WASHINGTON MELODRAMA
US, 1941, 80 minutes, Black and white.
Frank Morgan, Ann Rutherford, Kent Taylor, Dan Dailey, Lee Bowman, Fay Holden, Virginia Grey, Anne Gwynne, Sara Haden.
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon.
Washington Melodrama is an MGM programmer of 1941 – with the theme of aid to war victims prior to America’s entry into World War Two.
The film is a supporting feature but has a very strong cast, Frank Morgan with a different kind of serious role, Ann Rutherford as a forthright campaigner for her father, Dan Dailey as the villain.
The film was directed by S. Sylvan Simon, director of many entertaining films at MGM, but who died in 1950 at the age of forty.
The film focuses on life in Washington DC, rich entrepreneurs, thugs who run clubs and lean on girls to flirt with older men and get their money.
Fay Holden was Andy Hardy’s mother and appears in a much more sophisticated role here. His aunt, Sara Haden, also appears in a brief role.
1. An entertaining melodrama? Innocent victim? Framed? Newspaper campaigns? Justice?
2. Black and white photography, the Washington DC atmosphere? The world of the wealthy, the world of charities, nightclubs, apartments? The police? The musical score?
3. The story of Calvin Claymore, as played by Frank Morgan? His work for the charity? His wife and daughter in South America? His preparing to testify? The hostility of Hal Thorne and his newspaper? The irony of Thorne wanting to marry Claymore’s daughter, Laurie? His meeting with Whit King? The dalliance with Mary Morgan, showing her the town? Her infatuation with him? Her death, the association with him, the shirts? The evidence and the police? The role of Hal Thorne? The role of Laurie, campaigning for her father? His wife and her worry about scandal? The moral predicament, Claymore and his decision to tell the police the truth?
4. Hal Thorne, his role at the newspaper, his campaigns? His love for Laurie? The exposes, his reporters? His reliance on Ronnie, getting him to go to the club, find out what was happening, reporting back? Ronnie as unreliable, playboy, drinking?
5. Laurie and her mother returning from South America? Laurie and the situation? Her love for Hal, her love for her father? Upbraiding her mother for disloyalty and suspicion? Her decision to find out the truth, pretending to be French, with Ronnie, with Hal’s blessing? At the club, the encounters with Whit King? Going to his apartment? Getting the evidence? Her being unmasked? The confrontation with King? Vindicated?
6. Ronnie, man about town, unreliable, his being confused at the club, trying to find Laurie?
7. Whit King, running the club, his connections? Money deals, his running Mary Morgan? Anger with her, the punch? His killing her? The setup to blame Claymore? His infatuation with Laurie as a Frenchwoman? His relationship with Teddy, his double-dealings with her? The final confrontation, the shooting, her confessing?
8. The melodrama, the police, the predicament for Calvin Claymore, going to testify?
9. The resolution, the moral issues?
