(2013-05-20 11:48:48)

A movie for our times that needs to be remade

I had heard about this movie for years, but only saw it tonight. Thewait was my loss.To begin with, it stars two of the undeservedly forgotten luminaries ofthe movie industry: Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas. But more important is the content of this movie. It is all aboutsmall-minded bigotry in small-minded Americans. Given its time - the1930s - that small-mindedness is linked to living in a small town.Unfortunately, today location has nothing to do with it: there aresmall-minded Americans in our biggest cities and our suburbs. But themovie has lost none of its relevance. It is very definitely a moviethat calls out for a modern remake. Hollywood doesn't make movies likethis anymore, and in this case, that is a loss for all of us.

(2013-05-19 22:45:11)

I'm Wild about this movie!

This is what great movie-making is about. Sparkling dialogue, unexpected plot-twists and turnabout is fair-play for everyone. Talk about everybody getting exactly what they deserve! Irenne Dunne plays the perfect "good girl gone bad" and Melvyn Douglas plays a "not so bad cad" to perfection. The dialogue is a treat to the ears, and you'll miss more than words if you leave the room for even a minute. So stay glued to your seat and enjoy the lovely language and the sweet innocence of an incredible by-gone era. And then buy your own copy. I did!

8th_samurai

(2013-05-19 14:43:02)

Melvyn Douglas more annoying than charming in beginning, but good flick

I didn't care for the first 1/3 of the film. To me the bright spot inthe beginning was the newspaper publisher who gave the film neededenergy. Then Melvyn Douglas' pursuit of Irene Dunne might have seemedcharming in a different era, but it rankled me. The picture picked up steam as it went along. The banter and screwballtable turning was fun. Weaknesses of both small town and big city lifewere touched on, but the picture was never mean-spirited.As one writer noted, it's very much like Miracle at Morgan Creek. Bothhave appealing, enthusiastic performances. Thomas Mitchell, IreneDunne, and Melvyn Douglas all do a great job. It may not rank up therewith 20th Century or the best of Preston Sturges, but it is definitelyabove average.

blanche-2

(2013-05-18 19:47:19)

highly enjoyable comedy

Irene Dunne breaks out of small town conventions in "Theodora GoesWild," a 1936 comedy also starring Melvyn Douglas, Thomas Mitchell andSpring Byington. Dunne plays Theodora, who lives a sterile life withher two aunts in a small, Puritan, judgmental town. However, she's gotthem all beat because she's living a double life - in New York City,she's Caroline Adams, a hot romance novelist who put the capital L inLOVE. Her scandalous best-seller is in the process of being banned bythe town literary society. While in New York visiting her disapprovedof uncle, she meets a friend of her publisher's, the flirtatious,irreverent Michael (Douglas). He doesn't know her real name or herliterary alter ego so to prove to him she's no prude, she gets drunkand goes to his apartment - of course, she leaves screaming - but indoing so, drops a few papers that tell him who she is and where shelives. He soon shows up in her home town as a down on his luck manseeking work and she's more or less blackmailed into giving him a jobas the family gardener.This is a delightful comedy buoyed by the marvelous acting of IreneDunne and Melvyn Douglas. The points are hit a little too hard,however, so that both characters come off as very annoying andexasperating at times. The fault lies in the script, because I don'tthink those two actors ever made a wrong move. Douglas, who in laterlife would prove himself one of the great actors of all time, sailsthrough this film as he sailed through so many others in roles thatgave no hint of his enormous abilities. Here he's charming, smooth andattractive, inspiring Theodora to take some risks - though he's got afew skeletons he fails to mention to her. Dunne is great as the staidspinster who becomes the talk of New York with her wild outfits, saucyattitude, and smart remarks.Underneath it all, of course, it's a love story some innuendo you don'tfind in a lot of '30s comedies, which adds to the fun. Highlyrecommended.

mark.waltz

(2013-05-16 06:31:14)

Small Town Gossipers get payback.

