Love Crazy (1941)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Jack Conway

Writers:

David Hertz (story) and
William Ludwig (story) ...

Release Date:

23 May 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

From blissful kisses to sizzling hisses, they're Mr. and Mrs. again!

Plot:

Steve and Susan Ireland are about to celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary by re-enacting their first date...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce | Wedding Anniversary | Marriage | Eccentric | Police

Cast

William Powell	...	Stephen 'Steve' / 'Stevie' Ireland
Myrna Loy	...	Susan Ireland
Gail Patrick	...	Isobel Kimble Grayson
Jack Carson	...	Ward Willoughby
Florence Bates	...	Mrs. Cooper
Sidney Blackmer	...	Lawyer George Renny
Sig Ruman	...	Doctor Wuthering (as Sig Rumann)
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Dr. David Klugle
Donald MacBride	...	'Pinky' Grayson
Sara Haden	...	Miss Cecilia Landis
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Bristol
Fern Emmett	...	Martha, Ireland's Maid
Joseph Crehan	...	Judge
George Meeker	...	Lawyer DeWest
Clarence Muse	...	Robert, Hat Check Man at Party

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7278) | Australia:PG

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

The tenth of fourteen films pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy.

Quotes:

Steve: Where did you leave your parachute?
Dr. David Klugle: I beg your pardon?
Steve: Never mind. You'll pry no information from me, General Electric Whiskers.

Movie Connections:

References The Thin Man (1934)

Soundtrack:

It's Delightful to Be Married

It's Delightful To Be Crazy

In watching Love Crazy I was amazed at how the film picked up in the second half. In the first half William Powell and Myrna Loy are the usual happy married couple, but through some typical movie situations, some of them very forced, they wind in divorce court.

Powell realizes that things have just gotten completely out of hand and wants to apply a break to the divorce. But Loy won't hear of it. So Powell decides to put on a crazy act because if insanity is claimed a thirty day hold is put on the proceedings.

Sad for Powell, but hilarious for the viewer the scheme succeeds all to well. The second half of the film reaches a frantic pace that comes close to something Mel Brooks might put together. Powell is first trying to prove he's insane and then very much trying to prove he's not.

Such wonderful supporting players as Florence Bates, the mother-in-law from hell, neighbors slinky Gail Patrick and slow burn Donald MacBride; blow-hard Jack Carson, a redundancy if there ever was one, Viennese psychiatrist Sig Ruman, make this Powell-Loy film a joy to watch and one of the better ones where they're not Nick and Nora Charles.

Powell does more physical type comedy in this film than in any other I've ever seen. Even more than Libeled Lady because it had only that one classic scene in the trout stream. Here Powell is engaging in all kinds of screwy behavior because he's trying to convince people he's just that. Topped off by him shaving his famous mustache and getting into drag to play his own make believe sister.

Great screwball comedy one of the best of its kind.