grade Movie Reviews

• Reviewed by jjnxn-1 grade 10 / 10

  Entrancing

  Utterly entrancing comic fantasy with a captivating Veronica Lake.The film is a light as air concoction directed by Rene Clair at breakneck speed which suits the material perfectly. The brief running time doesn't allow for any superfluous characters or dialogue and the film is cast with performers that make every second on screen count. Robert Benchley is a scream as March's increasingly befuddled best friend while Elizabeth Patterson shows up doing the flustered housekeeper that she did so well. The only other two parts aside from the leads of any importance are filled by Cecil Kellaway as Veronica's father, a basically cruel character who he makes seem more impish than mean by the jaunty air he brings to the part. Then there's Susan Hayward, in a role that really moved her forward and one that she attacks with great relish, the beauty who would be a prize where she not a total shrew.While all those players are excellent the two who make the picture great are the leads. They are a beguiling pair seemingly completely swept away with their adoration of each other. Their chemistry is delightful which is extraordinary since behind the scenes they openly loathed each other. Veronica was a complicated woman burdened with extreme psychological problems which led her to have a prickly personality and causing her to often have conflicts with both actors and crews. However in this case she was probably justified. March although a great actor was a notorious hot pants putting the make on anything that moved, when she rebuffed him he spent the remainder of the film treating her like dirt under his talented feet. She struck back by various methods probably the best being placing weights under her dress during a scene where he had to carry her repeatedly. Be that as it may both were too professional to allow their animosity to show on screen. This is probably the best showcase Veronica ever had, This Gun for Hire is a close second, she is at all times seductive, alluring, humorous and seems to carry a gossamer glow with her wherever she goes. A pity she didn't have a chance to do more comedies during her brief heyday since she was so adept at them. A gem of a film, see it!

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• Reviewed by PamelaShort grade 9 / 10

  " Veronica Lake Is Completely Captivating "

  Finally this priceless classic comedy is coming out on DVD. Veronica Lake is absolutely enchanting as Jennifer the playful, romantic witch. When I first watched this film, I was completely captivated by Lake's charming performance. This role seems to have brought out the best qualities of the very capable actress, and she easily steals the entire picture. It is a shame she wasn't offered more roles such as in this film, which showcases her versatility so well, for Veronica Lake certainly had a lot of witty comedic talent. Cecil Kellaway is equally entertaining as Jennifer's crafty warlock father. Robert Benchley adds his humorous touches. Susan Hayward performs perfectly as the snobby socialite, who impatiently waits for her flustered groom Fredric March who is continually being harassed and foiled by the beguiling blonde witch. Fredric March does his very best to keep up the pace, in the midst of the fast flowing antics. Rene Clair produced a rewarding comedy gem with I Married A Witch, a classic film that continues to reap much enjoyment. I highly recommend this movie for all Veronica Lake fans and for those just discovering the charms of the actress who enchanted audiences of the 1940s.

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• Reviewed by Nazi_Fighter_David grade 7 / 10

  Delightful romantic comedy fantasy which shows all concerned at the top of their form. Hollywood moonshine, impeccably distilled...

  Veronica Lake's fooling, charming, biting witch (released from the trunk of a tree by a freak lightning storm, she returns to upset the household and descendants of the man who had her burnt a few hundred years earlier) was a role that suited her to perfection: she was a spry, punchy little cockerel from Broolklyn – breeding ground of other feisty spirits such as Clara Bow, Barbara Stanwyck, Mae West and Susan Hayward – whose beauty hid brains, and whose brains worked fast to seize a chance and make the most of it... She also had an explosive temper which she unleashed on those bigger than she, in size and power, resulting of course in the destruction of her career… But in her youth these qualities supplied her an electric current that switched a lot of people on… Veronica resented being known for her long blonde hair, but fame draws on strange things to single out one person for the attention of others: with Bette Davis it was acting; with Crawford it was staring; with Hayworth it was dancing and with Lake it was her silky hair… But regardless of the gimmick that drew us to her, it was the unrepeatable quality within which made a star like Veronica Lake imitated and loved – not for what she may have thought she could do, but for the fact that she was there to do it at all

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