vincentlynch-moonoi Van Johnson and June Allyson were good together...if the material was good. Not so good when the material was stupid. And this material is the latter.In the early parts of the film, Johnson seems downright creepy. He's supposed to be a bit of a playboy, but here he seems like more of a letch. Playing with Allyson's hair in a creepy way, blowing in her ear when she's clearly not inclined. Later in the film there's a bit of slapstick, which Johnson actually does quite well at, but it just seems so out of place in the film. Of course, later in the film he's sort of reformed once he begins falling in real love with Allyson.And then there's Allyson. Well, somehow I just didn't find Allyson that funny as a drunk.Perhaps the problem here is the plot and how they characterized Van Johnson's role. A children's' book writer who hates kids and is a playboy. It had potential. Unfulfilled potential, and the ultimate outcome was so obvious from the beginning.If the film is saved by anyone, it is -- perhaps a bit, at least -- by Hume Cronyn as the publisher, and by Butch Jenkins, the child actor who portrays a child sort of "rented" to pretend Johnson has a son. More disappointing is a rather poor role for the very talented Una Merkel (although this was in the period of her career when she wasn't too popular). Arlene Dahl also had a disappointing role here; Dahl was quite a good actress, but never made it beyond supporting roles or starring in B pictures.This film had potential, but turned out rather disappointing. It has its moments...for example a rather funny Indian sequence. But overall, this seems like a very long 98 minutes.

secondtake The Bride Goes Wild (1948)This is a common kind of entertainment film using a catching, breezy plot and high profile actors, but filmed with bright simplicity and without attempting too much more that the basics.And all of these basic goals are met here—cheerfully, and rather enjoyably. That is, if you take it for what it is, this is a warm and well made romantic comedy. It excels most for the sweet and subtle acting by June Allyson, and by the surprise depth of the buck-toothed boy character in the movie, Jackie Jenkins. The leading man has never been a favorite of mine—Van Johnson, but he holds up his end well enough.The plot is a clever set up, reminding me for some reason of the mixed-up plot of "Christmas in Connecticut," which has the same lighthearted feeling. People pretend to be one thing and get into a comical—and romantic trap—by trying to maintain the farce. Everyone is lying, in a way, even the innocent woman who at first is purely innocent. (She ends up pretending, or changing you might say, for different reasons, which the audience appreciates.)This is no screwball comedy. It lacks the insanity, and the wit, and maybe even the inevitability (even though you know how it ends, more or less). It's a good romp with some excellent acting to shore up the feeble plot. There are lots of great moments, and even an oddly spectacular bit of nonsense near the end where a whole room full of character actors get truly nutty at the same time. Quite funny.

MartinHafer June Allison and Van Johnson made quite a few films together. Most were very nice, but this one is pretty dreadful--thanks to some terrible writing and a super-contrived plot. In addition, instead of the usual sweet couple, the studio chose to cast Van as a real jerk--and it just didn't fit his on-screen persona. You know the film has trouble when the actor that came off best in the film was young Butch Jenkins!! The film begins with Allison winning a contest to see who will illustrate the next book by a world-famous author of children's' books (Johnson). However, Johnson is NOT a nice child-friendly guy, but a heavy-drinking womanizing jerk. And, when he meets the nice and naive Allison, he proceeds to get her drunk and treats her like a piece of meat. The publisher is aghast and apologizes to her--and makes up a STUPID story about Johnson acting this way because he was a sad widow with a very unruly young son(?!?!?!). So, he talks Johnson into a situation where they need to borrow a kid (Jenkins) and pose as father and son. This is 100% contrived...and moronic.Along the way, it's not surprising that the couple fall in love. But you wonder why--Johnson is a heel and a habitual liar. And, because of that, you really DON'T want them to find each other in the end. As for Jenkins, he's really good and plays a great Dennis the Menace sort of kid. This is a VERY welcome change, as MGM promoted him for years--even though the kid could barely act. Here, however, he's in his element--mostly because he's a bit older and finally had a decent role. But, it could NOT be a breakout role and the movie was a dud. Poor kid...and poor audience!5

petershelleyau This 1948 MGM comedy is enlivened by the sight gags utilised by director Norman Taurog, and the performance of June Allyson as Martha Terryton, a Vermont school teacher who is made an illustrator for `wild' New York children's book writer `Uncle Bumps' aka Greg Rawlings (Van Johnson). The screenplay by Albert Beich employs the standard contemptuous ploy of a man deceiving a `prudish' woman in order to romance her. Greg pretends to be the father of 8 year old delinquent orphan Danny (Butch Jenkins) to improve Martha's perception of him, after their initial meeting where she has been repelled by his advances. This set up is made to be exposed as the climax, with the middle section devoted to supplying reasons that will help Martha make the right choice. The romance is given another angle in that she has an `understanding' ie engagement with school manual training teacher Bruce Johnson (Richard Derr) so that he exists as the sane alternative to Greg. What gives the screenplay an unintentional subtext is our hindsight of Johnson's sexual preference, with the word `gay' used in its original innocent context. The subtext is particularly noticeable in the scenes between Greg and his publisher John McGrath (Hume Cronyn), from the actors performances (note how Cronyn squeals at the sight of a small snake) and one scene shot on a balcony. Johnson is bare-chested wearing a swimming costume, and Taurog frames the actors so that the line of the balcony ledge makes Johnson appear to be naked next to Cronyn. The subtext can also be read in Greg's fetishist attraction to Martha's long hair, and when Martha shows Greg her sketches of Bruce, where he asks `No nudes?'. Johnson's different behavior toward the Allyson as the prudish virgin and Arlene Dahl as Tilly, Greg's alleged `married' vampy girlfriend. Like the later Rock Hudson and even Cary Grant, Johnson's less stereotypically masculine persona plays off better with a less stereotypically female.Beich's narrative allows for physical comedy, including much leg kicking by Danny, water splashing, prat falls, Greg being injured by Bruce's use of Greg's typewriter, traps at a woodland camping site, a snoring fat man on a bus, ants at a wedding, Martha offering her forehead for Bruce to kiss because of the disparity in height between Allyson and Derr, and `wild' driving, featuring terrible rear projection. John's car needing to be towed after it has stalled during his search for Greg provides for a nice link when Greg borrows the car of the tow truck business, and John's car is attached with John still inside. There is also a witty sea-themed bar with a mermaid cigarette girl, a waiter dressed in a deep-sea diver's outfit, and a gag with a fake octopus. Beich also gets a laugh from the first meeting between Greg and Danny, where they observe each others freckles. Beich and Taurog also have fun playing with Allyson's persona. At first she makes Martha's pouting prudishness funny, her mouth somewhat reminiscent of Judy Garland in her good girl roles. What makes Greg's `No nudes?' line so funny is Martha's `Certainly not!' reaction. Allyson's sociopathic smiling is paralled with her hilarious faux-crying after Greg has got her drunk, and she also scores laughs from her parody of Dahl's vamp acting, including wearing duplicate clothes. As if to mock Greg, Martha gets her haircut for her make-over, though before that she wears a provocative Helen Rose sheer blouse under a white suit, which gives the impression of being low-cut. Taurog does wonders with an obviously small budget. The black and white photography may have been made to down play the freckles of Johnson and Jenkins, but it merely makes them look bruised. Jenkins is very likeable, but Johnson becomes tiresome, and Dahl acts like she studied baby vamp under Lana Turner.