Tell It to the Judge (1949)

Director: NORMAN FOSTER. Screenplay: Nat Perrin. Additional dialogue: Roland Kibbee. Story: Devery Freeman. Photography: Joseph Walker. Film editor: Charles Nelson. Art director: Carl Anderson. Set decorator: William Kiernan. Costumes: Jean Louis. Make-up: Fred Phillips. Hair styles: Helen Hunt. Music composed by Werner R. Heymann, directed by Morris W. Stoloff. Assistant director: Sam Nelson. Sound recording: George Cooper. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Buddy Adler.Copyright 16 November 1949 by Columbia Pictures Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: December 1949. U.K. release: 10 April 1950. Australian release: 30 March 1950. 7,920 feet. 88 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Rosalind Russell is the judge-to-be, Robert Cummings her ex-husband who wants her back, Gig Young a playboy type that Russell is successfully using to bait Cummings.COMMENT: Robert Cummings certainly wins his spurs on this one as a "light comedian". Bob mugs, grimaces and pratfalls his way through a lot of frantic action before he finally wins the day (and the lady). If you like Mr Cummings (I don't mind him), you'll doubly enjoy the extra cornball efforts he brings to his role here. If you can't stand Cummings, avoid this film at all costs. You have been warned.Russell and Young do well by the main supporting slots, but it is young Marie McDonald who will attract most attention. Exquisitely costumed, Miss McDonald's only failure - and it's not her fault - is that her role is so intermittent. She keeps popping in and out of the action. We wish she would stay put for longer, before Cummings hustles her into the inevitable clothes closet.Despite some obvious process screen effects, the film is sound technically: The photography's glossy, the music score witty, the sets and costumes appropriately glamorous, whilst Foster's competent if none too subtle direction gets the most out of Perrin's amusing script. In short, this judge found it a most entertaining tale.

one from many romantic comedies from the 40's . not extraordinary but nice. and lovely for the seductive performance of Robert Cummings. a film about true love and the situations who transforms it in project. absurd in many scenes, lovely at all, it is the genre of film who seems be open window to a past period. because it has the innocence, the great, the flavor of lost age. Rosalind Russell could be the only challenge for viewer. because it is only a decent option for the role of judge but her rhythm is very different by Cummings' and that gives some fake nuances to the story. an inspired presence - Harry Davenport in a small role. short, a lovely movie. from the heart decade of a magnificent period for cinema.

This movie debuted the same year as ADAM'S RIB and both screwball comedies have a lot in common. Both films are about couples where both spouses are lawyers and both involve the couples going through marital difficulties brought on by their jobs.The film begins with Rosalind Russell undergoing a confirmation hearing to make her a federal judge. However, her ex-husband (Robert Cummings) appears at the trial and does everything he can to discredit her. He wants her back in the worst way and will do anything to get her attention. Surprisingly, he is able to scheme his way into agreeing to remarry. However, due to the scheming of her grandfather (Henry Stevenson), Cummings disappears on his wedding night and Russell has had enough--she absolutely won't take him back, as she has no idea that Stevenson was behind the disappearance. And, for that matter, neither does Cummings know how he suddenly woke up on a train headed for Charlotte, North Carolina...and with a suitcase filled with women's clothes! The press has found out that Russell has married but they have no idea to whom. She doesn't want to admit that she remarried her ex- and they are already going to get another divorce, so she quickly concocts a crazy tale about her husband getting killed on their wedding day! This "Mr. Rugle" was apparently heading to South America and crashed in Guatemala!!! When Cummings arrives, he informs everyone that Rugle is NOT dead but has survived in order to put Russell on the spot. But, in a case of GOOD quick-thinking (as opposed to her crazy Rugle story), she finds a stand-in to pretend to be Rugle. Now what is Cummnigs to do?! There's a lot more to this screwball comedy. While the story is patently silly and tough to believe (and then some), it is high-energy and most enjoyable. Cummings steals the show and shows his deftness with comedy and I'd watch Russell in any comedy, as they always turn out great. It also helped that Gig Young was on hand to play Mr. Rugle--and seeming to enjoy taking advantage of the situation. And, in turn, Cummings did everything he could do to come between them.By the way, try reading up on co-star Marie McDonald--her IMDb profile is bizarre yet fascinating.

Thin comedy rests solely on the appeal of the stars, and Rosalind Russell and Robert Cummings are a very companionable screen-team. She's a smart, sharp, yet somewhat clumsy lady lawyer--being nominated for judgeship--whose career may be hindered by her association with Cummings, the no-goodnik ex-husband still in love with her. Some funny set-pieces (such as Roz's bit involving a lipstick mistake) and a predictably sunny, smooth supporting performance by Gig Young as a dashing Romeo make it tolerable, but the script and characters are really second hand. There's a curious, but ridiculous skiing sequence that serves no purpose (except to make Cummings look foolish) and Norman Foster's direction is balky. ** from ****