terrible... so disappointed.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

Recently I moved and as I was doing so, I threw some films into a few boxes I wanted to watch but never got around to watching for one reason or another. A few days ago, while unpacking some items, I found one of the boxes-- a treasure trove is more accurate-- and inside was a copy of MAGNIFICENT DOLL.I have had a copy of this film for several years and I was saving it-- who knows why. And what a treat to save. I love this film and only wish I had seen it ages ago. Just look at the cast of this historical drama.David Niven and Ginger Rogers are top-billed. And altogether, they appeared in three films-- MAGNIFICENT DOLL was the second pairing for them. Their other efforts were BACHELOR MOTHER (for RKO) and OH MEN! OH WOMEN! (for Fox). One of the things I love about this film is that it's the second time Burgess Meredith gets the girl in a Ginger Rogers movie. Previously, he was the lucky guy in TOM, DICK AND HARRY. So though Niven is higher billed, he is essentially playing a supporting role, because Meredith is the one holding Rogers in his arms as the final fade-out occurs. MAGNIFICENT DOLL was a flop, probably because Universal didn't know how to market it and audiences were not ready to see Ginger do anything but musical comedy or tearjerkers. But watching this film convinces me that she was at her best when she was working in other genres, pushing herself as an actress. The set decoration is top-notch in this film; and Ginger gets to wear gowns by Vera West and hats by Lilly Dache.The always exceptional Frank Borzage is the director and rabbi turned Hollywood executive Jack Skirball is the producer.

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" ....

I stumbled across this movie in a rather old presidential quiz book. Already knowing a great deal about Dolley Madison before I bought the movie wondering how they were going to dramatize one America's most beloved first ladies. I started the movie with mixed emotions and finished it feeling the same.Ginger Rogers was a great actress but she doesn't pull off a convincing Dolley Madison-there's something missing. I don't know what it is, but it just isn't there. I did manage to overlook Rogers performance and applaud David Niven who was perhaps my favorite character. He pulled off the scheming Aaron Burr to perfection. From the beginning as a senator, to the tie with Jefferson in the election of 1800, to the treason trial that forced him into obscurity. It was Aaron Burr who introduced Dolley to James Madison in the first place. Reading the box I knew Burgess Meredith would play James Madison it was a shock to see him (I'm dating myself here when I say the first time I saw him was in Grumpy Old Men). I liked him second, his smallness (after all James Madison is still our shortest president at 5'6') and his quiet way made it easy to understand why Dolley Madison choice him instead of Aaron Burr.After watching this movie I had rather hoped that Hollywood would find someone to redo this movie. I think Dolley Madison's life is just as interesting as Thomas Jefferson's. Maybe if they do choose to redo this movie they could show that she had two sons (in the movie it only mentions one son who died in the yellow fever epidemic but actually she had one older that lived). The elder son, named Payne Todd, from Dolley's first husband who died in the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1794, is the one who caused many heartaches in Dolley's later years even though she didn't admit it. He was a drunkard and a scoundrel and spent money lavishly. To get back to the movie, overall it wasn't bad. If you like period pieces and good verses evil you'll enjoy this movie. It wasn't the best movie I've seen but wasn't the worst. The acting was good; especially David Niven and Burgess Meredith did an okay job. They played a little bit with Dolley's life but you can't expect Hollywood to get it right all the time.