The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)

Director:

Sam Wood

Writer:

Norman Krasna (written by)

Release Date:

11 April 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A tycoon goes undercover to ferret out agitators at a department store, but gets involved in their lives instead.

Plot Keywords:

Department Store | Undercover | Shoe | Union | Salesman

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Jean Arthur	...	Mary Jones
Robert Cummings	...	Joe O'Brien
Charles Coburn	...	John P. Merrick
Edmund Gwenn	...	Hooper
Spring Byington	...	Elizabeth Ellis
S.Z. Sakall	...	George - Merrick's Butler
William Demarest	...	First Detective
Walter Kingsford	...	Mr. Allison - General Manager
Montagu Love	...	Harrison
Richard Carle	...	Oliver
Charles Waldron	...	Needles
Edwin Maxwell	...	Withers
Edward McNamara	...	Police Desk Sergeant
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Tom Higgins
Florence Bates	...	Store Shopper

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #6464) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Company:

Frank Ross-Norma Krasna Inc.

Trivia:

Jean Arthur planned to remake the picture with her as the devil and the title "The Devil and Mr. Jones," but that project never materialized.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the beach scene, the people in the background change completely from shot to shot. However, the crowd in the opening shot of the beach scene is the same as the one in the final shot.

Quotes:

Second Policeman: When they start recitin' the Constitution, watch out!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Devil and Mr. Jones (1975)

Soundtrack:

The Blue Danube Waltz, Opus 314

Cute and funny, one of Coburn best films

Ever since I saw Jean Arthur in "The More The Merrier", I fell in love with her. What beauty, what talent, what a VOICE!

This is one of her better films. More reminiscent of a Capra film. It's the working class vs the wealthy uncaring class. This goes beyond that though. It tells the tale of a rich man(Coburn) who hears of a revolt at one of his businesses. He wants it stopped and he wants heads to roll!!

When he thinks the investigation is not going to his liking, he decides to go undercover himself. Now this is where the REAL story starts. Now he is on THEIR ground and he sees for himself what these working class "pigs" are really like. They are just people. People with little money and big hearts, who just want a better life.

Everyone is wonderful in this film. Jean Arthur and Charles Coburn work terrific together as always(no wonder they did three movies together). I was surprised to see Robert Cummings in a major role back in 1941. I didn't know he was a star before Television.

The only real disappointment I had with this film was Edmund Gwenn. I could not believe it. The man that IS Santa Claus played a mean rude little man. EGAD!!

Seriously though, This is a MUST SEE for those who love good hearted comedies. Just makes you feel so good. An 8 out of 10.