mark.waltz It's up to the great Barbara Stanwyck to turn fluff into something special. Granted, with her speaking the lines, it sounds better than it could have been, a rather ordinary and far fetched story that RKO was already making starring the yet not A listers Lucille Ball and Ann Sothern. With Stanwyck cast, the film becomes an A picture where all eyes are on the great lady of the screen in front of them. Cast as a dippy socialite hiding a brain underneath the fur, Stanwyck is walking her foofy dogs one night and stumbles across a dead body. Well known to local law enforcement for being part of a group of dippy Park Avenue socialites getting into trouble, and now, she wants them to help her solve the crime, leading to more murder and trouble with not only the law but determined reporter Henry Fonda as well. Future "Blondie", Penny Singleton, features into the plot line, and shows a bit of what kept her fresh playing one part for 12 years. Surrounded by a group of starlets who seem to be working hard to keep up with her, it's obvious that Stanwyck was their den mother, not only as the character, but as their mentor and teacher as well. Fonda, apparently unhappy with this part, doesn't let that show, and the chemistry with Stanwyck later confirmed in two other movies, is obvious. I recognize the set from two other RKO movies of the same year, "Carefree" and "Bringing Up Baby", but this is unique and special because of the spark that she brings in. Soon to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel is very funny as her maid, delivering each line with gusto.Moments of suspense and some great screwball one liners give this an important place in the comedy hall of fame. This flies by in 80 minutes and is an exercise in true artistry. Barbara Stanwyck once said that whatever she had, it obviously worked, even if she couldn't identify it, but to use a word that she taught TV costar Linda Evans years later, what she had was presence.

Jimmy L. THE MAD MISS MANTON (1938) is a funny murder mystery. In a plot involving dead bodies lying around here and there and a murderer on the loose, the lighthearted screwball approach comes as a surprise. But it's a pleasant surprise, as the bright script makes this a rather enjoyable watch. (The convoluted "whodunit" aspect is a little weak.)Barbara Stanwyck is a New York socialite who's lost the trust of the police force (led hilariously by Sam Levene) after the evidence of the murder she reports disappears. Henry Fonda is a newspaper editor who smears Stanwyck for her murder "hoax" and party lifestyle. So Stanwyck assembles her ditzy gal pals and leads them on an investigation of the murder she knows was committed. Soon Fonda and the cops get involved, but Stanwyck prefers to solve the mystery on her own, despite the dangers.The murder mystery story doesn't impress as anything too special, but the script is often much funnier than expected. Sam Levene's broad performance as the police lieutenant has some great one-liners. Hattie McDaniel is a hoot as Stanwyck's maid ("I's a pacifist!") and even Henry Fonda has his moments ("She's probably still in kindergarten."). The debutante gang has some goofy characters ("That's communism!") and the story takes some pretty silly turns. Halfway through the movie, I found I was enjoying it more than I'd expected at the start.At only 80 minutes, this is a breezy mystery/comedy with some big names (Stanwyck and Fonda) and a bunch of fun characters. It's not really a top-drawer production, but the movie is enjoyable and worthy of a look.6.5/10

Michael_Elliott Mad Miss Manton, The (1938) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Disappointing comedy about a rich woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who gets involved with a murder investigation and a reporter (Henry Fonda) covering the case. This was the first teaming of Stanwyck and Fonda but the end results aren't as good as I had hoped even though the film starts off pretty well. The comedy works for most of the time as the two stars really do good work together but it's Sam Levene who steals the show as the wisecracking Lieutenant. What really kills the film is the mystery, which never takes off and around the forty-minute mark it was really getting on my nerves. I wasn't interested in who did the killings and the multiple endings didn't help either.

rulebritannia-1 In 1941, Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck starred in 'The Lady Eve' (one of the finest comedies of all time) but before this Fonda and Stanwyck made a relatively unknown comedy called 'The Mad Miss Manton' and may I say that this is an excellent lead-up to 'The Lady Eve'. The dialogue (written by the supremely witty Philip G. Epstein) sparkles and goes so fast that it takes a second viewing to get all the jokes. And in an age of political correctness the dialogue is even funnier. Dora's quip about communism (Helen:"If the upstairs has to be searched, we'll search it together"-Dora:"Why that's communism!") is just so unexpected. Unlike the Lady Eve, where Fonda is primarily the straight guy, in 'Mad Miss Manton' he holds his own and is especially good in the hospital scene, where he plays Stanwyck for the sucker. Apparently, Fonda hated making this film and being ambushed by gaggle of girls would certainly put a dent in your pride. On the whole, an excellent but unfortunately unknown film. If you are planning to see "The Lady Eve' do try and see this film because it is truly a gem in the Screwball genre.