Bedtime Story~The Comedy of Remarriage
Just watched this classic film from 1941 Bedtime Story on TCM. Now normally I would have ignored this film because it's sort of forgotten and I don't really know the director well. Not to mention I am just so-so when it comes to Loretta Young. But the film stars my love Fredric March and I knew I would regret not watching one of his films when I had the chance, even if it turned out to not be very good. Well it turned out much better than I expected. It was a pretty amusing screwball comedy where March once again plays a playwright (like he did in Design for Living) who drives his wife (played by Young) to divorce because he thinks more about plays than their marriage. Of course in true screwball fashion March schemes to get his wife back (who is about to end up with a loser).
I guess I can't really call it a true "comedy of remarriage" since no remarriage is needed due to a technicality but the setup reminds me of those type of films. In fact it makes me think of some of my favorite Cary Grant films like Awful Truth, His Girl Friday, and Philadelphia Story. March does a pretty good job in the "Grant type role" too (although no one can beat Grant when it comes to screwball comedy). Anyways even though it's not the most original premise I found the film very cute. The ending scene in a hotel room was especially hilarious.
I was also thinking maybe I just really love how divorce was foiled in comedies from this period because it is a nice thought that divorce isn't always the answer (even if it was the rules of the production code that caused these type of comedies).
I guess I can't really call it a true "comedy of remarriage" since no remarriage is needed due to a technicality but the setup reminds me of those type of films. In fact it makes me think of some of my favorite Cary Grant films like Awful Truth, His Girl Friday, and Philadelphia Story. March does a pretty good job in the "Grant type role" too (although no one can beat Grant when it comes to screwball comedy). Anyways even though it's not the most original premise I found the film very cute. The ending scene in a hotel room was especially hilarious.
I was also thinking maybe I just really love how divorce was foiled in comedies from this period because it is a nice thought that divorce isn't always the answer (even if it was the rules of the production code that caused these type of comedies).