Even though this is Lynnsburg Connecticut and not River City Iowa,you'll be tempted to break into a chorus of "Pick a Little, Talk aLittle" every time the old biddies of the town's literary committeepick up their party lines either to gossip or listen. You see, one oftheir own is the author of a scandalous novel that they've been tryingto get condemned, and once she has enough of them running her life withtheir babbity provinciality, she tells them off, leaves for New York,and really gives them something to gossip about."She" is Theodora Lynn (Irene Dunne), the seemingly sweet churchorganist who is followed by one of the representatives (Melvyn Douglas)of the publishing firm her book was released through, threatening toblow her goody two-shoes image out of the water for good. What's goodfor the goose is good for the gander, and she turns the tables on himand his upper-crust family. Once Dunne comes out of her shell, shedresses up in outrageous feathered outfits, is named in divorce suitsand shows up for a town function with a baby. You really want to seethese clucking hens choke on their metamusil once they find out a thingor two or get caught in a vindictive spread of mostly unsubstantiatedrumors.Dunne is the whole show and her transition to comedy after musicaldramas (like "Sweet Adeline" and "Show Boat") and weepers is thesurprise of 1936. She's got a good sparring partner in the whistlingMelvyn Douglas. Elisabeth Risdon and Margaret McWade display overlyproper dignity with authoritative superiority with Spring Byington thetown's big gossip, a flibbertigibbet that is delightfully hypocritical,one of those "church lady" types that needs more time in confessionthan on the phone. A superb screenplay burlesques the ridiculousness ofboth small town societies of the 1930's and church lady communitygroups altogether, reminding audiences comically about the viciousnessand destructiveness of "the tongue" and the wages of sin that go withit.

edwagreen

(2013-05-16 00:58:07)

Theodora Goes Beautifully Wild ****

One of the best screwball comedies giving Irene Dunne still anotherlosing Oscar nomination.This comedy tests values, traditions and brings the small town livingversus the big city in plenty of view.Dunne is equally matched with fine chemistry between her and MelvynDouglas. The film also boasts a tremendous supporting cast with SpringByington, Thomas Mitchell, Thurston Hall and Elisabeth Risdon at theirvery best.When a small-town writer writes a racy book under an assumed name, allhell breaks loose in the town when excerpts of the book are run by thenon-stuffy Thomas Mitchell.While in N.Y., Dunne, the writer, meets the illustrator. He follows herback to the small town and eventually she turns the tables on him. Infact, she is eventually making the same demands that he made on her.The film is enhanced by town gossip, and the strict social conservativemores of rural America. The writing is sharp and the dialogue is crisp.We also see that when possible scandal hits home, the spinsterconservative aunt shall defend her niece and that the gossip will gethers in the end as well. This applies to Risdon and Byington,respectively.

historyhawk52

(2013-05-14 20:02:15)

Irene Dunne is fabulous in this clever but dated film

Irene Dunne carries the whole film on her back and is wonderful. Shelights up the screen and is very believable. Melvyn Douglas does wellwith his role until the script paints him into a corner as a tonguetied whiner after Irene turns the tables on him. Frankly, there are toomany contrived plot points in this film for me: the hallway scene withthe drunken publisher, the governor's ball, and lastly stepping off thetrain platform with another person's baby just to shock the home crowd.The plot just gives under the strain. Bringing Up Baby, with similarlycontrived events strung together from beginning to madcap end is a farmore believable and funnier film even with a far wackier premise.

Emanuel Levy

(2013-05-14 09:48:26)

Great screwball comedy about the transformation of a plain and repressed girl (splendidly played by Irene Dunne) into an eccentric and loving woman.

