THE GIRL FROM JONES BEACH
US, 1949, 78 minutes, Black and white.
Ronald Reagan, Virginia Mayo, Eddie Bracken, Dona Drake, Henry Travers, Lois Wilson, Florence Bates, Jerome Cowan, Helen Westcott, Paul Harvey, Lloyd Corrigan.
Directed by Peter Godfrey.
The Girl from Jones Beach is a slight comedy of 1949 – in the days of glamour girls.
Ronald Reagan is an artist who has constructed an ideal model from twelve different models – each thinking that they were the Randolph Girl, his creation. A businessman wants her on a TV show and Eddie Bracken, as a rather dopey agent, is urged by his girlfriend, Dona Drake, to be the agent for her. He discovers that there are twelve girls each contributing a part to the ideal Randolph Girl. As a running joke, when he pretends to attempt suicide – and while doing so at Jones Beach sees Virginia Mayo on the beach and decides she is the ideal Randolph Girl. However, each times she comes out of the dressing rooms, he does not recognise her.
While this plot is going on, Ronald Reagan as Bob Randolph wants to ingratiate himself into Virginia Mayo’s company so as to make a contract with her. However, she is a rather proper teacher, interested in the beauty of the mind, often quoting Shakespeare and other poets (and the date of their writing).
Reagan pretends to be Czech, goes to her night class for those wanting to be American citizens. Ultimately his cover is broken, Virginia Mayo changes her mind, she is sacked from her job at the school after being photographed in the swimming costume. It all goes to court – with Henry Travers presiding and Florence Bates as the principal who, it is revealed, was rather daring in her day.
It all ends happily ever after. It was directed by Peter Godfrey, a British actor who directed many B films at Warner Bros including The Two Mrs Carrolls, Cry Wolf, Christmas in Connecticut.
1. A pleasant Warner Bros comedy of 1949? Screwball touches? The battle of the sexes? The touch of old-fashioned sexism and glamour girls?
2. The New York settings, Jones Beach, the sea? Homes, schools, studios? Nightclub? The musical score?
3. The focus on Chuck Donovan, the inept agent, Eddie Bracken and his comic touches, his love for Connie? Her trying to get him a job? Her work as a cigarette girl? The executives and their wanting the Randolph Girl? Chuck and his notes, attempting suicide – in the subway, at Jones Beach? Connie finally calling his bluff by putting pills in champagne – and giving him another glass where he feels that he is actually dying? His dealings with Bob Randolph, his secretary? Having to deal with the twelve Randolph Girls? His ultimate success?
4. Bob Randolph, the fame of the Randolph Girl, the revelation that she was made up of twelve different models? Each model thinking she was the Randolph Girl? Some sittings? His secretary? The proposal by Chuck, Bob’s need for money? His meeting Ruth, deciding to go into the night class? His pretending to be Czech, the accent all over the place? His behaviour with Ruth, her response to him? At the nightclub, the outings, her falling in love? His being exposed? Her reaction? The issue with the bathing suit? Her being photographed?
5. Ruth, her work as a teacher, at home, her younger brother and his comments? Her mother previously being in the Follies, less conservative than her daughter? The mind? Quoting poetry? At the beach? The night class, the encounter with Bob, her puzzle, responding to him, changing dress, going out, walk along the beach? The expose?
6. Her decision, her being sacked by Miss Shoemaker? The court case, the presiding judge? The film of the history of the bathing suit? The images of Miss Shoemaker, the judge and his response, the date with her? The lawyer? Ruth being vindicated?
7. The happy ending – and an example of light comedy from the late 1940s?
