I Married A Witch

In the tradition of screwball comedies, comes this farce, titled, I Married A Witch. The movie is based on the book, The Passionate Witch, by Thorne Smith.

  

Released in October 1942, directed by Rene Clair and produced by Preston Sturges, I Married A Witch is a romantic albeit fanciful comedy. Jennifer (Veronica Lake) and her wiley father Daniel (Cecil Kellaway) are burned at the stake in the late 1600s by Jonathan Wooley (Fredric March), for witchcraft. Before being burned alive, Jennifer curses Wooley and all his male descendants to be unhappy in love and that the marriages they make will be disastrous for his denouncing her as a witch. An oak tree is planted over Jennifer and Daniel's ashes to keep their souls from ever doing harm again. Wooley's male descendants are then shown through time, all with their shrewish wives doling out tonguelashings.

In the 20th century, 270 years after their burning, a lightning bolt strikes the oak tree, releasing Jennifer and Daniel's spirits from the old tree's roots. Nearby, at a private party, they find Wallace Wooley, a candidate for governor and engaged to Estelle (Susan Hayward), a humourless socialite. After observing them, Jennifer tells her father that her curse is working on the Wooley men. Daniel says that's no curse at all. Jennifer then gets the mad idea that if Wooley were to fall in love with her and she spurned him, then it would be a worse fate than marrying the wrong woman.

First, she needs to be human again as father and daughter are two spirals of smoke. He sets the Pilgrim Hotel on fire. Wooley, Estelle and his friend Dudley (Robert Benchley) are passing by on their way home from the party. They stop for the fire. Wooley then hears someone calling to him from inside the hotel. He enters, finds Jennifer and rescues her from the fire.

Check out those ankle boots!

Screwball antics then ensue for the remainder of the film. Veronica Lake's carefree character, Jennifer, is excellently executed against the stodginess of Fredric March's Wallace Wooley.

 

Jennifer shows up in Wooley's house uninvited in hopes of making him fall in love with her. No matter how coyly she smiles at him, he won't budge from his fiancee, Estelle.

Whipping up a love potion that will soon wickedly backfire on her.

Wooley and Dudley meet Jennifer's father, who is not at all pleased that his daughter is in love with a mortal. He, of course, has a plan to rid his daughter of her mortal love.

 

Lake is completely bewitching in this film. In the movie's beginning, she practically purrs out her lines. Since Lake is only smoke, we have to base our first impression of her character on her voice. She and March, for all their reported off-screen dislike of one another, are the perfect match on film. Their great screen chemistry is one of the many pleasures found in this movie.

 

 

There's a rumor that Veronica added a 40lb weight to her dress for the scenes in which March had to carry her. Lake was only 4'11" and very thin, so I don't think an extra 40lbs made her that heavy, though March certainly may've had a different opinion on that.

  

Edith Head designed the costumes for this film. This black chiffon gown is simply gorgeous with its bodice detail and see-through sleeves.

I Married A Witch is in black and white. I love the fact that the studios issued lobby cards in color. Except for this last photo, all the color pictures are from my lobby card collection.

 

Watch I Married A Witch online for free at youtube.

 

 

 

 

 

Made in Paris

Made in Paris is a delightful romantic comedy set in Paris. It stars Ann-Margret, Chad Everett, Richard Crenna, Edie Adams, John McGiver and the incredible Louis Jourdan. The film was directed by Boris Sagal and written by Stanley Roberts.

Ann-Margret plays the virginal Maggie Scott, a young lady employed in Barclay's department store. The store is owned by Roger Barclay (John McGiver), who decides to send Maggie to Paris on a trial run as fashion buyer on the advice of Irene and his son Ted. Irene (Edie Adams), the fashion buyer for Barclay's, is quitting to get married. Roger stresses to Maggie that she must make sure to get the Fontaine account as Barclay's is currently the exclusive American retailer for this French line.

Irene, a "woman of the world" type, tries to let Maggie know how she keeps Fontaine's account, but is constantly interrupted and isn't able to give her the lowdown. Maggie and Ted (Chad Everett) have a few flirty moments before she leaves for Paris.



Ted calls his good friend Herb Stone (Richard Crenna), a reporter living in Paris, and asks him to look after Maggie during her stay. Maggie arrives in Paris and is met by Herb. He escorts her to Barclay's company apartment. The apartment is beautifully decorated. Maggie, exhausted by her flight, decides to go straight to bed.

Enter Louis Jourdan. Louis Jourdan plays Marc Fontaine, who's been having an affair with Irene and doesn't know she's wed. Fontaine lets himself into the apartment. He mistakenly thinks it's Irene in the bed. Bonus: Louis Jourdan goes shirtless twice!

When he realizes his mistake, he tries to leave, but Maggie wakes up. After a few minutes of frustrating dialogue, Fontaine thinks Maggie is acting childish, so he tears up her invitation to his fashion show for the following day.

 Maggie decides to attempt entry into Fontaine's fashion show the next day anyway. Of course she's caught.



Fontaine takes pity on her and allows her to view the show from his office. He gives her tips on which of his designs will sell really well in the States and which clothes are just for the runway.



While in the office, Fontaine receives a phone call and makes plans for the evening. Maggie eavesdrops and concocts a plan for Fontaine to view her as a woman and not a child. I'd always heard Ann-Margret described as kittenish. Watching this movie, it's easy to see how she achieved this modifier, especially in the film's big musical number. Maggie hits the dance floor in an attempt to seduce Fontiane. Is she successful? You have to watch the movie to find out!




Ooo-la-la! Maggie and Fontaine kiss! What woman woudn't want to kiss Louis Jourdan?



After Roger Barclay receives a telegram from Fontaine, Ted flies to Paris. Maggie informs him that the Fontaine account is fine and she doesn't need his help.



After Ted finds out that Maggie kissed Fontaine, he becomes angry. Ted and Fontaine brawl over Maggie, which, I'm not going to lie, is fun to watch. Maggie leaves the apartment without the guys knowing it. Barclay has also sent Irene to Paris. So Irene arrives at the apartment, but Maggie isn't there. She's out on the town with Herb Stone.

The next morning, after her wild night out with Stone, Maggie makes her decision over which man she'll choose. Whom will it be?

 

 

This romantic comedy is as lovely as Ann-Margret. Everyone does a great acting job. The script suffers somewhat and could've been slightly crisper. The amazing costumes are by Helen Rose.  Also, great set decoration by Keogh Gleason and Henry Grace. Standouts of the film are: the big, musical number; the clothing; set decor; and Ann-Margret's hair. I'd rate this film 3 out of 5 stars.