In this 1938 comedy, James Stewart plays Peter Morgan, a college professor. While on a trip to New York City, he meets nightclub singer/dancer Francey Brent (Ginger Rogers), and after a whirlwind romance, they get married. But when he takes her home to meet his family, he finds it difficult to tell his very conservative parents about his wedding…
What a gem of a film this turned out to be. Stewart and Rogers were both extremely funny and likeable as the mis-matched but devoted couple, and as one thing after another conspired to keep them apart, the laughs kept coming. An excellent supporting cast – especially Beulah Bondi as Peter’s mother, and James Ellison as his cousin Keith – who has also fallen for Francey – further enhanced the film.
It is a mixture of screwball comedy and romance, and both aspects balance each other out nicely. It is a very light-hearted film, and I defy anyone not to laugh during it, and not to have a broad smile on their face at the end of it.
Vivacious Lady is not the most famous film featuring either Stewart or Rogers, but it does deserve to be better known. The cliche ‘they don’t make ’em like that anymore’ is certainly true here. Sadly, this film doesn’t seem to come on television very often, so if you do see it in programme listings, don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch this delightful picture.
Year of release: 1938
Director: George Stevens
Producer: George Stevens
Writers: I.A.R. Wylie, P.J. Wolfson, Ernest Pagano, Anne Morrison Chapin
Main cast: James Stewart, Ginger Rogers, James Ellison, Beulah Bondi, Charles Coburn, Frances Mercer
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