Never a Dull Moment (1950)

Kay Kingsley, a sophisticated and successful songwriter in New York City. falls in love with a widowed rancher, Chris Heyward, she meets at the Madison Square Garden Rodeo and they get ... See full summary »

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Lou Breslow (screenplay), Doris Anderson (screenplay),

Stars:

Irene Dunne, Fred MacMurray, William Demarest

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Irene Dunne	...	Kay
Fred MacMurray	...	Chris
William Demarest	...	Mears
Andy Devine	...	Orvie
Gigi Perreau	...	Tina
Natalie Wood	...	Nan
Philip Ober	...	Jed
Jack Kirkwood	...	Papa Dude
Ann Doran	...	Jean

Storyline

Kay Kingsley, a sophisticated and successful songwriter in New York City. falls in love with a widowed rancher, Chris Heyward, she meets at the Madison Square Garden Rodeo and they get married, and leave for his ranch in the west. Her friends warn her of an early disillusionment with life on a ranch, far away from the glitter and bright lights of Broadway. Kay makes one difficulty adjustment after another, as the ranch is presided over by Chris's kids, and an incident occurs with a neighbor that prompts Kay to return to her glamorous life in New York. But she soon finds her heart is with Chris and his children.

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Plot Keywords:

ranch | songwriter | neighbor | new york city | rancher | 

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Taglines:

How wild can the West be?

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Come Share My Love

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Irene Dunne replaced Myrna Loy.

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Soundtracks

"Sagebrush Lullaby"
by Kay Swift
Sung by Irene Dunne (uncredited)

User Reviews

Broadway Goes To The Wide Open Spaces

Never A Dull Moment is based on the book written by Broadway composer Kay Swift who gave up the bright lights of Broadway to settle down as a rancher's wife. Although it won't make the list of Irene Dunne's best films, it does have its amusing aspects and holds up pretty good today.

The real Kay Swift according to her Wikipedia biography in 1939 met a rodeo cowboy and in a whirlwind courtship, married him and settled down on his ranch. Previously Swift whose two best known songs, popular to this day are Fine And Dandy and Can't We Be Friends, was involved in a long term relationship with George Gershwin. She had also been married before and I believe Philip Ober's character is based on her ex-husband, Paul James.

In any event the film bears some similarities to another true story about urbanites moving to the country, The Egg And I in which Fred MacMurray also starred. Nobody could ever complain about Fred MacMurray as a light leading man in comedies. But as he himself said in westerns, even modern ones, the horse and he were never as one. The part MacMurray plays is not to dissimilar from the one John Wayne did in A Lady Takes A Chance. I think the Duke would have been great in the role and we would have seen a once in a lifetime teaming of Irene Dunne and John Wayne.

Natalie Wood and Gigi Perreau play MacMurray's two daughters who take to Dunne quite easily, none of the stepmother angst in this film. And William Demarest has a great role as a grumpy old neighbor that MacMurray and Dunne have to put up with because he has the source of their water on his property.

Not a great comedy for Dunne like The Awful Truth, Theodora Goes Wild, or My Favorite Wife, but an amusing film that will please her fans.