Mary and the millionaire

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Movie
German title Mary and the millionaire
Original title The Devil and Miss Jones
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1941
length 93 minutes
Rod
Director Sam Wood
script Norman Krasna
production Frank Ross and Norman Krasna
on loan from RKO
music Roy Webb
camera Harry Stradling Sr.
cut Sherman Todd
occupation

Mary and the Millionaire (OT: The Devil and Miss Jones ) is a 1941 American comedy film starring Jean Arthur , Charles Coburn and Robert Cummings and directed by Sam Wood . The film is one of the few US productions of the time that positively portrayed union activity by workers.

action

John P. Merrick is the richest man in the world, but also one of the most hated: he is held responsible for countless harassment against his employees and is a constant target of union action. One day the withdrawn bachelor gets tired of being the bad guy and decides to work “undercover” as a shoe seller in one of his department stores. His plan is to expose and dismiss the agitators. He quickly found the trust of Mary Jones and her friend Joe, who are very active in the union and are demanding the establishment of a works council. Incidentally, Mr. Merrick loses his heart to Elizabeth Ellis, a saleswoman in the more mature youth.

Merrick realizes fairly quickly that the employees' complaints are justified, because management treats the working people with extreme malice and fires employees if they are too expensive after many years with the company. The "simple employee" Merrick messes with the spiteful department head Hopper several times. He has some adventures, for example he is accidentally arrested as a supposed thief on a weekend trip with his work colleagues because of his expensive watch. Joe, of all people, who he hadn't liked before, freed him from this situation.

Mary finds a card stating that Merrick must be a private investigator and top-level spy. Merrick, however, sticks to his employees and work colleagues at the same time when a big strike breaks out in the department store. He appears as a millionaire, which amazes Mary, Joe, and Elizabeth. Company restructuring ends the problem and Mr. Merrick invites all employees to join him and the newly minted Mrs. Merrick, the former Elizabeth Ellis, on a luxury cruise to Hawaii. Mary and Joe, who previously could not plan a future together due to financial problems, got married.

background

Jean Arthur had become a popular comedy specialist since her breakthrough in 1936 and was now the only real star to be exclusively signed by Columbia Pictures . However, the relationship between Arthur and the studio boss Harry Cohn was completely shattered. The constant dispute arose less from the roles offered - Arthur only played in A-productions with top directors such as George Stevens and Frank Capra - but from the payment. Jean Arthur was bound by a long-term studio contract and received what she considered to be the far too low sum of 50,000 US dollars for her appearances, while her co-stars like Cary Grant sometimes earned twice as much . The only way out was to make use of a clause in the contract that allowed Arthur to make films outside of Columbia. Together with her husband Frank Ross and the screenwriter Norman Krasna , she founded Frank Ross-Norman Krasna, Inc. in 1941. The films were to be produced independently and distributed by RKO Pictures .

The first collaboration was Mary and the Millionaire . Jean Arthur and director Sam Wood waived a fixed salary in exchange for a profit sharing. Charles Coburn was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance and subsequently starred twice at the side of Jean Arthur, including in the comedy Always More, Always Happy , which earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1943. However, the bulky topic prevented a really big hit at the box office. The lack of support was a bitter disappointment, especially for Frank Ross, who had high expectations of the project.

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1942 , the film received nominations in the following categories:

  • Best Supporting Actor (Charles Coburn)
  • Best Original Screenplay (Norman Krasna)

criticism

“Entertaining, exquisitely played comedy of exaggerated, sometimes almost self-parodistic exuberance. A dash of social criticism gives the film fairytale a comparatively realistic background, which later dissolves into harmony and the "fraternization of social classes". "

- Lexicon of international film

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mary and the Millionaire. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 9, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used