In hindsight, it’s a wonder why it took eight films for there to be a plot where Andy undertook some investigative work for his father, it seems such a natural way to combine the two perennial story strands in Hardy family movies. Andy’s task is to locate the missing daughter of an old couple one of whom is Maria Ouspensaka. Aunt Milly, Ma and Marian head off on holiday so it’s really just the Judge and Andy for most of the running time. But it’s ok, Ma has arranged a cook to look after Andy and Judge.
This is the most sexist and syrupy of the Hardy films to date. In one scene Andy tells Polly that his father once claimed if a woman couldn’t cook her husband had the right to beat her up. In another Judge tells Andy that no woman is perfect but that a man can guide a woman into being the perfect helpmate. Is this why Ma Hardy is so fluttery and absent minded all the time? She’s particularly dithering in this film because she falls ill with pleurisy. It must be because of all the pain numbing drugs she’s presumably taken over the years have warped her brain. Even Aunt Milly looks at her with disdain.
Ma’s illness – which takes up the entire second act - leads to a lot of whispering and praying and blubbering from Andy and the Judge – Louis B Mayer must have loved it, especially the Andy bawling scenes. They really pour on the syrup with this one. Henry Hull, normally a bombastic actor, plays the family doctor in a relatively restrained manner. Marian and Andy have a nice touching scene together – Marian admits to being jealous of Andy because he’s a boy, which is interesting, but Andy simply replies that it’s harder to be a boy and that’s that.
It’s fun to see Andy on the investigative trail, talking to various women – a 14 year old who is really a lot older, an idiot, a Southern belle. Despite the syrup and sexism, it’s quite enjoyable, and the discovery of Ouspensaka’s long lost daughter is reasonably moving.
No comments:
Post a Comment