DVD Review: John Wayne in a romantic comedy with Jean Arthur
Kino Lorber’s classics division continues to restore and release some of the most interesting films from Hollywood’s golden age.
“A Lady Takes a Chance” is a romantic comedy about Molly, a city girl who boards a New York bus and heads out west to experience what rustic life might be like. She ends up meeting a rugged cowboy who is far different than the effete suitors she is used to in the city. Jean Arthur is predictably and comfortably cast in the role of Molly. But it was someone’s brilliant idea to get the quintessential movie cowboy, John Wayne, to play the westerner. Usually in cases like this, an actor who specializes in romantic comedy but can effectively pull off the more rustic role would more likely be cast. Giving the role to Wayne is both offbeat and perfect. And, delightfully, he rises to the occasion.
The contrast is perfect. When Molly boards the bus, her suitors are played by the likes of Grady Sutton and Hans Conried, each trying to one-up each other as they see her off. Her bus ride is run by tour guide Phil Silvers who fast-talking “glad to see ya” character is as flirtatious as he is comically boisterous. The character Wayne plays (his name is actually Duke in the movie), is dryly comical in a natural sense, canny in his own ways but unable to completely connect with hers.
It is the blending of the city and western concepts that are immediately explored. Duke takes Molly to a saloon, but the band playing is The Three Peppers – a bluesy jazz outfit of African Americans whose swing music is responded to by the western patrons with vintage western dancing. When they sit, they are joined by Duke’s sidekick (Charles Winniger) and a group of girls who are quite familiar with Duke (with names like Lil, Flossie, and Carmencita) until Molly is quite literally crowded out. The concepts clash in a manner that is not unlike Duke and Molly.
There is even a classic scene where Molly takes the blanket from Duke’s horse, the horse catches a cold, and Duke becomes angry with Molly --- the cowboy caring more about his horse than his girl.
Jean Arthur can play a role like this without even trying, so her performance is flawless. Supporting players like Charles Winniger, Grant Withers, and Cy Kendall have no problem with the territory. But it is Wayne who resonates during a period of his career where he was still earning his iconic status.
Wayne had been in movies since the silent era, and during the 30s he did a massive amount of B western quickies at several studios, as well as a variety of different roles (his appearance as a timid, desperate volunteer in a boxing match who gets badly beaten is one of the highlights of the 1933 feature “The Lives of Jimmy Dolan.”). Wayne then hit it big with John Ford’s “Stagecoach” (1939), and achieved stardom rather quickly. However, until he landed big again with Howard Hawks’ “Red River” (1948), he would take a shot at an offbeat role in films like “A Man Betrayed” (1941) or “Pittsburgh” (1942). Eventually John Wayne would carve a firm and lofty niche in the annals of cinema as the rugged, no-nonsense leader who securely handled every situation. He achieved legendary status, became the absolute western icon, and remains immortal.
As a result, seeing John Wayne exploring what he can do with a character he was still in the fairly early stages of creating is what makes “A Lady Takes a Chance” so delightfully entertaining. A handsome romantic lead as well as a rugged cowpoke, the 35 year old Wayne still exhibited a certain boyish charm. This is hardly one of his best known films, but it is a fascinating effort from this period of his filmography.
Director William Seiter had helmed movies with Laurel and Hardy and The Marx Brothers, and would also direct Abbott and Costello a few years after this. He understood how to present comedy, so the more amusing aspects of “A Lady Takes a Chance” are in good hands.
The Kino Lorber blu ray is a new high definition master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original negative and nitrate fine grain from studio archives. It is available here.