It's a Wonderful World (1939)

Yes, I'm with the naysayers on this one, albeit for a different reason. As screwball comedies go, the plot is fine. Screwy, yes, but it's supposed to be. And as ALWAYS, Claudette Colbert is delightful. The supporting actors -- Guy Kibbee and Sidney Blackmer (for example) are great, though Blackmer is underutilized considering he is so key to the story line. My complaint is with Jimmy Stewart...an actor I have adored for years. It's amazing to me that one of my favorite Stewart films -- "The Mortal Storm" -- was filmed just one year later. But particularly early in his career, but also occasionally later in his career, Jimmy Stewart was guilty of overacting. The latest example of that, which sticks in my mind is a very few spots in another of my favorite Stewart films -- "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence". Now sometimes when Stewart went over the top, it was glorious (such as in "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington". But in the present film, he overacts when playing the bad guy...or at least when doing something the good guy is doing, which isn't on the up and up. And in this film, that's quite frequent. I had never seen this film before, and I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Instead, I'll savor some of the other gems in which Stewart excelled.

James Stewart tries his hand at screwball comedy in "It's a Wonderful World," a 1939 film also starring Claudette Colbert, directed by W.S. Van Dyke with a screenplay by Ben Hecht. Supporting players include Guy Kibbee, Nat Pendleton, Sidney Blackmer, and Ernest Truex.Stewart plays a detective, Guy Johnson, whose client (Truex) is charged with a murder he didn't commit. Guy is sentenced to prison, too, as an accessory. On the way to prison via train, he spots a clue in the newspaper and escapes. On the run, he encounters a poetess, Edwina Corday (Colbert), an attractive if clumsy woman, and he has to take her along. The two get into all sorts of trouble on the road to trying to prove Guy's client didn't murder anyone.This film has all the elements of a great screwball comedy, and a lot of potential, but for some reason, it doesn't quite hang together. The script is a little confusing and lets the actors down. It's reminiscent of "It Happened One Night," especially when they're hanging out by the fence, and Colbert's presence indicates to me that the powers that be had that connection in mind.The performances are all excellent, with Stewart and Colbert very funny. It seems that both these actors could do just about anything. With a little bit tighter script, this might have been a real classic. As it is, it's enjoyable and has some good moments.

Who was the reviewer on Charter Cable TV who gave this truly wonderful, fun & funny screwball comedy only two stars out of a possible four? When you click on your remote control for information about the film it also provides a rating - two puny stars."It's A Wonderful World" is one of the classic screwball comedies of the Golden Age of Screwball Comedies, the '30s & '40s. This film rates a solid ***1/2 stars.Jimmy Stewart and Claudette Colbert play off each other terrifically, first as adversaries before ending up as what you'd happily expect. And Guy Kibbee, Edgar Kennedy and Nat Pendleton are also first rate, as always.I'm hard pressed to think of a finer way to spend 90 "wonderful" minutes.

While I did like this film, I will quickly admit that it is a very silly and illogical movie--with a very convoluted plot. Plus, on top of everything, the pairing of Jimmy Stewart and Claudette Colbert just didn't seem very plausible--particularly towards the end when they become romantically linked. I just couldn't see the chemistry. Now, if you ignore all that and just turn off your brain, it's a decent film and worth seeing if you are an old movie buff. However, as far as "screwball comedies" go, this is pretty weak stuff and you are better off with a variety of other films such as BRINGING UP BABY, MY FAVORITE WIFE or ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. Hmmm,...all these are Cary Grant flicks. Well, I still love Jimmy Stewart films but don't think this was his best genre.