THE HEAVENLY BODY
US, 1943, 93 minutes, Black and white.
William Powell, Hedy Lamarr, James Craig, Fay Bainter, Henry O'Neill, Spring Byington, Morris Ankrum, Connie Gilchrist.
Directed by Alexander Hall.
The Heavenly Body is a very light American comedy from the war period. It is in the tradition of the screwball comedies - especially with William Powell as the astronomy professor. Hedy Lamarr is very attractive - but not always adept at this kind of very light comedy. However, there is pleasant support from Spring Byington and Fay Bainter. The film pokes fun at astrology and the way that astrology can control people's lives. It is all very contrived, but pleasantly so. Direction is by Alexander Hall, director of many '40s comedies with stars like Rosalind Russell, Cary Grant, Melvyn Douglas. He is perhaps best known for Here Comes Mr Jordan.
1.Pleasant romantic comedy? The screwball comedy tradition? Contrived and light?
2.MGM production values, black and white photography, sets and style? Stars?
3.Romance, the conditions of the period? Marriage, divorce?
4.Bill and Vicky, their marriage, his working at night, their seldom encountering each other for long? Astronomy and astrology?
5.Vicky, her beauty, the devoted wife? Feeling neglected? Talks with Nancy? Going to the meeting with Mrs Sybil? Getting her horoscope? Letting it control her? What happened each day, not allowing Bill to touch her? Going to find the handsome man in her life? Giving up, meeting Lloyd, her determination that he was the one? Romance?
6.Nancy, her gossip, astrology, the meetings, Mrs Sybil getting rid of her? Bill hosing her?
7.Mrs Sybil and her assistant, their work, the horoscopes, her self-assurance, controlling people's lives? Bill, the visit, the FBI? Her hoarding food?
8.Lloyd, his being on supervision? Visiting the home, the dark stranger, his travels? Attracted to Vicky, coming back? Hearing of the truth? Romance with Vicky, the holiday house? His not wanting to be tied down? Stepping back?
9.The staff of the observatory, the comet and its landing, Bill and his absentmindedness, his speech? Looking through the telescope at Vicky and Lloyd?
10.The final look through the telescope, the happy reconciliation?
11.Astronomy and its development? The absentminded scientist? Romance? Astrology and the poking fun at astrology?