Lawson

(2013-05-13 21:42:55)

Irene Dunne, from repressed to wild

I'm not a fan of Irene Dunne because - much like with Katharine Hepburn- she has these affectations in her acting style that you either loveor can't stand. To me, she usually seems like she's hoity-toitilyoveracting. As this movie began, I was pleasantly surprised by Dunne because shewas playing a repressed small-town woman and thus didn't produce any ofthe grand gestures that are typical of her. Those come later(unfortunately), when she "Goes Wild," so to speak. I suppose theflashy role is why she got an Oscar nomination. It's a unique story that plays out unpredictably, and that made itwatchable, even if I didn't quite buy the relationship between Dunneand Melvyn Douglas, and found their characters kinda off-putting.

(2013-05-13 06:00:21)

A DUNNE DEAL

One of the great underrated comedies of the 1930's!! It's shocking to realize this movie was made two years after the Hays Office clamped down on the studios because this picture has got everything a pre-code film could want - gags about illegitmate babies, prematrial sex, adulterous husbands, prudish (yet titilated) old biddies, etc. and who should star in this picture but one of the screen's most famous "ladies" Miss Irene Dunne!!! Her wholesome presence undoubtably got many a gag on screen that would have never passed muster in a Mae West or Jean Harlow picture (Irene even gives the back of her hair a Mae West-like pat as she snaps out one quip!) Irene plays a rather repressed youthful spinster who lives with her two maiden aunts in a ultra-conservative and self-righteous New England town who somehow writes the best selling "dirty novel" of the year under a psuedonymn (just how this innocent lamb concocted such a book is never quite explained). While in New York with her publisher she captures the interest of the book's illustrator Melvyn Douglas who is fascinated that such a modest girl could write such a tome. Douglas proceeds to follow Irene back to her hometown and turns her life upside down. And that's just the first part of the picture!!Irene was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award for this film (one of her five nominations) and this comedy is a true tour de force for her like MIDNIGHT is for Colbert or BOMBSHELL for Harlow. This is definately her finest comedy film.Melvyn Douglas is so aggressive in the first half it comes perilously close to wrecking the picture's charm. The scenes where he deliberately annoys Dunne and her maiden aunts at their home seem close to harassment by today's standards. Fortunately, Melvie gets her come uppance by our little churchmouse and this atones for the earlier scenes. Of note in the supporting cast is Spring Byington, usually cast as the sweetest most devoted of mothers but here giving a superb performance as the self-righteous biddy of all time.The print quality of the film used on the VHS video is good but could have been better and rather shockingly has a brief moment where the film has clearly broken and another where it seems stuck for a second. Still, what a rare treat to see this rare comedy!

(2013-05-07 15:48:57)

A forgetten gem that defined the term "screwball comedy"

Irene Dunne's transformation (from mousey small-town writer to notorious author of a scandalous romance) is a highlight of the film. The plot twists are very daring for a 1930s comedy. Melvyn Douglas and Spring Byington seem to be enjoying their lines thoroughly, and the costumes are great fun. I've been waiting for years for this to come out on video!

(2013-05-07 03:49:51)

"Fewer and stronger words I'll say"

This film is really to stories in one. The first story section of with Theodore Lynn (Irene Dunne), writing a novel that others considered racy, under the pseudonym Carolina Adams. She lives with her two maiden aunts and a small New England Town. Michael Grant (Melvin Douglas) her book illustrator discovers her secret. He goes to her town to help free her from her role in this repressive environment. As results from this action, they fell in love with each other. Michael Grant realizing the situation does the only thing that any gentleman would do in that position. He skips town. The second half of this movie is where the real action begins. Theodore goes after him to confront him. She discovers that he is in the same position. And this is where Theodora goes wild.

