-aged stock holder of Wall Street, and his attractive young wife, Amanda (Genevieve Tobin). It is Amanda who not only tells Gaylord he should be writing dramas, but soon finds no time for comedy and more time for Mrs. Swift, much to the dismay of Linda.A pleasing comedy with some serious overtones features some notable character actors in support as J.M. Kerrigan (Jim, the Bartender); Robert Greig (Robert, the Butler); Frank Faylen (The Taxi Driver); and Herbert Anderson (better known for his 1960s TV role as the father of "Dennis the Menace") as one of the actors. Louise Beavers carries on her usual sassy performance as Linda's maid; while Charlie Ruggles (on loan from Paramount) having some of the best and funniest fine delivery one-liners ever heard to stir up laughter. Take note that spelling of Linda's last name is seen as "Paige" throughout the story, yet in the closing credits is spelled "Page." For film buffs or historians, it's interesting finding James Stewart and Rosalind Russell, both contract players for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, together for the only time in a Warner Brothers production. It's a wonder why Warners didn't use its very own stock players as George Brent and Olivia De Havilland, Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan, or Jeffrey Lynn and Priscilla Lane in the Stewart and Russell roles. Then again, stronger marque names is what lures audiences into the theaters. In this case, Stewart and Russell work out quite well, as does Genevieve Tobin, looking quite youthful here than she ever did thus far, in one of her final movie roles.Of the handful of James Stewart or Rosalind Russell movies that have been distributed to home video, NO TIME FOR COMEDY was one that never was. Since its humble beginnings, broadcast on cable television as Turner Network Television (TNT) in the late 1980s, and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) dating back to 1994, presented this edition with a 1949 reissue and studio logo with asinine title, "Guy With a Grin." It wasn't until decades later when TCM finally broadcast NO TIME FOR COMEDY under its original title and studio logo when shown on June 4, 2017.Though there have been other movies featuring similar themes where playwright tries to do something completely different from his usual style of writing, NO TIME FOR COMEDY is one for the time capsule where Broadway and playwrights are concerned. (***1/2)

marylois-788-910304 No Time For Comedy is one of those glittering baubles about the theatre of the 1930s. Originally staged in New York for Katherine Cornell and featuring a callow young Laurence Olivier as her earnest playwright husband who drinks too much because he's convinced he's wasting his talent writing comedy when the world is such a wretched place, it was reworked for Jimmy Stewart and Rosalind Russell, and for me the movie plays as well if not better than the play.I was familiar with S.N. Behrman's elegant script and as I saw the film I was a bit confused. A whole new act had been added at the beginning to define the playwright as an awkward kid from Minnesota, swimming with sharks for the first time as his play is produced in New York. Jimmy Stewart was at his best, transitioning from a stammering yahoo to a gentleman drunk, and rising to the occasion to hammer out what he hopes will be a masterpiece with the help of a conniving female (Genevieve Tobin). Rosalind Russell is up to the role of the glamorous actress, the foil for the insecure playwright on the way up (and down), and Charlie Ruggles is wise and sophisticated and totally believable as the husband of the conniver and later suitor to the actress. Tobin is quite adroit, playing the conniver as a Billie Burke-type, although not quite pretty enough to convince me Stewart would leave Russell for her.It's a very satisfying film if you like the genre, and it's always a pleasure to see Jimmy Stewart so at home in a "stagey" piece.

MartinHafer The first portion of "No Time for Comedy" is excellent--and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, somewhere around the middle, it was like the characters had head injuries (particularly James Stewart) and began acting weird...along with some new and annoying friends. As a result, the film really lost its momentum and its way.The film begins with a playwright (Stewart) being called to Broadway to do some re-writes for the play. They are in rehearsals and the play just doesn't quite flow the way they'd hoped. Stewart is not at all like they expected. After all, the play is a smart drawing room comedy featuring the upper crust--and Stewart is some Midwestern yokel who has never even been to the big city or been with the smart set. After some teething problems, however, the play is a success. This part of the film is very charming and seeing him and Rosalind Russell together was a treat.The next portion of the film really stopped making sense. Now that Stewart and Russell are married, suddenly the sweet guy has turned into a major butt-head--a very selfish one at that. Now he drinks heavily and begins hanging out with the world's most superficial and annoying married woman anyone could imagine (Genevieve Tobin). While I hated the change in Stewart's character (since it seemed so out of character), everything about Tobin was wrong...100% wrong. Her character made no sense at all and was played so broadly you'd wonder how any semi-sane person could fall for this super-annoying....'lady'. Also incongruous is her husband (Charlie Ruggles)--he simply made no sense at all as the annoyed but unbelievably passive rich husband. At this point, the only person who comes off halfway convincing is Russell...but even she occasionally behaves oddly. It was really as if the film had two different writers who didn't even read each other's scripts before combining them.The overall film really looks like two separate films. The first half I'd score an 8 and the second I'd score a 3. It really would have been improved with a revision...a re-write like Stewart's character was called in to do when the movie began. Not a good film, though it looks nice and has some lovely scenes. The bad just outweighs the good.By the way, after Stewart behaved abominably through much of the film, why would Russell's character STILL want him?! What sort of screwy message is this projecting at women?!

preppy-3 Successful comedic playwright Gaylord Esterbrook (James Stewart) is happily married to actress Linda Esterbrook (Rosalind Russell). But strange Amanda Swift (Genevieve Tobin) convinces him to write a drama and tries to steal him away from Linda. But she won't give in without a fight...Comedic drama adapted from a stage play. It's actually pretty funny with many good lines but it just lacks that spark to make it great. It certainly isn't the actors' fault---Russell is beautiful, funny and completely at ease--Stewart comes across as an immature, alcoholic jerk (but that's what he is playing)--Tobin is quite amusing and Charlie Ruggles makes to most of his small role of Amanda's husband. And it's always great to see Louise Beavers even if is in the demeaning black servant role. So--it is good but not great. It just misses the mark. But it always great to see Russell and Stewart so young and full of life. I give it an 8.