JUNE BRIDE
US, 1948, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Bette Davis, Robert Montgomery, Fay Bainter, Tom Tully, Betty Lynn, Barbara Bates, Jerome Cowan, Mary Wickes, Debbie Reynolds.
Directed by Bretaigne Windust.
June Bride is a minor Bette Davis vehicle, coming at the end of her long stay at Warner Bros. as one of their main stars. Other films at this time include Winter Meeting and Beyond the Forest. The film is a variation on the screwball comedy themes and styles of the '30s. Bette is the editor of a women's magazine that is doing a story on an Indiana family (in winter) and the daughter as a summer (June bride). Robert Montgomery, quite effective, is an international journalist who is forced to work with Bette. They have been in love before and continue their sparring. There is entertaining support from such stars as Fay Bainter, Tom Tully, Barbara Bates.
The film relies a lot on the stars and their comic interactions as well as romance.
1. Pleasant screwball comedy? Battle of the sexes? Careers and romance?
2. Warner Bros. production values, black and white photography, New York style, Indiana winter? Musical score?
3. The title and the focus on the Brinker family, the magazine and its contriving a happy summer wedding? The battle between Linda and Carey?
4. The focus on Carey, his war correspondence, walking out on Linda, being sacked, getting the job with Linda, her briefings, dinner with her and sparring? Going to Indiana? Getting involved with the family, drinking the moonshine? The tangles with Jean and Boo? His wanting out of the assignment? The resolving of the problems? The family's and his? The happy ending? The wisecracking slightly sardonic style?
5. Bette Davis as Linda: the successful career-woman, her resentments towards Carey, the evening out and their sparring? The manoeuvres? Briefing for the job? Going to Indiana? The family, the conversation with Jean and Boo? The tangled romances? The genial parents? The mix-ups? The possible failure of the magazine spread? Her supporting true romance? Romance with Carey? The wisecracking professional style?
6. The world of magazines, the editor and his wanting to sack Carey, getting him to work with Linda? Paula and the support staff?
7. The Brinker family, the jokes about Indiana in winter, the taxi driver, Bud and his parents, Jimmy? Mother and father, the moonshine? The house, changing it, clothes? Jean and Boo and romance, rivalry? Jean and Bud, rejecting Jimmy? The mix-ups, emotions? Everything coming out right?
8. A pleasant wisecracking romantic comedy of the '40s?
