Roughly Speaking (1945)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Louise Randall Pierson (novel)
Louise Randall Pierson (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 June 1947 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

In the 1920s, enterprising Louise Randall is determined to succeed in a man's world. She enrolls at...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Cast

Rosalind Russell	...	Louise Randall Pierson
Jack Carson	...	Harold C. Pierson
Robert Hutton	...	John Crane, ages 20-28
Jean Sullivan	...	Louise Jr., ages 18-26
Donald Woods	...	Rodney Crane
Alan Hale	...	Lew Morton
Andrea King	...	Barbara, ages 21-29
Ann Doran	...	Alice Abbott
Mona Freeman	...	Barbara, ages 15-20
Robert Arthur	...	Frankie at 17
Ray Collins	...	Mr. John Chase Randall
John Qualen	...	Svend Olsen
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Henrietta Louise Randall
Ann E. Todd	...	Louise Randall as a child (as Ann Todd)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irving Bacon	...	Customer in music shop (unconfirmed)
Barbara Brown	...	Relief worker (unconfirmed)
Chester Clute	...	The proprietor (unconfirmed)
Andy Clyde	...	Matt (unconfirmed)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The UCLA Film and Television Archives have a long version of this film (running time 150 Min's).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The young children toss a fuzzy duckling into the air and happily "watch" it as it supposedly flies up in the air. But ducklings have no feathers and cannot fly.

Soundtrack:

It Had to Be You

An underrated gem

A long but pleasantly sentimental journey. This delightfully odd-ball film is based on the real-life story of one Louise Randall Pierson, an eccentric free-spirited woman who was ahead of her time in her thinking and actions. This lady didn't need the assistance of women's liberation movement! The film opens in 1912 and ends during WWII. In between are many amusing episodes. Louise's first failed marriage, her daughter who suffered infantile paralysis and her introduction to her future second husband (Jack Carson) - in a fish pond while dressed up for a costume party linger in the memory. Rosalind Russell is superb as Ms Randall-Pierson, and although the film is a mite long at 117 minutes, it is expertly directed by Michael Curtiz, the dramatic and comical aspects being cleverly balanced. Highly recommended as a fine example of a forgotten fine movie to remember.