NO TIME FOR COMEDY
US, 1940, 93 minutes, Black and white.
James Stewart, Rosalind Russell, Charles Ruggles, Genevieve Tobin, Allyn Joslyn, Clarence Kolb, Louise Beavers.
Directed by William Keighley.
No Time for Comedy is a pleasant Warner Bros. comedy, a star vehicle for James Stewart and Rosalind Russell. Stewart had emerged as a clever American comedian with his naive, almost deadpan style (in the manner of Gary Cooper of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town etc.). Stewart had achieved fame with Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This comedy comes between The Mortal Storm and his Oscar winning performance in The Philadelphia Story. It is a pleasant blend of all the characteristics of Stewart in his early career. Rosalind Russell is, as ever, the sympathetic but assured woman of the world.
There is a good supporting cast led by Charlie Ruggles and Allyn Joslyn as a cynical theatre director. Genevieve Tobin, wife of the director William Keighley (The Adventures of Robin Hood and other Warner Bros. features) is the high society would-be patroness of the arts.
The film was written by the Epstein brothers, authors of many screen plays including Casablanca. The film is a pleasant comedy, highlighting Hollywood's perennial interest in the theatre. It also has themes of career and marriage under its humorous surface.
1. A story of the theatre, comedy, the blend of humour and insight?
2. The stars and their personalities, charm? Warner Bros. production values: black and white photography, New York, the atmosphere of the theatre, affluent New York society?
3. The title and its ironies? The focus on plays, the theatre, rehearsals, rewrites, successes, reviews, flops, authors' mental blocks? Actors, producers, writers, directors, stage hands?
4. James Stewart's portrait of Gaylord Esterbrook: his naive style, a young man from the backblocks? The irony of his writing a play - setting it at home and then simply transforming it to Park Avenue? The audience waiting for the arrival of the author, his arrival and people not believing him, the humour of his detours to the Grand Canyon etc.? His encounter with Linda and buying the cigarettes? Sharing the experience of the rehearsals? Linda's decision to put on the play? His meeting the celebrities, his gawky admiration of Linda, changing his suit for the meals etc.? The clashes of production, the opening night and his nervousness, walking in the park, waiting with Linda for the papers, the successful reviews, her proposal? The marriage and four successful years? His mental block? Meeting Amanda at the party, her wanting to draw out his latent powers? Going to her house, charmed by her, lies to Linda? The phoney seriousness of his new play? The clash with Linda, the separation? The play flopping, his attack on Carrell? The curtain speech and the reconciliation with Linda? His interaction with Carrell, Philo, with Clementine? Stewart doing a variation on his Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?
5. Rosalind Russell and her verve as Linda: successful actress, performance, helping Gaylord, putting on the play, proposing, the success, the sadness of being alone, hurt by his going to Amanda, the discussions with Philo, the confrontation, the mutual divorce and remarriage, the clash with Philo for his over seriousness and not caring for ordinary people, the final applause and reconciliation?
6. Morgan Carrell as the cynical director, his help with the play, the clash with Gaylord?
7. Philo and Amanda and their marriage, its brittleness, the party, Amanda's hold over Gaylord and her self-deception in trying to be a society hostess and a patroness and inspirer of the arts? Her phoney style ? and taking up with Carrell? Philo and his work on Wall Street, his irony about Gaylord's writing plays, his making money? His very serious attitude ? and his talking with Linda, the possible marriage, the break-up?
8. Clementine, the black maid who became an actress, her going back to be the maid? Yet her advice and wisecracks?
9. Themes of marriage, love, the clash of career, susceptibilities?
10. Wit and humour and ideas and themes?
