Lady In A Jam

publicity for "Lady In A Jam"

Release date 06.19.1942

"I leave everything to numerology and astrology and things like that. It's much more reliable than thinking for myself."

Mr. Billingsley (Eugene Pallette) turns for psychiatric help to the Palmer Medical Foundation. Not help for him - way off the mark - but for his ward Jane Palmer (Irene). Miss Palmer, the granddaughter of the foundation's founder, not only managed to squander her entire inheritance but also refuses to accept the consequences of her behaviour; instead she drifts through life believing in numerology and "vibrations."

The ungrateful job to try to teach Jane some responsibility goes to handsome psychiatrist Dr. Enright (Patric Knowles). Due to an accidental chance - in the literal sense of the word - Enright gets the job as Jane's chauffeur. He makes no secret of his being a doctor but claims that he is on a detour "because of a woman."

with Patric Knowles

Despite Billingsley's endeavors, Jane's possessions are soon auctioned off. Enright convinces her that she has to confront her past in Arizona. Jane grew up living with her grandmother Cactus Kate (Queenie Vassar) in direct vicinity to the gold mine Last Hope where Jane's grandfather once excavated the family fortune. The only fond memory Jane has of her life in the desert is the one of her childhood sweetheart Stanley (Ralph Bellamy). However, Enright is certain that this would be the right place for Jane to learn to do things for her and others. Together they leave for Cactus Kate's shabby shack.

arriving in Arizona...

Jane hoped that her grandmother would give her some money to prosecute Billingsley - she is convinced that he embezzled her fortune - but Cactus Kate refuses and suggests trying the old mine to Jane.

Mainly to please Enright, Jane starts digging. Meanwhile she has developed a crush for her doctor and hopes showing some self-sufficiency and pulling all female tricks would make him "vibrate." Both enterprises are not successful; Last Hope is plain and simple exploited and Enright objects to "vibrating with Jane" because of ethical reasons. She is still his patient and additionally quite a handful. 

trying to make Enright "vibrate"...

Frustrated, Jane tells her grandmother that she will give up on the mine and on Enright and just settle down with her. The prospect of living with this nitwit is so shocking for Cactus Kate that she salts the mine hoping to get rid of Jane. Maybe a little gold could pique Enright's interest in her granddaughter. Well, Enright is the first one to get that this gold rush was self-induced but can't leave now because Jane supposedly back into money certainly will turn to her old ways soon... and is she really "healed"? Allegedly, she has still spells and odd dreams; furthermore she starts babbling about a marriage with Stanley. Obliged to his Hippocratic oath not only, Enright stays, and Jane starts to parade the green-eyed monster...

Is she really sane??

Sounds a little bit confused, right? Well, that's exactly the main problem with this film. It has its moments but never really gets going; instead of a brisk stroll "Lady In A Jam" is a rather arduous path. The team under the direction of Gregory LaCava worked with an unfinished script, which was common for a LaCava project but he was repeatedly ill during production - probably one explanation for this patchy and bumby plot. As much as I liked how LaCava took advantage of Irene's image in "Unfinished Business," just throwing Irene into a mud hole - not very ladylike, indeed - simply isn't enough. This time LaCava's working method of constant rewrites and improvisation did not work.

Universal's publicity department made quite a brouhaha about the filming in the Arizona desert and especially those "mud scenes" but even that didn't help "Lady In A Jam" at the box office.

With LaCava (at the left) preparing for the "mud scene".

The mud was a mixture of dirt, water and oil... poor Irene!

This was the only time in her career that Irene stayed on location (for about 5 weeks.) "High, Wide and Handsome" was also filmed on location but Irene traveled daily back and forth. At last, sitting in the desert alternately exposed to heat and cold and waiting for LaCava's inspiration to come, took its toll. Irene lost her temper and had a sort of nervous breakdown. This is a real, real Irene Dunne rarity - sets of Irene Dunne films were known for their pleasant atmosphere.

on set passing away some time...

