The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss (1937)

British "comedy" starring Cary Grant, made right before he became a big star in Hollywood. The plot has Cary as a bored rich man who decides to try out life as a working class guy. Kind of boring and stiff like many British films from the 1930s not made by Hitchcock. Cary is working overtime trying to make it work, but the rest of the cast is sleepwalking. It's the kind of movie where I forgot it almost as soon as the credits rolled.

The Amazing Adventure (1936)** 1/2 (out of 4)Ernest Bliss (Cary Grant) is a millionaire whose doctor says any ill-health would be because he's a spoiled person who doesn't know what hard work is. The doctor then makes a bet with Bliss that he wouldn't be able to live without his inheritance, which Bliss disagrees with. Soon the once millionaire is starting from scratch and trying to live like an average man for one year.After several years in Hollywood, Grant returned to Britian where he made this film, which was originally released under the title of THE AMAZING QUEST OF ERNEST BLISS. Grant would return to Hollywood where he's start some of the most famous films of his career. However, when this film finally hit America, it did so under the title THE AMAZING ADVENTURE and its original 81-minute running time was cut down to just 61-minutes, which is the version reviewed here.During this era there were quite a few movies that were about rich brats who took bets to live like your average poor man. The story certainly wasn't anything fresh or original and overall the quality of this movie isn't the greatest but if you're a fan of Grant then it's certainly worth watching especially since he turns in such a good and fun performance.I thought he was extremely believable int he role of this rich man who finally and quickly sees how hard the working man has it. Grant brought the class to the role that you'd expect and he also handles the more charming moments perfectly and especially at the end. Mary Brian plays the love interest and she too is good in her role, although it certainly wasn't the best written in the film.I'm not sure what's missing or whether or not it improved the film or not. With that said, the direction isn't the greatest and the film doesn't have much style going for it. What it does have is a charming story and the wonderful performance by Grant, which makes it worth watching to his fans.

Fabulously wealthy Cary Grant (as Ernest Bliss) is depressed. Life among the idle rich can be a bore, and Mr. Grant hasn't figured out a way to make it exciting. He goes to a doctor (Peter Gawthorne), who rattles Grant by refusing to shake his hand. The prescription is for Grant to give up his wealth for a year, and earn his living from the bottom. Grant pounds the pavement as a stove salesman, and settles into his job as a chauffeur. At the former, he meets and begins to date pretty Mary Brian (as Frances Clayton).The quest Grant takes really isn't all that amazing, and the romantic subplot sluggishly (and obviously) carries the day. It might have been better to have Grant leave the doctor's office angry, and develop amnesia. He never really abandons the use of his money, as you'll see - though the script argues the point with a caveat. The film uses an abundance of dissolves, and has an interesting close-up sequence featuring Grant emoting. He was close with co-star Ms. Brian, who had been more popular as a silent film ingénue.**** The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss (7/28/36) Alfred Zeisler ~ Cary Grant, Mary Brian, Peter Gawthorne, Henry Kendall

This is an obviously low-budget film from Cary Grant. It seems that most of the stars of the 1940s did a few cheap-o independent films during the 1930s (Bogart and Cagney did a few that I recently reviewed). However, what sets this film apart is that despite its poor quality at times, it's a surprisingly watchable. So, if you ignore one or two flat performances by supporting cast members and sets that are not exactly MGM quality, you'll be rewarded with a decent film. Yes, I'll admit that the plot is just a little bit silly, but because of its charm and brisk pace, it satisfies. Cary plays a rich and lazy guy who finds himself bored with life. When he goes to the doctor, the doc tells him to stop sniveling about his life and DO something productive--get a job and stop being a self-indulgent jerk. Cary takes this as a challenge and decides to make himself over--all for the better. About the only strong negative I felt is that the girl that Cary is destined to marry in the film just seems awfully immature and stupid at the end of the film--I wanted him to find someone better!