BrianG

(2013-05-01 11:54:12)

Its appeal escapes me

I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago. I've heard and read alot about it, and know that it is considered one of the top screwballcomedies of the '30s. Unfortunately, I can't figure outwhy.I actually like Irene Dunne, and always thought that Melvyn Douglas was inthe same league with William Powell when it came to glib, sophisticatedcomedy, so I was all set to enjoy this one. But about a quarter of the waythrough it, I found myself asking, "When is this thing going to get funny?"The subject matter--how the reactionary, repressive mentality of a cliqueofsmall-town religious zealots stifles any kind of individual creativity atall--is more suited to a drama than a comedy, and I think this film wouldhave actually worked better as a drama with some comedy thrown in, whichboth Dunne and Douglas were more than capable of, than just as a comedyalone, which it really isn't. There are a few amusing moments in it, butnotnearly enough to be classified as a "screwball" comedy. Thurston Hall ishisusual amusing, blustery self, and Spring Byington is good as the town'stwo-faced gossip, but that's about it. Dunne and Douglas try hard, butthey're just not given much to work with.I know that a lot of people think this film is on a par with "NothingSacred", "My Man Godfrey" or "Twentieth Century," but I just can't seeit.

jzappa

(2013-05-01 01:47:57)

You're Crazy Not to Go Wild If You're Theodora

Irene Dunne plays Theodora Lynn, a proper New England girl. She alsohappens to go by the name of Caroline Adams. Secluded all her life withher two prudish aunts and the other puritans of the "highly regarded"Lynn Literary Circle, she sublimates her revolt as the secret author ofa tantalizing best-selling novel. This is her sublimation of revolt.The movie illustrates the makeover of an allegedly homely andintroverted girl into the most wild and high-spirited lady. And itmarks a difference between wild and silly, as Uncle John says, "A Lynnmay go wild, but never silly." See title for more info on how Theodoragoes.She lives in Lynnfield, named after the Lynn family, whose only legacyare Theodora and her two aunts, Elsie and Mary. "The two oracles," saysThomas Mitchell, editor of The Lynnfield Bugle, the "pulse" of thetown. It's an enticing note for the movie to start on, a brassy ThomasMitchell carving out the lovable, spirited personality he'd bring toStagecoach, fending off puritanical spinsters protesting that thetitillating novel he's featuring is not fit to print. Indeed, themembers are single-minded not to allow "sexy trash like this come rightinto our homes and corrupt the morals of our youth." When Mitchell getsto have a word, he blames the community for denying social progress.But the group deems it their obligation to keep Lynnfield the one pure,God-fearing place left in the world.We chuckle knowingly when the action then cuts to New York, where apublisher reads an irate wire from Lynnfield. Theodora is so franticshe thinks Caroline Adams is depraved. Was he raised in a small town bytwo maiden aunts? Has he lectured Sunday School or played church organfor years? Categorically not. Undaunted, he knows that nobody dumps anaudience this big, a career this sensational, due to scruples. That'sthe reality, one curtailed by Hollywood soon after. But the censorswere new and hadn't yet learned to keep its right up, so here we have aforgotten early-sound keepsake of silver-screen censure of moralcensorship, frivolous and wacky, but by god not silly.It's this uncensored rebellious energy that I think lends itself to acreative stylishness rare to early American cinema. Short-lived Russianimmigrant director Richard Boleslawski brings a particularly effectiveand stylishly economical editing and visual direction to thisappropriately fast-paced early rom-com. Like all the "early rom-coms,"its time played a big role in not just its plot but its attitudes,which on the one hand make Theodora Goes Wild refreshingly irreverentbut on the other still outmoded in certain varying personal ways.Theodora meets her dapper illustrator, in the form of Melvyn Douglas.Here's a persona who bursts into the movie mugging, blustering andmaking a domineering nuisance of himself. Theodora opposes his idea ofa writer who ought to live life, and so he enlists himself to liberateher. And yet judging this behavior as extraordinarily narcissistic,overbearing and cocky against the alpha male fantasy in romanticcomedies of the era would be judging one against a homogeneous crowd.Women were to be rescued, shown the way, wisened up to the real world.And consistent with that role, Theodora is finally inspired by thisdashing leader-of-the-pack type to run amok, even exceeding him inmischief and cheek. She now exhibits what he's urged on her sowinningly. She relates with dignity how she told the town off: It's afree country, she's an adult and phooey to anyone who judges her forwhat she does. Indeed, Theodora woos infamy, summoning one outrageafter another. But, to her disappointment, beneath his supposedlyfreethinking facade, Michael is as soft and repressed as she was.Michael is ensnared in a hateful marriage on behalf of his father'spolitical livelihood, and Theodora guarantees to return his favor witha taste of his own juice. Usurping into Michael's apartment, shedresses in feathers and gives shocking interviews to the tabloids. Theyrotate. Now it's Theodora's task to free him from his bourgeois senseof decorum.Regardless, all that good stuff is just decoration. Actually, it'sfoundation, but there is a definite, sublime enchantment in its star,Irene Dunne. She played more kinds of roles in more kinds of moviesthan most of her female peers, and yet is arguably more natural,spontaneous and memorable than any of them. In fact, Theodora Goes Wildis her first comedy. She walks right into it, fully and effortlesslypossessed of herself and manages to both be better than all of herfemale comedy contemporaries and completely different from all of themas well. I'll even go as far as to say that the movies owe more toDunne than Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard and Myrna Loy puttogether. Her Theodora became the forerunner of copious romanticcomedies like The Awful Truth and Ninotchka, all anchored in similarprinciples: the enchanting transformation of their female protagonists.The Awful Truth made a star out of Cary Grant. And in his laterco-stars, were looking for Dunne-like qualities. This is her show, andlike it always is in such cases, absolutely no one else could'vecompared.