Considering the fact, that Irene said "I believed in my roles, I lived them..." this fit of temper is at least fitting for Jane Palmer. She is a real pain in the neck - with some Dunne charm of course - but still a pain in the neck. Irene gives a clever performance in this rather stupid film: efficiently using the Dunne tool - her voice - she speaks faster than normally with a very defenite accentuation but frequently trails off in between or mutters under her breath. One can really hear how Jane's brain is moving - and it's not on a steady course!

Nifty dressed in Bernard Newman creations - one of Irene's favorite designers around that time - she manages to convince us that a nagger can be a strain but nonetheless worthwhile.

publicity with Patric Knowles

Co-star Patric Knowles leaves a rather pale impression; nowhere near Irene's league, he's a handsome guy but an actor I watch and forget. I always imagine someone like Brian Aherne or Robert Young or someone else of their ilk in this role. Some chemistry between our leads, some more elaboration on the love story would have done "Lady In A Jam" good but, alas, was not to be.

Poor Ralph Bellamy, whom I appreciate very much, has the most ungrateful role. I can't think of a single reason why Stanley isn't portrayed more attractively; especially with someone like Bellamy for this character. Do you remember his wonderful performance in "The Awful Truth" where he played another "country egg" as Irene's love interest? But Stanley is simply ridiculous and not even allowed to be good at things this cliché of a cowboy ought to be good at - to lasso cattle, for instance. I assume that the scene on the farm was meant to be funny but my risible muscle denied any action. Anyhow, I can't say that this particular muscle was very active; really challenged was only my staying power.

Ralph Bellamy singing the appropriate piece of music for this film - a lamento...

"Lady In A Jam" is one of those "could have been" films: could have been funny, could have been great. The initial idea is not bad and the one aspect about this film I really like is that Irene played for once not a completely likeable character. But unfortunately those promising beginnings are not consequently developed and the result is mere patchwork.

The only silver lining of this film and the only thinkable reason to watch it is... I'm sure you know the name.

Once again, we've come full circle.

Please, don't shoot the reviewer!

Unfinished Business

Irene as Nancy Andrews Duncan

Release date 09.12.1941

"You see, Tommy, you just won't understand that in the lifes of all women there's some unfinished business. Don't ask me why. Is that clear?"

"No!"

After marrying off the sister she raised, Nancy (Irene) decides that's her turn now and that she won't stick to the plans her family made for her. It's about time for some adventure in the big city. Hoping for a singing career, Nancy leaves her hometown Massina, Ohio, for New York. On the train she meets wealthy playboy Steve Duncan (Preston Foster). Steve has a nice little 50-bucks-bet running with his buddy - who will pick up the more beautiful girl on the train - and Nancy just comes in handy. Despite Steve's obvious line she soon surrenders to his kisses ... 

No Little Red Riding Hood but Redhead and the Wolf

(wolf at work)

Well, the next morning Steve hopes that he would get away without having to talk to her but gets trapped.

S: "I'll give you a call..."

N: "You won't forget?"

S: "What do you think?"

N: "I love you!"

The end of the affair...

The next weeks bring two revelations for our small town girl: Steve won't call, and her voice isn't trained enough for an opera career. The only job Nancy lands is as singing telephone operator at a nightclub. An accidental meeting with Steve and his fiancée at the club ends with tears for Nancy. Not knowing why she is so upset, Steve's brother, Tom (Robert Montgomery) tries to comfort her. Tom is a boozer, a good-for-nothing fellow feeling overshadowed by his older brother but nonetheless a nice guy. At the night of Steve's wedding Tom and Nancy get terribly drunk and not so terribly married with Tom still not knowing about the train fling between his brother and his bride.

Tommie and Nancy on their way to marriage...

 Get this down!

The main occupation of the young couple during the next time is frequenting nightclubs and showing socially not accepted behaviour but one evening they strand at the domiciliary grand piano with Nancy fulfilling Tom's request for "When You and I Were Young, Maggie." Tommy has it bad; despite their original intentions he has fallen in love with his wife. Nancy - though not totally over her feelings for Steve - isn't immune to his confession and starts to show some wifely qualities.

