LET'S DO IT AGAIN

US, 1953, 95 minutes, Colour.
Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Aldo Ray, Leon Ames.
Directed by Alexander Hall.

A pleasant inconsequential piece of froth of the early fifties. It is a re-make of Leo Mc Carey's 'The Awful Truth' with Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. It reflects the romantic comedy conventions of the thirties as up-dated to the fifties with music added in. It is a pleasant showcase for Jane Wyman and Ray Milland who are expert at drama as well as comedy. They had appeared together in Milland's harrowing Oscar winner 'The Lost Weekend'. Jane Wyman who exhibits a good comic flair in this film won an Oscar for her serious role in Johnny Belinda, 1948. A very young Aldo Ray provides some comedy.

1. Audience enjoyment of such attractive froth? The film as a piece of Americana?

2. The film as a re-make of a thirties' classic. The American romantic comedy conventions of the thirties and their transference to the fifties? The addition of theatre background and songs and dances?

3. The appeal of the thirties' romantic comedy conventions? The style of hero and heroine? The wealthy background? Marriage, marital difficulties, divorce? Rival partners and marital tangles and romantic complications? Reconciliation? How well were these put across in this film?

4. The contribution of colour, decor, costumes? The musical styles of the fifties? Choreography? Humour, especially in the reprisal of the Zambesi choreography?

5. The quality of comedy in the dialogue? Humorous situations? The styles of the stars?

6. Marriage themes and break-up? The importance of Feathersville and its being where one finds it? Gary and his behaviour and coming home to Connie? His hypocritical reaction to Connie’s story? Gary as self-righteous throughout the film and needing to bend? Connie as in the right, enjoying her teaching Gary a lesson but suffering the consequences? The basis of their marriage - and Connie saying that they hadn’t explored one another? The brittleness of the break-up. the divorce? The sixty days and the humour of the possible reconciliations within that time? Alternate partners and testing the marriage and love? True love prevailing at the end? The midnight finale?

7. Ray Milland as Gary, seeing him at the jam session at the beginning, his career an a musical comedy writer? His flair for debonair comedy? His supercilious attitudes, treatment of Connie, wanting the piano? His approach to Frank and the rivalry? To Craig? His believing circumstantial evidence? The partnership with Deborah? His being left at the end and having to reconcile?

8. Jane Wyman's style as Connie? How attractive? Her teaching Gary a lesson, the compromises with Craig? The attraction of Frank and the humorous interchange, his history of being a suitor towards her? The restaurant and the dancing? The compromising situations with Craig? Her desperation, her various ploys especially his visit to sign the document? Her story about Phyllis and her dancing? The reconciliation at the end?

9. The humour of Craig as the other man. the crispness of his dialogue, the various ploys, his promotion of Frank, the sequence with the hats in the bedroom and the fight?

10. The humorous presentation of Frank and his Alaskan background, uranium. his visiting Connie in Seattle, his dancing, his bewilderment at the situation? The happy ending with Lil?

11. The American maid and her contribution to sorting things out?

12. Deborah and high society, the party. her parents? Her reaction to Connie’s show?

13. Lil and the musical comedy background, her vigorous dance and Frank's reaction, Connie’s and Gary’s? Connie using it at the party?

14. The comedy routines, slapstick, mistaken identities?

15. American humour, American sentiment? The perennial values, right and wrong, audiences' perennial response to these?