One kiss too many

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title One kiss too many
Original title They All Kissed the Bride
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1942
length 85 minutes
Rod
Director Alexander Hall
script Andrew Solt ,
PJ Wolfson ,
Henry Altimus
production Edward Kaufman for Columbia Pictures
music Warner R. Heymann
camera Joseph Walker
cut Viola Lawrence
occupation

A kiss too much (OT: They All Kissed the Bride ) is an American film comedy with Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas , directed by Alexander Hall from the year 1942nd

action

Margaret J. Drew, better known as MJ , rules the hereditary logistics empire Drew Industries with an iron fist and no hint of humor. Her tough business methods and reckless treatment of subordinates are legendary. Reporter Michael Holmes finally begins to work on a reveal story that presents MJ as a cold-hearted egomaniac without any compassion. The exposed person is not amused and has Michael shadowed for her part in the hope of finding his source of information. Meanwhile, things at the Drew house take a surprising turn when Vivian, the younger of the two Drew sisters, suddenly reveals on the day of her arranged wedding to the heir of a powerful steel company that she really loves a poor but decent gas station tenant.

In the midst of the excitement and scandal, Michael and MJ suddenly face each other and decide to first hate each other. Many entanglements, misunderstandings and lessons in matters of charity for MJ later, the two end up before a justice of the peace to say yes.

background

Joan Crawford's career had been in dire straits since the late 1930s and it was obvious to everyone involved that her time at MGM was drawing to a close. Studio boss Louis B. Mayer found an ideal successor in the English actress Greer Garson . In the following years Garson got the demanding roles like Mrs. Miniver , Madame Curie and Found Years , while Joan Crawford had to be content with films like When Ladies Meet and Reunion in France .

A welcome ray of hope in the severe downward trend was therefore the appearance in the comedy One kiss too much . However, the circumstances that led to the role were tragic. Columbia Pictures originally commissioned the script for Carole Lombard , who died in a plane crash just before it began. Finally, Joan Crawford, who had been good friends with Lombard's then husband Clark Gable for years, took over the engagement. As a token of her appreciation for Lombard, Crawford donated her entire salary of $ 128,000 to the American Red Cross. The shooting went very harmoniously and provided Crawford with a change from the tense working atmosphere at MGM. She had previously worked with co-star Melvyn Douglas on The Gorgeous Hussy , Burning Fire of Passion, and The Woman with the Scar . The actress was particularly impressed by the creations that the costume designer Irene Lentz designed for her. Alongside Gilbert Adrian and Travis Banton, Irene was one of the most important designers in Hollywood. She first became known for the costumes and especially the numerous hats and exotic headgear by Hedy Lamarr in her US debut in Algiers in 1938. In contrast to the sometimes pompous models that Crawford wore at MGM, Irene preferred a line that was elegance associated with reluctance.

Decades later, Joan Crawford told Roy Newquist positively about the experience:

“My first film outside of Metro and I felt like I was in a different country. But Melvyn was on hand and there was a very good script so it all turned out very well. The title was silly, but the film itself had flair and it came across much better than anyone had thought. "

However, the financial success of One Kiss Too Much did not bring about any reversal in the negative trend in Crawford's career and she left MGM in mid-1943 to win the Oscar for best actress a year and a half later as Mildred Pierce in Solange a Heart Beats .

Reviews

Most of the reviews have been positive, although the occasional comment that the role would have been a better fit for Rosalind Russell .

TJ wrote unusually harsh words in his review in the New York Times :

"Neither the scriptwriters, nor the director, nor Miss Crawford show a hint of spontaneity in this sequence of standard situations."

Robert W. Dana saw things very differently in the New York Herald Tribune :

"Joan Crawford's return to the screen comes under the most pleasant of omens imaginable, as she and Columbia's brilliant director Alexander Hall and comedy Melvyn Douglas make the most of a well-written and intelligently constructed script."

literature

  • Roy Newquist (Ed.): Conversations with Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1980, ISBN 0-8065-0720-9 .
  • Shaun Considine: Bette and Joan. The Divine Feud . Dutton, New York 1989, ISBN 0-525-24770-X .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk : The Complete Films of Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1988, ISBN 0-8065-1078-1 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk, William Schoell: Joan Crawford. The Essential Biography . University Press, Lexington, KY. 2002, ISBN 0-8131-2254-6 .
  • Bob Thomas: Joan Crawford. A biography . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1978, ISBN 0-297-77617-7 .
  • Alexander Walker: Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78216-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ My first picture away from Metro, and I felt as though I were in another country. But Melvyn was on hand, and so was a very fine script, so it came off quite well. The title was silly, but the picture had a nice flair, and it came off better than anyone expected.
  2. ↑ For neither authors, director nor Miss Crawford have kindled any sense of comic spontaneity in a series of tried and true situations.
  3. ↑ Joan Crawford's return to the screen is under such pleasant auspices, for she and Columbia's brilliant director Alexander Hall and the comedy-wise Melvyn Douglas make the most of a well-written, cleverly constructed screen story.