The Duncans - this time sober and happy

All of this could end as a strangely started "nice boy meets nice girl" story if Tommy wouldn't have the idea to invite some family and friends for dinner. Nancy trying to find a sort of closure for her "unfinished business" kisses brother Steve which observed by Tommy's former girlfriend arouses a lot of attention at the party. The unfinished business is still unfinished, and perhaps it never will be finalized ...

Not such a good idea...

"Unfinished Business" is an underestimated little gem - an intelligent, very "adult" movie which switches between different genres. It's not a real comedy but witty and funny in between, and it's too funny and witty to be called a drama. The person who makes this hybrid of a film mainly work is Irene Dunne. Her Nancy is quite a character - naive, a person with an agenda of her own, not exactly flawless, with pathetic moments but in the final analysis blessed with an amiable down-to-earth quality. Nice stuff for an actress who was not only the mistress of the melodrama but also the queen of the comedy timing. Miss Dunne gets the chance to show a lot of facets - including her singing voice - and as you ought to know by now, La Dunne was no diamond in the rough; she knew how to glitter exquisitely.

Fitting background for Li'l Diamond

(publicity from 1941)

The film doesn't beat around the bush - small town girl was seduced in the train. Listening to Irene's "I love you..." the next morning you simply know that this night was not merely about holding hands (btw after the "wedding night" in "Penny Serenade" the second sexual encounter in a train in a row.Of course we don't get to see anything but the stopping down to the moving wheels of the train symbolizes the "forces at work") The plot is unusual for a film of this era because small town girl is not punished for her one night stand; she doesn't get pregnant, doesn't die, doesn't lose her rich husband but she moves on and even gets to terms with the nice guy in the end. Every time when you have the feeling that you are on the steady course of a Hollywood story, "Unfinished Business" steers in an unexpected direction. Or was stupid me the only one thinking that we were heading in the direction of a glamorous career as nightclub singer when Nancy-Irene was invited to audition? Instead she gets to "rehearse" a jingle and stupid me almost died laughing. Of course this hilarious scene only works because Irene Dunne really could sing. "Unfinished Business" boldly takes advantage of Irene's off- and on-screen image; plays around with it and spoofs it which is a lot of fun for folks with some Dunne knowledge.   

La Diva rehearsing a jingle - one of those great LaCava frames

(and look out for what Irene does in the background during this scene... )

But let's talk about the source for some unfinished business in Nancy's life,  the males.

Preston Foster is okay for me - no less, no more. I don't find him overwhelming attractive but that mirrors nicely how desperate Irene's character is for some, any kind of romance in her life. "Steve" is a rather ungrateful part with not much to do except being quite unsympathetic - a not overly interesting "wolf."

Robert Montgomery is another league but I had to acquire a taste for his acting. Considering the fact that he worked frequently with all my favorite MGM gals I just didn't get around the guy and finally developed a real liking for him. Nowadays his presence is a convincing reason to watch a film. "Tom" is a sort of typical Bob Montgomery role - he was always good at portraying frivolousness with an option for seriousness - and he creates a complex character who manages to finish some issues of his own. He and his co-star have some wonderful scenes together which show how impressive underacting can be. Kindly enough, Robert Mongomery has a very competent valet at his side embodied by character actor Eugene Pallette who gives a great performance as "butler Elmer."

La Dunne with Eugene Pallette - this was the last time that Irene smoked on-screen.

(Elmer and me don't like that hat!)

"Unfinished Business" is based on an original story by director Gregory LaCava. He not only leaves room for his story and his actors but manages remarkable staging. Especially the scenes which change between privateness and public - in the restaurant with the silver wedding anniversary in the background, the party at the Duncan's or the nightclub scenery for instance - are very well done. To figure on the player's personality was a typical LaCava method of work which explains the Dunne tailored tidbits. As for Robert Montgomery, they had to start filming earlier because of his commitment to active service in the U.S. Navy; and once again art imitates life! If those tidbits are the "LaCava touch", I certainly appreciate this approach.

Cheers! Almost done! 

(and Mr. Montgomery really deserved another pic...)

An intelligent, unusual story, great actors, remarkable directing, an in all her facets glittering Irene and music - that's the Dunne formula which makes me happy!

Cheerio!