The Feminine Touch (1941)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

George Oppenheimer (screenplay) &
Edmund L. Hartmann (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

October 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

John Hathaway is a professor of psychology at Digby College. His students are bored as he is with the students...

Plot Keywords:

Jealousy | Professor | Publishing | Fistfight | New York City

Cast

Rosalind Russell	...	Julie Hathaway
Don Ameche	...	Prof. John Hathaway
Kay Francis	...	Nellie Woods
Van Heflin	...	Elliott Morgan, Publisher
Donald Meek	...	Captain Makepeace Liveright
Gordon Jones	...	Rubber-Legs Ryan
Henry Daniell	...	Shelley Mason, Critic
Sidney Blackmer	...	Freddie Bond, Elliott's Lawyer
Grant Mitchell	...	Dean Hutchinson, Digby College
David Clyde	...	Brighton, Elliot's Butler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Forrester Harvey	...	(scenes deleted)
Dennie Travis	...	Dennie Travis, the Piano Player

Also Known As:

All Woman (USA) (working title)
Female of the Species (USA) (working title)
Heartburn (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7606) (original rating)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Quotes:

Nellie Woods: [to Elliott] If you're lying, I'll kill you and go to the chair with a song on my lips.

Soundtrack:

Jealous

Erratic screenplay hampers a good cast

Any old film aficionado would be drawn to a film starring Rosalind Russell, Don Ameche, Van Heflin and Kay Francis, so it's no surprise that this poster tuned into "The Feminine Touch," a 1941 comedy. The story concerns a college professor, John Hathaway (Ameche) who has written a very intellectual book on jealousy and travels with his wife (Russell) to meet his publisher Elliot (Heflin) and editor Nellie (Francis). Elliot likes to play around, and Nellie is in love with him. Julie keeps trying to make her husband jealous, not by deed but by hints that a certain man likes her, for instance, and is he worried - thinking that a jealous outburst would be proof of his love. However, he trusts her unreservedly and never suspects her of anything. He's especially sure that despite Elliot's interest in her, Julie would never reciprocate - because Elliot has a beard, and Julie hates them.

This film is a case of too many cooks, as this screenplay was worked over by several writers. The premise is flimsy, for starters, and I fear Russell is miscast. Rosalind Russell in films is a beautiful woman, but she has a strength and intelligence about her as well. It's not an ingénue beauty. In the world of "The Feminine Touch," despite her tailored suits, every man who meets her falls madly in love with her. I could have bought it if it had been Lana Turner. I'm not buying it here. Women like Russell are the "whole package" and men fall for her in a different way and probably after a conversation or two - not on sight. And then, to have a smart woman like Julie upset because her husband never gets jealous is ridiculous. It might bother an immature 18-year-old, but this character? The end of the film -- which comes about 15 minutes later than it should have - is the best part, as it turns into a more screwball comedy with Julie setting fire to Elliot's beard and other crazy things happening. Otherwise, the film drags on with too much dialogue. I'm not opposed to dialogue - All About Eve has a large amount of dialogue. This dialogue was superfluous, probably because a scene or two could have been tossed.

Heflin proves himself as adept at comedy as he is at drama, Francis is delightful, as is Ameche, who makes a good professorial type. Someone mentioned the clothing - Francis wears one hat that looks like a rendition of the Mickey Mouse Club ears, except with taller ears and the entire hat covered in fur. It was one of the funniest things in the movie.