allaboutlana

(2013-04-27 10:58:00)

Theodora is....Unsophisticated

Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas star in this madcap tale of small-towngossip and small-minded people. Irene Dunne has been leading a quietsimple life, living with two aunts in a small town of Connecticut. Butsecretly she has been writing on the sly. Under a pseudonym, her bookhas been published and has turned into a overnight sensation. Sensationis right, as it's flashy and all about love, love, and more love. Whenthe townspeople read it aloud in disgust and are denouncing it asfilth, even Irene admits to herself, it's smut. She tries to keep heranonymity, but while in New York after a meeting with her publisher,Melvyn Douglas shows up and he won't let her out of his sight. Hecontinues to make a pest of himself, following her home and manages tokeep the upper hand by hanging it over her head that he knows all abouther and will blow the lid off, if she won't do this or that. What hedoesn't count on, is you know what. While I like silly movies like the Marx Bros.' that often end up inchaos, this movie has an overdose of it, so much so that it getsoverwhelming. What does Melvyn hope to gain by his shenanigans? Whileit was funny in parts, overall it just doesn't gel. But, my maincritique is the movie's whole basis which is, I presume, to satirize orpoke fun of small-minded people and gossipers in a small town. Whilethe whole town loves to gossip, Spring Byington plays the main guiltyparty, who spreads it like wildfire. The movie, I know, is not to betaken seriously. Or is it? But, it seems to be getting its laughs fromboth sides of the fence. While poking fun at the gossipers, it seems tobe reveling in it as the same time. I could go on and on, but it'sobvious to the reader here that I took it all too literally and it wasjust too low-brow and common for my taste. (I saw it years ago, likeover ten years, and remembered mixed feelings about it. That's why Ithought I'd give it another shot today, and I think I got the samereaction.) Lastly, I will say that Irene Dunne did not want to make this picture,as she had never made a comedy picture before this and was unsure ofit. She tried to get out of making it, but was forced to, due tocontract obligations. She was, in turn, Oscar-nominated for herperformance. After making the picture and getting all the attention forit in 1936 and, even in a 1978 interview, she admitted, looking back onit, she couldn't understand the fascination for it and its success,because she called it "unsophisticated." All I can say is that if it'sIrene Dunne and I against the world, then I don't feel too bad aboutsaying "Theodora Goes Wild" isn't worth all the hype. But I give it a'6' for the cast, full of recognizable faces, headed by the "First Ladyof Hollywood", Ms. Irene Dunne.

theirenedunnefan

(2013-04-27 09:05:21)

Great Movie!

