Magnificent Doll (1946)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Irving Stone (screenplay)
Irving Stone (story)

Release Date:

November 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Ginger Rogers is the daughter of boardinghouse owners in Washington, DC who falls in love with Aaron Burr and James Madison.

Plot Keywords:

James Madison | First Lady | Thomas Jefferson | Love Triangle | Duel

Cast

Ginger Rogers	...	Dolly Payne Madison
David Niven	...	Aaron Burr
Burgess Meredith	...	James Madison
Peggy Wood	...	Mrs. Payne
Stephen McNally	...	John Todd (as Horace McNally)
Robert Barrat	...	Mr. Payne (as Robert H. Barrat)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Thomas Jefferson
Frances E. Williams	...	Amy
Henri Letondal	...	Count D'Arignon
Joseph Forte	...	Senator Ainsworth (as Joe Forte)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12024)

Company:

Hallmark Productions

Trivia:

Of all the post-Fred Astaire movies of Ginger Rogers to this point, her historical drama was the least successful both financially and critically. According to the June 23, 1947 edition of "Time" magazine the picture had "trouble getting into some first-run theaters." Moreover, film reviewers largely felt that Ginger was miscast in the roll of Dolly Payne Madison.

MAGNIFICENT DOLL (Frank Borzage, 1946) **1/2

Bizarrely cast and talky historical drama about the romantic and political involvement of the titular Southern belle (Ginger Rogers) with the then-U.S. Secretary of State James Madison (Burgess Meredith) and misguidedly ambitious Presidential nominee Aaron Burr (David Niven). Given that Niven ends up losing both the girl and the candidature (to Thomas Jefferson), he is understandably glum throughout – but the tragic fact that the beloved British actor had just lost his wife in a freak accident at home surely cannot have aided his countenance any! As usual, my fondness for films depicting political machinations perhaps made this appeal to me more than it would have otherwise but, while everybody concerned was clearly seen at a better advantage elsewhere, it must be said here that the narrative certainly wasn't a familiar one and, consequently, it held my interest throughout.