Starring Dennis Morgan, Janis Paige, Don DeFore, and Dorothy Malone
Directed by Raoul Walsh
Music and Lyrics by Ralph Blaine and others
This is Walsh's second go-around with One Sunday Afternoon. The story of a pugnacious dentist who recalls how he lost the girl he loved to his go-getting best friend was previously filmed as a non-musical comedy in 1933 with Gary Cooper as the dentist, and then by Walsh in 1941 as The Strawberry Blonde with James Cagney. Since the vintage 1890's tunes inserted into Strawberry Blonde were well-received, Warners turned it into a full-on musical for the remake. Let's start on the front stoop of Biff Grimes' (Morgan) dental office and see how well they did with the adaptation...
The Story: Biff recalls how his relationship with wealthy Hugo Barnstead (DeFore) fractured after Barnstead calls him up frantically one Sunday to have emergency work done. Years before, Hugo and Biff were the best of friends. They both fell for beautiful and flirtatious strawberry blonde Virginia Brush (Paige), but it was Hugo who ended up marrying her. Biff finally married Virginia's feminist best friend Amy Lind (Malone). To make up for stealing Virginia from him, Hugo offers him the vice presidency in his company. It sounds prestigious, but all Biff actually does is sign papers. He ends up going to jail when one of those projects he signed off on was a building made with substandard materials that collapsed. Being away from Amy finally makes him realize how much he loves her...and how much he'd rather be what he is than even be in love with a strawberry blonde.
The Song and Dance: Charming Technicolor confection beautifully recreates the world of 120 years ago, when couples went for walks on Sunday and revenge could be as simple as pulling teeth. Malone in particular makes a lovely Amy, tough when she's discussing the importance of women's rights, then sweet and blushing when Biff realizes she's not as icy as she makes herself out to be. Ben Blue has some very funny moments, and there really should be more all-female barbershop quartets - the brief number from the one in his barber shop mid-way through sounded great.
Favorite Number: The title song is heard many times, notably in the beginning when Biff starts a fight with a couple of Yale college kids who keep playing it. The two couples go for a breezy ride "In Our Merry Oldsmobile" before the car's tire gets a flat. Ben Blue serenades his girl Daisy (Dorothy Ford) on "A Bicycle Built for Two" and shows off his dexterity by jumping all around it as it moves. Morgan sings the reel "West Virginia" in a chorus number on board the ship...before he steps out to break up Hugo and Virginia. Abashed when she's caught not being as tough as she claims, Amy finally admits how "Girls Were Made to Take Care of Boys."
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, Malone is the only lead who works (other than she didn't do her own singing). Paige is merely window dressing as the girl the boys are all chasing and DeFore is too goofy to make anyone believe he could be a treacherous jerk. Laid-back Morgan is badly miscast as an impulsive tough guy. He's definitely not James Cagney...and that's really what the role needs. Doesn't help that Blaine's original songs, other than the oft-reprised title number, are pretty forgettable. The movie is just too bland for something that ends with the dentist contemplating killing a guy with laughing gas.
The Big Finale: Cute but bland time-waster if you run into it on TCM on a dull Sunday afternoon or are a fan of any of the stars.
Home Media: Out of print on Warners Archive DVD. Streaming is your best bet.
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