Slightly Dangerous (1943)
If you look up trivia on Robert Young, it’s easy to find out that Louis B. Mayer said he had no sex appeal and repeatedly cast him in bland roles where he didn’t get the girl. As much as I’m sure that hurt sensitive Robert’s feelings, the insult wasn’t entirely true. There are a few movies in which Robert plays an adorable romantic lead and, to end the sentence without spoilers, enjoys a very good shot at ending up with the girl. In Slightly Dangerous, Robert gets paired up against blonde bombshell Lana Turner!
This movie is so cute! Lana plays a drugstore worker frustrated with the lack of adventure in her life. After a brief but heated fight with the store’s new manager, Robert, Lana leaves behind a goodbye note and flees for New York City. Robert thinks it was a suicide note, but after spotting her picture in a New York newspaper, he sets off for the big city to prove his guilty conscience wrong. What’s Lana doing in New York City? Trying to weasel her way into millionaire Walter Brennan and Dame May Witty’s family and pretending she has amnesia. Incidentally, both Walter and May play against type in this movie, providing the only drama in an otherwise silly comedy. How often did Walter get to play a sensitive millionaire? How often did May get to play someone who wasn’t a millionaire? The movie isn’t really about them, but I really liked their scenes.
This movie is so cute! Lana plays a drugstore worker frustrated with the lack of adventure in her life. After a brief but heated fight with the store’s new manager, Robert, Lana leaves behind a goodbye note and flees for New York City. Robert thinks it was a suicide note, but after spotting her picture in a New York newspaper, he sets off for the big city to prove his guilty conscience wrong. What’s Lana doing in New York City? Trying to weasel her way into millionaire Walter Brennan and Dame May Witty’s family and pretending she has amnesia. Incidentally, both Walter and May play against type in this movie, providing the only drama in an otherwise silly comedy. How often did Walter get to play a sensitive millionaire? How often did May get to play someone who wasn’t a millionaire? The movie isn’t really about them, but I really liked their scenes.
There’s much more to the plot, especially when Robert tracks her down, but it’s far too cute to spoil. Just rent it, and get ready for a ton and a half of laughter and cuteness. And I sincerely hope Louis B. Mayer saw this movie, especially the scene when Robert has to restrain himself in a hotel room with Lana.
It’s almost creepy to see the similarities of Lana Turner with Marilyn Monroe in this film. Not only is the hairstyle the same, and the same plumpness of the face and facial structure the same, but Lana speaks in a breathy voice and has all the same movements and mannerisms as Marilyn. She even sounds the same when she laughs, and she hangs her mouth open and throws her head back in the same way as Marilyn. Keeping in mind that Lana came first, it’s rather eerie. You’ve got to wonder how many times Norma Jean watched this movie before deciding how to brand herself.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Ward Bond movies here!
More Robert Young movies here!
It’s almost creepy to see the similarities of Lana Turner with Marilyn Monroe in this film. Not only is the hairstyle the same, and the same plumpness of the face and facial structure the same, but Lana speaks in a breathy voice and has all the same movements and mannerisms as Marilyn. She even sounds the same when she laughs, and she hangs her mouth open and throws her head back in the same way as Marilyn. Keeping in mind that Lana came first, it’s rather eerie. You’ve got to wonder how many times Norma Jean watched this movie before deciding how to brand herself.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Cinema Central Seleus B" for posting!
More Ward Bond movies here!
More Robert Young movies here!