Over the Moon (1939)

Over The Moon never became the comedy classic that Alexander Korda wished for his wife Merle Oberon. But it is a pleasant enough film showing the upper classes in the United Kingdom enjoying their privileges.Dutiful Merle Oberon and Dr. Rex Harrison are attending Merle's grandfather until his demise. Grandpa never spent a dime and his only living heir inherits 18 million pounds. At the age she's at she will not hoard, but instead starts moving with the upper crust and gets a few upper crust admirers chiefly Robert Douglas son of the richest man in the United Kingdom.Harrison gets tired though and wants to get back to practicing medicine. But Merle's just starting to go through the fortune and all the admirers it's bringing.Harrison walks out but like Levi Johnson he's acquired some notoriety of his own and he gets an offer from some sanitarium that caters to the disgustingly rich to join their staff though he at first doesn't really know why. Of course in the end it all works out. Over in America had this been done by a Leo McCarey or a Mitchell Leisen Over The Moon might have been a comedy classic. It had the makings, but it falls short.

"Over the Moon" is a decent enough film, but in its present form it's a bit tough to watch. This is because a lot of conservation work needs to be done on it--at least on the copy shown on Turner Classic Movies (and usually they show the best copy available). The problems are with the picture and sound. The film is in early Technicolor but the print is so muddy that it's actually pretty ugly. Additionally, the sound is a bit muddy--making it very hard for non-Brits like me to understand everything they are saying. Cleaning the sound and/or installing closed captions would be a HUGE boon to watching the film.The film also suffers from a bizarre problem--one that is even weirder than using Jean Harlow's double to finish "Saratoga" after she died part-way through filming. The star of the film, Merle Oberon, went through HUGE changes in her looks in the late 1930s--going from a somewhat unattractive lady to a more vivacious lady due to studio folks who saw her potential. Here is the problem with this--much of the film was made in 1937 and then the project was shelved. Then, two years later, she looked like a totally different lady--and that's when they filmed the rest!! So, in the '37 portions, she has shaved and penciled eyebrows (like Jean Harlow) and very unattractive hair that emphasized her large forehead. In the '39 portions, she has normal eyebrows and a much more becoming hairstyle--making it look like two different actresses played the role. And, since it was NOT filmed in sequence, it's very disconcerting--much like when Luis Buñuel DELIBERATELY used two different actresses to play the same role in "That Obscure Object of Desire". With Buñuel, it worked because he was a surrealist but in "Over the Moon" most viewers will just be left confused.As for the story itself, it's a decent tale of a poor girl (Oberon) who instantly becomes a very, very, very wealthy heiress and how this helps to mess up her life. Lots of selfish hangers on suddenly become her 'friends' and her fiancé (Rex Harrison) is driven off by her new lifestyle and nasty friends. But, no matter how much charm and magic the film has, all the factors listed above do a lot to undo the good--making the film a bit of a chore to watch.

Though made in 1939 and released right after Hitler started his march through Europe, the Alexander Korda production Over the Moon actually looks older. That's because production started in 1937. It's in color with a very young Merle Oberon who, in the beginning, looks less like the Merle Oberon we knew once she came to Hollywood, but later has a new look, and a very young Rex Harrison.The sound on this was fuzzy, so I didn't get all of it.Anyway, Oberon plays Jane Benson who lives in the family home in Yorkshire. She's in love with the local doctor, Freddie (Harrison) and wants to marry him. They decide to marry, but then, Jane inherits an absolute fortune - 18 million pounds. Freddie dumps her. So right away, you know this isn't based on a true story.Freddie feels her money would ruin his ambition, and he isn't interested in the trappings of money. Jane wants to spend about 2 million on frivolities and then give it all away. She goes on her spending adventure and attracts two men; meanwhile, Freddie has gotten a lot of attention for turning down an heiress.Some gorgeous European scenery to be had here, but the film moves a bit slowly. Still, it's nice to look at, and it's always a pleasure to see Oberon and Harrison, two fine actors.

SPOILERS Twenty-eight year old Merle Oberon is heiress Jane Benson in this British story. A young looking 30 year old Rex Harrison is the family doctor Fred Jarvis at the film open. When her father passes away, relatives come out of the woodwork, ready to advise her on what to do with her new bank account. And when Jane decides that she and the doctor are to be married, we see signs of discord between them, and Jarvis goes off to France to "explore". Another interesting character, the ever flaming Peter Haddon is the Lord Petcliffe, who shows every stereotype known at the time, even his fuzzy slippers and purple pants. Then Jane is off to Monte Carlo for her own adventures, where she meets a variety of guys. The sound quality and picture quality in the first half is pretty bad. It was filmed in spherical technicolor, but it looks like it has been restored, or maybe NEEDS to be restored. There are some memorable scenes to watch for... like the outdoor scenes of London and Monte Carlo, and the fashion show, with its comedic moment. Both Harrison and Oberon had been in films for almost ten years, so they both showed skill and style. The trivia section here discusses the filming delays and retakes, and it is quite evident in some scenes that much time has passed. While the actors appearances have changed a bit, the sound and picture quality improved greatly in those scenes. Made by London Film Productions, under the Cinematograph Films Act by British Parliament. It's quite entertaining, with several scenes of low-key comedy. Fun song "Red Hot Annabelle" by Elisabeth Welch about halfway through. Saw this on Turner Classics, although they must not show it very often -- as of today, only 67 votes.