Touches You

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Producers: Jack H. Skirball and Bruce Manning. Copyright 9 December 1946 by Hallmark Productions, Inc. A Jack H. Skirball-Bruce Manning production, released through Universal-International. New York opening at Loew's Criterion: 7 December 1946. U.S. release: November 1946. U.K. release: 5 May 1947. Australian release: 29 May 1947. 8,710 feet. 96½ minutes. Australian release title: MAGNIFICENT LADY.SYNOPSIS: Quaker's daughter, forced into an unwilling marriage, is freed by the death of her husband to pursue political ambitions in Philadelphia. Time: around 1790-1814.COMMENT: The stills from the film look great - Ginger, radiant in lavish period costumes with feathered hats, set against colorful backgrounds crowded with picturesque props - but the film itself is something of a disappointment. Borzage's slow, turgid direction does nothing to enliven Irving Stone's embarrassingly pedestrian script which reduces the sweep of major historical events to common¬place domesticities. Mind you, we should be grateful - for the one time Mr Stone attempts to demonstrate the sterner facts of Constitutional freedom, he veers into unintended parody.Nonetheless, despite the handicaps of unsympathetic direction and a soap-operettish script, the players manage to provide some measure of interest. Admittedly, actual acting is often poor. Ginger gives one of the least convincing impersonations of her career and often seems to be floundering in too-deep waters (although it's doubtful if even a Helen Hayes could carry off the contrived oratory of the climax). And David Niven too seems ill-at-ease with Aaron Burr. The transition from charming patriot to psycho czar is handled with a fair degree of skill but doesn't quite succeed. Even a normally solidly reliable actor like Burgess Meredith has obvious difficulty with such unworldly dialogue (particularly in his scene with Rogers in the empty Hall of Congress).Usually, having chided the principals for minor shortcomings, the critic can point to the support players as faring better. Oddly enough, with only one or two exceptions (Peggy Wood, Francis McDonald), this is not the case here. Most of the character cast seem even more uncomfortable and less-suited to their roles. Some are nothing short of inept.Despite its major problems in script, direction and acting, Magnificent Doll has been produced on a remarkably lavish budget. Photography, sets and costumes are always so attractive that even at its dullest or most juvenile, the picture is worth watching. In a way, all the money was wasted. The sets and the big crowd scenes could have had much more impact in the hands of a stronger, less jaded director. (But then what forceful director would agree to film such amateurish, historically laughable tosh as Magnificent Doll?)

The Great director Frank Borzage does it again with this magnificent film. Ginger Rogers not only looks sumptuous in it but what a performance ,especially as the climax of the movie. Definitely one of her best dramatic performances and a revelation, as this movie was a financial flop at the time and what a great shame. Universal obviously pulled out all the stops with this and everything about it is top notch. It was just a pity that they didn't film it in Technicolor which would have been the icing on the cake. Great performance too from David Niven who really at times seems very sinister in his unlikable role which was a very unusual role for him to play. Burgess Meredith is likewise very good and gives very admirable support to the main leads. Interesting to see Peggy Wood in it, as Dolly's mother, and , of course, she played Mother Abbess in the film version of "The Sound of Music". The movie, as always from the director, is beautifully photographed and wonderful direction to the actors obviously bringing out the best in all of them. Costumes, too, created by the great Travis Banton as well as Vera West. All in all great entertainment that one can now appreciate, despite awful reviews at the time as often happened from some of those so-called expert critics, whom one wonders sometimes if they even watched the film.

Ostensibly set in the late eighteenth century, MAGNIFICENT DOLL is a biopic of Dolley Madison (Ginger Rogers), who is forced into marriage with her first husband John Todd (Horace McNally); suffers a bereavement due to the plague, and encounters dashing senator Aaron Burr (David Niven). The two of them fall in love, but Dolley discovers to her cost that Aaron is not quite the romantic hero she first assumed. His ambition often gets the better of his reason, so much so that he is prepared to flout the constitution to achieve his ends. Eventually Dolley marries Senator James Madison (Burgess Meredith) and condemns Aaron to a life of perpetual isolation - a free man yet with no one to support him either politically or personally.Released in the year immediately following the end of World War II, Frank Borzage's film underlines the importance of the constitution, especially the parts focusing on freedom, the rule of law and social equality. There are long sequences involving Madison, Dolley and Aaron which discuss such topics: sometimes it seems that the film has sacrificed plot-development for propaganda. Aaron is a superficially attractive character, but he believes in despotic rule in which everyone should submit to his will. He needs to be ousted in order for the American way of life to continue.Stylistically speaking, MAGNIFICENT DOLL oscillates between love- scenes involving Dolley and Aaron (with H. J. Salter's lush score appearing somewhat intrusive), and sequences of political intrigue and/or debate. Dolley's first supper-party is impressively staged, with Dolley and Madison sat at either end of a long table, flanked by congressmen and their spouses. Borzage's camera intercuts between the two protagonists, making us aware of their burgeoning relationship which was both personal and political in scope.David Niven was a highly versatile actor who often seemed to be typecast in romantic leading roles. By the mid-Forties his career as a leading man was on the skids, due in no small part to his military service in the British army. As Aaron, he has the chance to demonstrate his capacities, especially when he tries (and fails) to conceal his frustrations both in love and politics. Meredith makes a convincing Madison; the kind of person whom everyone can trust and hence an ideal presidential candidate. Rogers doesn't have much to do, except for a climactic speech delivered at the end of the film to the Virginian people where she emphasizes the importance of the rule of law. This she delivers with élan.MAGNIFICENT DOLL is a watchable film, even if its didactic purposes sometimes get in the way of its dramatic development.

It's considered polite to consider Borzage's post -war movies mediocre,which is completely unfair.Although they cannot match the director's 1927-1940 brilliant production (who can anyway?),some of them are acceptable,and some even highly commendable:such is the case of " I've always loved you" (1946) or "moonrise" (1948)."The Spanish main" (1945) although hailed by some as a pirates classic ,fails to excite ,perhaps because it is an impersonal movie."Magnificent doll" blends love stories with political subjects .David Niven ,cast against type ,plays the part of the villain,a politician who won't be satisfied till he owns everything .Ginger Rogers is good,but her character is a bit unbelievable.In fact,at least to my eyes,only the first part is Borzagesque: Dolly's first husband is the good man we meet in many of his movies,the one ready to give it all ,to sacrifice everything,even his own happiness if the woman he loves is happy ;that was the story of the heroes/heroines of "street angel" "lucky star" "green light" "big city" ....