I've seen this movie many times, and it just keeps getting funnier everytime I see it. It reminds me a lot of myself, growing up in a small townlike "Lynnfield", and being brought up to think and act the way Theodorawas. Then when I moved away from home, some people thought I went "wild!"This has all the qualities for people who can relate to small towns, evenwith the "worst town gossip" to make you wonder what's going to be spreadnext...For a fact, this movie is a lot like Irene Dunne's life, actually herfriends said they liked her best in this movie, because it is most likeherin character. If you come from a small town, it's a classic film you cankinda relate to...and just have to see!

whpratt1

(2013-04-25 20:59:20)

Great Film from 1936

This film surprised me with how well produced it was and what a greatcomedy it turned out to be. Irene Dunne, (Theodora Lynn) played therole of a small town gal living in Lynnfield where everyone was veryreligious and lived life straight as an arrow. One day the newspaperman in Lynnfield, Jed Waterbury, (Thomas Mitchell) posted a notice of anew book that he was going to feature in his daily newspaper called,"Sinner" by Adams. The people in town were outraged, however, theyliked reading the articles in the paper and soon the people decided totell Jed Waterbury to remove the book and the feature in his paper. Itjust so happens that the author of this book comes from Lynnfield andno one would ever expect just who it could be. Melvyn Douglas plays therole as Michael Grant who is linked romantically with Theodora and hegave a great supporting role. This is lots of fun to watch and enjoythis great classic from 1936.

Neil Doyle

(2013-04-25 03:44:56)

Let's not go overboard with the compliments...

Witty? Hardly. Hilarious? Never. Perhaps with a director like PrestonSturges this would have worked.Phrases like "dull as dishwater" or "Is this fine mess supposed to be arip-roaring screwball comedy?" would be more apt.No, I'm decidedly not interested in seeing this one more than once.Even Spring Byington is not her usual chipper self in an annoying roleas a town gossip. Thomas Mitchell manages to infuse some life in theopening half of the film, but even Mitchell, talented as he is, isstuck with a dull script that goes nowhere fast.And as for IRENE DUNNE and MELVYN DOUGLAS, while I agree that they bothhave credentials galore in smart screwball comedies, this is not one ofthem. Neither one is at their best here, plodding through a limp comedythat has not worn well at all. A few smart witticisms would have helpedbut the script is a painfully dull affair about a novelist smothered bythe hypocrisy of living in a small town where the latest best-seller iscausing a stir--and happens to have been written by her. It may havesounded good on paper, but as executed here, it doesn't work.Nothing can save this from sinking not long after the painful openingdepicting the town gossips and then hammering home the point that theyare all well overdue for a comeuppance from somebody! At least theending gets some credit for showing a bit of daring in its comic twist,but other than that, it is hard to recommend this as a screwball comedyto anyone familiar with the genre. Somewhere, something went verywrong. And how Irene Dunne got an Oscar nomination for this bit of trivia is apuzzlement. She is nowhere as smooth and proficient at comedy here asshe was in MY FAVORITE WIFE.

millriver

(2013-04-20 15:19:13)

one of the greatest sleeper-comedies ever filmed

Theodora Goes Wild is perhaps the greatest sleeper in film history.When other comedies such as Midnight, Lady Eve, It Happened One Night,and especially the over-rated Bringing Up Baby are touted with 4 starratings, this relatively unknown gem sweeps them all away in itsirresistible path. One of the finest comedies ever filmed, this is amasterpiece in every way. The direction is superb, the writing sparkleswith a wit that time has not dimmed. But the frosting on its cake isthe comic genius of Irene Dunne, one of Hollywood's most underratedactresses. This, her first real comedy, is an object lesson to anyaspiring comedienne, so perfect is her timing and delivery of virtuallyevery line. This film should be studied by every student in the fieldof film and enjoyed by countless others who have never even heard ofit. It's too bad that Irene Dunne is not given the credit she trulydeserves. My bet is that in 50 years she will be considered perhaps thefinest Hollywood actress of her time. If you think I'm joking, justwatch her in Back Street, Love Affair (much better in my opinion thanits more popular remake Affair To Remember), Show Boat, I RememberMama, this film, The Awful Truth, A Guy Named Joe, Anna and The King ofSiam, Life With Father, Ann Vickers........

