The Well Groomed Bride (1946)

SYNOPSIS: Navy man is ordered to buy a magnum of French champagne to launch an aircraft carrier. A young bride-to-be beats him to the only bottle left in the city. The navy man is forced to use every ruse he knows to get the girl to part with the champagne. Does he succeed? You'll have to see the picture to find out. (Of course you could also use a little - a very little bit - of brain power).NOTES: A famous film in its day as it marked the return to movies of Olivia de Havilland after a three year hiatus due to a contract dispute with Warner Bros. Paramount were willing to risk a lawsuit when their original leading lady, Paulette Goddard, had to withdraw because of pregnancy. As it happened, Miss de Havilland won her landmark case two days before this film was slated to commence shooting. At that stage of course she was fully committed to make the picture, despite her misgivings as to the inanity of the script.COMMENT: I don't share Miss de Havilland's feelings. Frankly, it's a charming little comedy. Admittedly, the emphasis has to be on the "little". The story is slight, yes, but skilful direction and deft playing keep it moving along quite agreeably. A typical 1940s romantic comedy, a harmless bit of fluff, lightweight, but put across with just the right balance of foolery, romance and charm. Milland was an expert at this sort of fluff, and the other players are likewise appealingly cast.

Captain James Gleason orders Lieutenant Ray Milland to get a bottle of French champagne to launch the new aircraft carrier. However, Olivia de Havilland has just bought the last bottle of French champagne in San Francisco for her nuptials with Sonny Tufts, who has spent two years in the Aleutians. How is Milland going to get the champagne and Miss de Havilland in this randomly named film?It's a rather flat romantic comedy directed by the usually very competent Sidney Lanfield, full of random gags and misunderstandings. Miss De Havilland had just spent two years fighting Warner Brothers in court so she wouldn't have to appear in muddled, unfunny comedies, and she had launched her newly serious career auspiciously enough with TO EACH HIS OWN and DEVOTION, only to follow it up with this rote effort. Neither of the leads shows any sparkle; the two comics, Gleason and Percy Kilbride (as de Havilland's father) lack any zest and Sonny Tufts, despite being the object of lust for a brace of screen beauties, remains a dull hunk of beef.

Ray Milland is the Navy officer in search of a Magnum of Champagne to launch a battle ship. Olivia Dehaviland is in search of the same bottle to launch her wedding to Sonny Tufts. They collide over and over again when they find only one bottle in the whole of San Francisco. Not a lot of chemistry between Ray and Olivia, but enjoyable anyway. I read that Paulette Goddard was the first choice for this film, and would have probably been better in the part, because she had great moments with Milland in other films. I thought it odd that Olivia got top billing when this film was released after the remarkable performance of Milland in The Lost Weekend. His Oscar should have been the reason to put him first on the marquee, unless it came after the fact.

As a long-time deHavilland fan, I've been looking for this film for years. It's never been on VHS or AMC/TCM. Anyone know why it's MIA? Surely it's not her best or among the greatest by far, but it seems strange it's never turned up somewhere!