This Thing Called Love

Just saw this on the big screen at Cinecon and I was floored by how much I loved it. The entire audience was laughing aloud and really entertained. The chemistry between Melvyn and Rosalind is like that of William and Myrna in "The Thin Man" series. Melvyn is so good at physical comedy and shtick and I have always liked him but I came away from this with a crush on him. Rosalind has never been more luminous and lovely and her costumes are beautiful. I was told this film rarely is shown due to a copyrighting issue but man, if you ever get the chance, see it. Its a classy, charming screwball that will give any Spencer Tracy- Katherine Hepburn outing a run for its money. If this came out on DVD tomorrow, I would buy it.

Celibate three months ann and tice(?) trial marriage fruend tekks him to accept she proposes 3 months gordon--other suitor NOT quetzelcoatl painful dinner party scene--bad often folks' beahaviors are difficult to understand--suck as strippng miss campbell--tries too hard

Ann (Rosalind Russell) is a rich and successful business woman who wants to get married but is afraid to really commit since she's seen other marriages fail. So, she comes up with a novel idea...to marry a man in name only....or at least for three months. That way if they don't get along they can just go their separate ways. Well, it's not surprising that her boyfriend, Tice (Melvyn Douglas) isn't thrilled with this arrangement, but his friend convinces him to just go along with her and once married she'll abandon this dopey scheme. Well, not surprisingly, it doesn't go how either of them planned.

This film's weakest point is the script. The actors are quite nice but a few times they're made to repeat a few silly lines and the dinner party scene, in particular, is pretty bad. But fortunately, the good far outweighs the bad and overall it's well worth seeing even if it isn't one of Douglas' best.

Statistician Rosalind Russell is a statistician for an insurance company. She's just published an article in the firm's magazine about how to improve the survival of marriages by starting off with three months of celibacy. When she marries mining engineer Melvin Douglas, he reluctantly agrees to give it a try, despite misgivings. His friend Allyn Joslyn convinces him he can sweet-talk her out of the idea, despite Joslyn's marriage to Gloria Dickson falling apart. Meanwhile, Douglas has to get a loan from South American millionaire Lee J. Cobb, by convincing him that he and Miss Russell are expecting.

It's one of those screwball comedies in which the wife comes up with a screwball idea and the husband has to live with it; after her success in His Girl Friday, Columbia liked to hire her back for these nitwit comedies. And a nitwit comedy it is, despite Alexander Hall directing, with a series of further misconstructions delaying matters further, despite Miss Russell showing up in something frilly in reel four. All the players try very hard, and while they manage the comedy timing very well, there isn't very much to do. Binnie Barnes shows up with poison oak dermatitis, and Sig Arno is given very little to do as the couple's manservant.

That after seeing this film newlyweds Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman built their home like that of the house in this movie. They even got the plans from the studio. They lived in that home through their 8 year marriage. This was where they raised Michael and Maureen. A second daughter Christine died in 1947 at the age of 9 hours. Jane Wyman sold the house after their divorce became final in 1949. From exterior shots of the residence it looked to be very modern with lots of stonework and steel. Wyman insisted no wallpaper and the interior was stained pine wood with very modern touches which were the rage in the late 1930s and early 1940s; it must have been a stunning house. Know it had a pool and a glorious view of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean off in the distance.

Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas star in "This Thing Called Live" from 1940, also starring Bonnie Barnes, Allyn Joslyn, and Leo J. Cobb.

Russell plays Ann Winters, who writes for an insurance supplement. She wonders why, given the high cost of divorce, there is really nothing in place to prevent it.

Her idea is the couples should live together platonically for a period of time before actually committing to marriage. Since she has known her intended (Douglas) for a very short time, and he is dying to marry her, she manages to get him to accept this plan.

This is the 1940s, and I love the way they had to talk around everything. The movie has so many funny scenes, some slapstick, and some funny situations. The best is Douglas, trying to keep the fact that he has poison oak from Russell, and dancing as he scratches, telling her it's a new dance.

It's hard to miss with too such delightful talents. Russell, who could be tailored and efficient and tough, is very feminine and lovely here.

Highly enjoyable.