Rob-120

(2013-04-20 01:35:08)

A Painful, Annoying Movie

ACT ONE: In the town of Lynnfield, Connecticut, publisher Jed Waterbury(Thomas Mitchell) causes a scandal when his newspaper publishes aserialization of "The Sinner," a risquГѓВ© best-seller by Caroline Adams.The local Lynnfield Literary Society, a group of catty, gossipingladies led by Rebecca Perry (Spring Byington), threatens to canceltheir subscriptions unless the paper stops printing the novel.Waterbury is forced to concede.The uproar is especially troubling for Theodora Lynn (Irene Dunne), amember of the town's founding family, who lives with her two uptightmaiden aunts (Elisabeth Wisdon; Margaret McWade). In fact, Theodora ISCaroline Adams, author of "The Sinner," a secret she keeps from heraunts, and from the town.ACT II: While in New York to meet with her publisher, Theodora meetsMichael Grant (Melvyn Douglas), an obnoxious artist who designed herbook's cover.Intrigued by the fact that "Caroline Adams" wants to keep her personallife a secret, Grant follows Theodora back to Lynnfield. He then woosher with that time-honored movie technique of behaving like an a--hole,a ploy that seems to work only in the movies.Grant tells Theodora he's going to "help her break out of hercircumstances," even though she repeatedly tells him she prefers tokeep things as they are. Grant gets Theodora to hire him as a "familygardener" by blackmailing her, threatening to tell her aunts that sheis Caroline Adams.He takes up residence in the family's guest cottage, and drives theLynn family (and the people watching the movie) crazy by his constantannoying whistling, and by setting his dog after the Lynn family's cat.The second act of this movie was one of the most screechingly-painfulthings I've watched in movies in a long time. The filmmakers treat thecat with nothing short of animal cruelty. They would be ARRESTED todayfor what they do on film to the cat! And we're supposed to think thisis funny? But of course, Theodora falls in love with Grant. But when she finallystands up to her aunts and their gossipy, self-righteous lady friends,Grant leaves Theodora and flees back to New York.ACT III: For some reason, Theodora follows Grant back to New York.There, she learns he has a wife (Leona Maricle) whom he does not love.But he can't divorce her because Grant's father (Henry Kolker) is Lt.Governor of New York, and it would cause a scandal.Determined to "break Michael Grant out of his circumstances" (as he didfor her, even though she didn't want him to), Theodora orders herpublisher to publicize her as the scandalous author Caroline Adams(something she wouldn't let him do until now).Theodora becomes a celebrity author. She moves in to Michael Grant'sapartment, and entertains reporters there, hoping to cause a scandalthat will force Grant's wife to sue for divorce, even though Granthimself moves out of the apartment when Theodora moves in.(Side Note: The filmmakers had no respect for Asians. I really hatedToki, Grant's stereotypical Japanese manservant character, who isalways going on about his "lemon pie.")Of course, Theodora's actions scandalize the town of Lynnfield, andcause a lot of trouble for her aunts. But eventually Theodora iswelcomed home by the town, despite the efforts of the hypocriticalgossip Rebecca Perry to make her an outcast.The Third Act of this movie ALMOST makes up for the horrible SecondAct, because Theodora turns the tables on Grant, and drives him crazyby causing a scandal about him in the press, just as he did about herin her home town. It's a very sweet payback, and Irene Dunne has funturning from a shy hometown girl into a wild celebrity author.But Theodora just doesn't realize that Michael Grant isn't worth it. Dothey end up together at the end? Do they "live happily ever after,"even though he's the most obnoxious guy she's ever met?This is a Hollywood movie. What do you think?