HARD TO GET
US, 1938, 82 minutes, Black and white.
Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland, Charles Winninger, Allen Jenkins, Bonita Granville, Melville Cooper, Isabel Jeans, Grady Sutton, Thurston Hall, Penny Singleton.
Directed by Ray Enright.
Another of those brief 1930s screwball comedies, a bit of light fluff. However, it has a very strong cast which makes it more interesting than usual, especially with Olivia to Havilland as a rich young girl, spoilt, who clashes with a garage attendant, played by Dick Powell who also gets to sing a song or two, and to get revenge, pretends to be her maid and leads him on.
Charles Winninger jis her millionaire father who spends most of his time with his man-servant, played with stiff upper lip by Melville Cooper, indulging in sports like wrestling and fencing, betting and always losing. Isabel Jeans is the haughty mother and Bonita Granville the little sister. Reliable standbys, Grady Sutton and Allen Jenkins, are secretaries and garage attendants with Penny Singleton, later to start as Blondie in the Blondie and Dagwood films is the real maid.
Olivia to Havilland was to go on to much more serious films and some Oscars. Dick Powell was to give up singing, appear in a lot of thrillers and film noir and eventually direct several films.
1. A screwball comedy of the 1930s? Romantic? Mixed identities?
2. Warner Brothers production values, black and white photography, cast, style, songs?
3. Plausibility? The spoilt rich girl, home situation, pretending to be ordinary, getting revenge, deceit? The ploys, pretence? Rejection? Changing?
4. Verbal humour, situations, the farcical aspects, especially thinking?
5. The Richards family, the father, the background of his wealth, Spotter, his continually exercising with Case, betting, losing, being taken advantage of? The mother, her snobbery? Preparing for the holiday? The younger sister, the touch of the brat? Margaret, age, not wanting to go on holidays? The arguments?
6. Margaret, driving, getting petrol, not having the cash, the clash with Bill, his getting her to do the work, not believing, her making the beds, sweeping, the hits with the broom? The return? Roscoe, the work of the garage, friendship with Bill?
7. Bill asking her for a date, her agreeing, pretending to be her maid? The restaurant, move to a simpler place, the talk, Bill and his plans for the motel chain? Her information about Spotter? The friendship, Richards inviting Bill to dinner, Hattie taking Margaret’s place, her inappropriate comments? Maggie and Case, serving the dinner, the mess?
8. Bill and his plans, getting in to see Richards, Richards wanting to play a trick, sending him to Attwater? Expectations that Attwater would oust him? Bill and his ingenuity, the disguises and many attempts to get in?
9. His perseverance, the canoe ride and date with Maggie, seeing Hattie with the sailor?
10. Bill and Roscoe on the building site, the rivets? Richards and Attwater and the decision to help? Trying to outdo each other, farcical aspects, going to the building site, on the girder – and Case stranded?
11. Bill finding out the truth, at the party, disguised in black face, singing Al Jolson style, hearing Maggie?
12. Back to the garage, everybody turning up, Maggie and the apology, the arrival of the judge, everybody else turning up, the wedding and happy ending?
