THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE
US, 1948, 103 minutes, Black and white.
Eleanor Parker, Ronald Reagan, Eve Arden, Wayne Morris, Kent Smith.
Directed by Irving Rapper.
The Voice of the Turtle is a pleasant wartime comedy made soon after the end of World War Two. It was based on a play by John Van Druten (Old Acquaintance, The Fourposter). It was directed by Irving Rapper (Now Voyager, The Gay Sisters, Deception). It stars Ronald Reagan in an amiable role. A young Eleanor Parker is pleasantly ingenuous. Eve Arden is her usual sardonic self. There is not a great deal of substance - but it is a pleasant romantic comedy, comments on the openness about relationships in the '40s compared with previous generations - which may seem slightly quaint in the light of later decades. A pleasant film of its kind.
1. An enjoyable romantic comedy of the 1940s? The atmosphere of the war? Leave? Relationships? The experience of war, experience and innocence and the beginning of the post-war period? In the 1940s? Now?
2. Warner Bros. production? Black and white photography? The atmosphere of New York apartments, restaurants, theatre? Max Steiner's lively musical score? The cast?
3. The scriptural reference from the Song of Songs for the title? Love and romance? Alerting to characters and their attitudes? Themes of love, innocence, marriage?
4. The film's focus on Sally: the breaking of her relationship with Ken, her work as an actress, her friendship with Olive and being used by her, her apartment and trying to make her own mark, her being auditioned for the job, her delight, rehearsals? Her romanticism - comments about falling in love, hoping to fall in love, her infatuations? Yet her ingenuousness, her directness and honesty? Unable to support Olive in her story? Friendship with Bill, making him feel at home, the meal, letting him stay at her apartment and preparing things for him, the innocence of her invitation, meeting him at the market, the sharing of the day together, going to the theatre, the enjoyable evening, difficulties? Bill's return, Olive's arrival and the comedy of his hiding? His kissing her and falling in love? Becoming stronger in her attitude? Standing up for herself? A happy future?
5. Ronald Reagan's style as Bill - the G.I., on leave, the friendship with Olive, his seeing through her, being entertained by Sally, the meal, his story about the French girl - and later seeing her? Staying the night, tired, doing the marketing? Discreet, friendly? The theatre, the dancing, his realising Sally's relationship with Ken? The comedy of the hiding from Olive? The happy ending?
6. Eve Arden's comic style as Olive - her talk, imitation accents (from the theatre), her relationships with Men, sophistication? Giving up Bill and her story? Taking up with Ned - and being disappointed with his weight, moustache, lack of finesse, losing the theatre tickets etc.? Her continually checking up on Sally? Being eluded by Bill? Her come-uppance? A clever parody of the so-called sophisticate?
7. Ken and his relationship with Sally, the breaking up, friendship? Ned and his ordinariness, not being able to measure up to Olive's expectations? The world of the theatre - the genial author and his interview with Sally, reading the part to her? The amorous star?
8. The pleasant humour of the screenplay? The use of farcical situations - gently presented? A nice blend of simplicity, experience and romance?
