Together Again
Directed by Charles Vidor
Written by Virginia Van Upp and F. Hugh Herman; story by Stanley Russell and Herbert Biberman
1944/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation
First viewing/Netflix Rental
Maid: There’s only three things can start a woman talkin’ to herself: her bank account, her man, and her reputation, and they all three the same things, ain’t they?
This mostly preposterous romantic comedy is held together by the charm of the performances.
Anne Crandall (Irene Dunne) lives with her father (Charles Coburn) and wildly dramatic teenage step-daughter Diana (Mona Freeman). Diana has a boyfriend whom she keeps dismissing called Gilbert.
Anne is now mayor of her small town following the death of her husband. The husband was so popular that the town erected a statue in his honor and celebrates each anniversary of its installation with a ceremony. The no-nonsense Anne has decided not to remarry but her father keeps egging her on. One day, lighting strikes the statue and its head falls off. The father sees it as a message from the husband that it is time for Anne to move on. Anne insists there must be a new statue.
Anne goes to the city to hire French sculptor George Corday. He is immediately attracted to her bone structure. Their date for dinner that night turns into an embarrassment for Anne and she decides to get another sculptor. But George will not give up that easily. Then the movie descends into a ridiculous comedy of errors in which both the teenagers end up falling for the opposite sex adults. Then there is the standard spat before the happy ending.
One thing Dunne and Boyer had was oodles of chemistry. You just believe their love. I am really very fond of Dunne in everything. The woman never seemed to age and there is such a warmth and sense of fun about her. We get another couple of very good performances out of Charles Coburn and Mona Freeman. Pity about the plot.
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