Irene (1940)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Herbert Wilcox

Writers:

Alice Duer Miller (writer)
James Montgomery (play)

Release Date:

3 May 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Siren Irene... You'll Love Her On The Screen... A Miss In Distress Or Gay Adventuress?

Plot:

Sent by her employers on an errand to the home of the wealthy Mrs. Vincent, Irene O'Dare meets Don, a friend of Bob...

Plot Keywords:

Blue Dress | Party | Song | Dance | Based On Musical

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Anna Neagle	...	Irene O'Dare
Ray Milland	...	Donald 'Don' Marshall
Roland Young	...	Mr. Smith
Alan Marshal	...	Robert 'Bob' Vincent
May Robson	...	Granny O'Dare
Billie Burke	...	Mrs. Herman Vincent
Arthur Treacher	...	Bretherton, the Butler
Marsha Hunt	...	Miss Eleanor Worth
Isabel Jewell	...	Jane McGee
Doris Nolan	...	Lillian, a Model
Stuart Robertson	...	Freddie, the Bandleader
Ethel Griffies	...	Princess Minetti
Tommy Kelly	...	Michael O'Dare
Juliette Compton	...	Mrs. Emily Newlands Grey
Roxanne Barkley	...	Helen

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #5931)

Company:

Imperadio Pictures Ltd.

Trivia:

About twenty-five minutes of this film are in color, from the moment that Irene (Anna Neagle) enters the ballroom dressed in her blue gown, up through the moment when she returns home and sings the song "Alice Blue Gown".

Quotes:

Donald 'Don' Marshall: I understand discretion is your middle name.
Bretherton, the Butler: Mr. Marshall, if butlers told all they knew, society would be a shambles.

Movie Connections:

Version of Irene (1926)

Soundtrack:

You've Got Me Out on a Limb

Surprised by an exceptional beauty

Watching this delightful movie I was captivated by the beautiful Anna Neagle. While watching the early part of the movie and appreciating more and more the beauty of Miss Neagle, and the beautiful dresses she was modeling, I wished that this was a movie that they would convert to Technicolor. Lo and behold suddenly the movie becomes Technicolor and the vivid red hair and Alice blue gown come alive. Her graceful movements in the dancing and modeling are memorable. I have seen some comments that her dancing was not first class but I do not recall a more alluring dance than her solo dance on the patio near the movie's end. Unfortunately at this time the movie has reverted to black and white but this detracts little from the beautiful Anna. Of course the music is dated but this movie taken as a whole is a musical comedy classic.