A Stranger in Town (1943)
The concept of A Stranger in Town isn’t bad, but the execution fell short. A Supreme Court justice goes on vacation to a small town, and he serves as a mentor to an ambitious young lawyer who wants to take on a corrupt official. Frank Morgan is the judge travelling incognito, and it’s a departure from his usual fare: not once does he bumble or mess anything up. He’s the serious one with a good head on his shoulders, and the young man he helps, Richard Carlson, is the unstable one.
The main problem is Richard’s character. He’s supposed to be the good guy that you hope can win the election and rid the town of corruption, but he has a terrible hothead and repeatedly gets in fistfights. He’s not particularly bright, yet we’re supposed to root for Frank to continually pick him back up again and set him down on the right path?
Another problem with the film is it seems to change its mind as to what kind of story it wants to tell. Is it a mentor-mentee drama with lessons learned? Is it an inspirational movie that cleans up corruption and makes way for new blood? Is it a screwball comedy where the man and woman constantly squabble and wind up getting thrown in jail after a couple of fistfights? It’s really none of those premises, so whatever you’re expecting, you probably won’t get it. If you’re looking for a movie with Richard Carlson that has a sweet romance, inspiration with new blood, and actual lessons learned, check out the tearjerker Beyond Tomorrow.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "The Projection Vault" for posting!
More Frank Morgan movies here!
The main problem is Richard’s character. He’s supposed to be the good guy that you hope can win the election and rid the town of corruption, but he has a terrible hothead and repeatedly gets in fistfights. He’s not particularly bright, yet we’re supposed to root for Frank to continually pick him back up again and set him down on the right path?
Another problem with the film is it seems to change its mind as to what kind of story it wants to tell. Is it a mentor-mentee drama with lessons learned? Is it an inspirational movie that cleans up corruption and makes way for new blood? Is it a screwball comedy where the man and woman constantly squabble and wind up getting thrown in jail after a couple of fistfights? It’s really none of those premises, so whatever you’re expecting, you probably won’t get it. If you’re looking for a movie with Richard Carlson that has a sweet romance, inspiration with new blood, and actual lessons learned, check out the tearjerker Beyond Tomorrow.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "The Projection Vault" for posting!
More Frank Morgan movies here!