 |
| Virginia Mayo, George Brent, and Turhan Bey–just three of the celebrities of 1947’s foolish however enjoyable slapstick comedy, “Out of the Blue.” |
Out
of the Blue is a post-war, B+ finances comedy that I had
by no means heard of till I stumbled throughout it just lately on-line. I watched this 1947
screwball farce for the celebrities: George Brent, Virginia Mayo, Turhan Bey, Ann
Dvorak, and Carole Landis, billed in that order. All of them do their finest and
appear to be having nice enjoyable.
 |
| George Brent’s harried hubby cannot even catch a break at breakfast along with his bossy spouse, performed by Carole Landis. From 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” |
Whereas re-watching Out of the Blue for this evaluation, I noticed
that the comedy was type of a preview for the approaching a long time of TV sitcoms.
George Brent, normally a uninteresting romantic result in high-powered film divas, is henpecked
husband Arthur right here. Carole Landis is his nagging spouse, Mae. In fact, he
utters the basic line to his bossy partner: “Sure, expensive.” Their neighbor is
playboy artist David, performed by Turhan Bey, who has a parade of fashions coming
by his condominium. Virginia Mayo is Deborah, who visits Bey about breeding
his canine, an issue pooch for neighbors Arthur and Mae. Nevertheless, Bey is extra
excited about breeding with Mayo! And when Landis visits her sister for an
in a single day journey, Brent needs to get off his leash, too.
 |
| Virginia Mayo inquires about Turhan Bey’s stud fee–for his canine! He has different concepts, from 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” |
That is when Brent’s
harried hubby meets inside designer Olive, performed by Ann Dvorak, in a swanky
bar. Brent ought to have realized that Olive is off her nut simply by her getup—which
is a cross between Carmen Miranda off-stage and Joan Crawford’s Straitjacket character in her
hoochie mama moments! Don Loper additionally designs a gaudy, on the nostril opening
costume for canine breeder Virginia Mayo, as nicely! The post-war prosperity
impressed some fanciful design in Hollywood and past.
 |
| Ann Dvorak’s costume is as excessive as her comedic efficiency, as George Brent’s fatuous attraction, in 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” |
 |
| And here is Don Loper’s first costume for Virginia Mayo’s canine breeder in 1947’s farce, “Out of the Blue.” |
When Brent’s Arthur
meekly flirts with excessive Olive, whose fatuous attraction is not going to be
ignored for the remainder of the film, he quickly regrets main her on. The
bespectacled, good-looking nerd is a nod to Cary Grant’s character in Bringing Up Child, who will get caught with
Kate Hepburn’s daft character. This is able to later be repeated in What’s Up, Doc? with Ryan O’ Neal and
Barbra Streisand, and Madonna’s Who’s
That Woman, the place she comically bedeviled Griffin Dunne. I personally do not
discover the trope of mild-mannered man affected by a loopy woman all that humorous.
And if you happen to switched the roles, the place the person is the wacky one, and the lady
the goal, it would not be thought of in any respect humorous.
 |
| Ann Dvorak because the overtly flirtatious Olive, in 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” |
I did not know whether or not
to admire or be appalled by Ann Dvorak’s audacious efficiency. She was
clearly a proficient actress, however she goes actually BIG right here. Maybe she goes
for broke as a result of it was close to the top of her movie profession. However When Olive is
regarded as lifeless after a fall, I used to be relieved. However oh no, she quickly involves,
and begins yammering once more!
 |
| Ann Dvorak is down for the rely, however not completely out, in 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” |
George Brent performs
broadly, too, primarily in reacting to overt Olive and Carole Landis as
controlling Mae, the sitcom nag. She’s fairly good too, on this atypical position. I
surprise if her hair was darkened in order that she would not be competing with the star
blonde, Virginia Mayo. Virginia is snug in comedy, from all these Danny
Kaye motion pictures? And he or she seems completely scrumptious right here, particularly modeling a swim
go well with in a single scene. Creamy blonde Mayo and her love curiosity, Turhan Bey,
actually make a fairly pair. Bey will get to indicate off his physique in a few
scenes and appears sport for all this comical nonsense. Elizabeth Patterson
and Julia Dean play the previous biddy busybodies who add to the confusion,
reminding me of the previous girls in Arsenic
and Outdated Lace, with a contact of Bewitched’s
nosy Gladys Kravitz.
 |
| No, George Brent is not studying the critiques for 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” |
 |
| Carole Landis, at proper, lastly will get advised off by meek hubby George Brent, in 1947’s “Out of the Blue.” With Ann Dvorak beside Landis. |
Regardless of lower than two years in age distinction,
Landis’ profession was practically over, even earlier than her premature demise the next
12 months at 29, in comparison with Virginia Mayo hitting her peak. Mayo had grow to be a
ornamental comedic main woman in the course of the conflict years with Bob Hope and Danny Kaye.
Whereas Mayo’s profession was usually based mostly on her seems, Virginia had a full decade of
stardom, earlier than the inevitable decline. Nonetheless, Mayo appeared in two bonafide
classics, The Finest Years of Our Lives
and White Warmth, plus loads of standard
favorites. Brent was nearing the top of his main man days as was a lot youthful
Bey. It would shock you to know that Bey, of Turkish and Czech descent, was
born in and retired to Vienna, Austria. Ann Dvorak had yet another scene stealing
position, because the washed up mannequin in Lana Turner’s A Lifetime of Her Personal, earlier than she retired from movie in ’51, and fortunately
lived her days in Hawaii. Singer/pianist Hadda Brooks, who later carried out in In a Lonely Place and The Dangerous and the Lovely, performs the
title tune right here and it’s fairly beautiful.
 |
| Virginia Mayo could be very fetching, particularly reverse Turhan Bey, in 1947’s farce “Out of the Blue.” |
The plot is completely
foolish but additionally fairly watchable, if you happen to like star watching and classy existence,
as depicted by Hollywood from a bygone period. I observed some behind the scenes
credit from Warner Brothers expertise, which Out
of the Blue is reminiscent of, with their frantic farces. In fact,
Brent, Dvorak, and Mayo appeared in lots of WB motion pictures. Out of the Blue is not any masterpiece, removed from it, however enjoyable fluff when
your mind wants an evening off!
 |
| Vocalist/pianist Hadda Brooks performs the beautiful title tune, in 1947’s romantic comedy, “Out of the Blue.” |