Despite what the title might suggest, there is nothing untoward in this 1937 film that highlights a very real issue that exists in the world we all live in. The simple fact is there are far more people qualified to do work out there than there are jobs available for them. Over the years, that has not improved, either. Not everyone that is unemployed and/or homeless is lazy or mentally or physically ill. Many are college graduates who cannot find work in a highly competitive field and find themselves unemployed or unemployable. It’s a tough world out there, tough and often unfair.
In 1937, the Great Depression was still in full swing, and many people were feeling the heat of unemployment and bills to pay. Many talented people were staring down the door of desolation and despair. What was once a prominent career was now wishful thinking. It was into that environment that One Hundred Men and a Girl was released, and it touched on these very issues while swaddling it in a blanket of comedy. Deanna Durbin, who was at the heart of her stardom and being credited for saving Universal Studios from bankruptcy, was leading a large ensemble cast that included Adolphe Menjou, Eugene Pallette, and even Leopold Stokowski as himself. At the heart of this all is the music, though, which was performed by the Universal Studio Music Department, who received the Oscar that year. We get just a small hint of that in the opening scene when we are introduced to the central conflict: an unemployed musician in need of a paycheck.
The personification of that conflict is John Cardwell (Adolphe Menjou), a trombone player and part of a large group of these unemployed musicians. The film opens with him trying unsuccessfully to gain an audition with Stokowski, even as he is conducting his own musicians. He is caught by the orchestra security man and thrown out of the building. Outside, he notices a wealthy woman has dropped her evening bag on the pavement while getting into a vehicle and is gone. He tries to return the bag to the venue, but the security officer won’t let him explain and kicks him out again. In desperation, partly because of his desire not to disappoint his daughter, Patricia “Patsy” (Deanna Durbin), he uses the money in the bag to pay their rent and lies to Patsy about getting a job in the orchestra. It doesn’t take long before she figures out he is lying, though, and she finds a way to track down the woman missing her bag and repay her the spent money.
This woman, Mrs. Frost (Alice Brady), lightheartedly offers to sponsor an orchestra of unemployed musicians, using her husband’s money, influence, and his radio station. Patsy tells her father, who recruits 100 musicians and sets up space to rehearse. Upon hearing that Patsy took her seriously, Mrs. Frost flees to Europe. When Mr. Frost (Eugene Pallette) finds out what his wife got him into, he refuses to sponsor them unless they secure a well-recognized guest conductor to give them a ‘name’ and launch their opening night performance. Patsy determines to recruit none other than Stokowski, but is dismayed to learn that he will be leaving shortly for a commitment in Europe and cannot perform this. The film then jumps all over the place as one improbable thing after another falls into place to set things up for the happy ending we all know is coming.
While it is true we know where this film is going to end, this is a case of the journey being more satisfying than the destination. We know that this is going to end with Stokowski conducting the 100-man orchestra sponsored by Mr. Frost, yet we are kept on the edge of our seats wondering just how Patsy is going to pull this all off. Some of how that happens is a bit convoluted, especially one scene involving a reporter and mistaken identity, but that can be forgiven. This isn’t a drama after all, it’s a comedy and a high-energy one at that.
Deanna Durbin was still in her girl-next-door phase of her career, something that she would soon grow to resent, and people could relate to her because of that quality of character that she had. She also has a touch of manic energy to her here that propels her through a plot overwrought with coincidences and conveniences that threatens but never becomes too unbelievable. A big part of what makes that work is Durbin’s innocent and naive performance. Helping that is the very real-world politics of the time. Struggling professionals was something a lot of people at the time could relate to.
Just because a film is of an era about a specific period in time does not necessarily make it dated and unrelatable. This film still works because it taps into the very human and timeless need to matter. We need to feel important for who we are and what we do. We also need money to survive in this world. This film plays on that basic need while tickling our funny bone. It’s a superbly made film that works on nearly every level. The biggest disappointment is that it is not more easily accessible for those who want to see it.
Academy Award Nominations:
Outstanding Production: Charles R. Rogers and Joe Pasternak
Best Writing - Original Story: Hanns Kräly
Best Music - Scoring: Universal Studio Music Department (won)
Best Sound Recording: Homer G. Tasker
Best Film Editing: Bernard W. Burton
____________________________________________________
Release Date: September 5, 1937
Running Time: 85 minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Deanna Durbin, Leopold Stokowski, Adolphe Menjou, and Eugene Pallette
Directed by: Henry Koster
Comments
Post a Comment