The Strawberry Blonde (1941)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

James Hagan (play)
Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 February 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Biff Grimes is crazy about Virginia Brush, but his "pal" Hugo Barnstead marries her himself and makes Biff the fall guy for his shady dealings...

Plot Keywords:

Irish American | Zoo | Lion | Romantic Rivalry | Falling Building

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

James Cagney	...	T. L. 'Biff' Grimes
Olivia de Havilland	...	Amy Lind Grimes
Rita Hayworth	...	Virginia Brush
Alan Hale	...	William 'Old Man' Grimes
Jack Carson	...	Hugo F. Barnstead
George Tobias	...	Nicholas Pappalas
Una O'Connor	...	Mrs. Timothy Mulcahey
George Reeves	...	Harold
Lucile Fairbanks	...	Harold's Girlfriend
Edward McNamara	...	Big Joe, Bar Owner
Helen Lynd	...	Josephine Miller
Herbert Heywood	...	Toby the Lamp Lighter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Peters	...	Girl (as Suzanne Carnahan)

Runtime:

97 min | Argentina:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | USA:Approved | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Previously filmed at One Sunday Afternoon (1933) with Gary Cooper and Fay Wray. Later filmed again as One Sunday Afternoon (1948) with Dennis Morgan, Janis Paige and Don DeFore.

Goofs:

Continuity: The skins of the bananas that Biff eats, disappear from under the bench when he and Virginia stand up.

Quotes:

Man: [to everyone in the barber shop] Hey fellas! Here comes the strawberry blonde!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strangers on a Train (1951)

Soundtrack:

In My Merry Oldsmobile

A witty comedy that stands the test of time

Julius Epstein (the man who gave us Arsenic and Old Lace) excels with his adaptation of James Hagan's play One Sunday Afternoon. (For those who think the credit belongs with the playwright not the scriptwriter, I refer you to the 1948 remake One Sunday Afternoon.) The script is crisp and witty, one liners abound, and I found myself laughing out loud often.

The film gains its strength from the morals of a bygone era, as men and women struggle to find love without overstepping the bounds of decency. Yet it holds up well more than 60 years after it was made. The themes of love and happiness are timeless.

Cagney is excellent as jailbird-turned-dentist Biff Grimes. His famed tough guy persona bubbles not very far below the surface but we are reminded that this actor is much more multi-faceted than history sometimes remembers him.

The female cast members are outstanding. The beautiful Susan Hayworth plays the title character Virginia Brush superbly, showing every nuance of the shallow yet ultimately dissatisfied wannabe socialite. Her best friend, Ann Lind, provides a great showcase for Olivia de Havilland's talent, moving from the brash, forward suffragette to the devoted wife, showing her vulnerability as well as her strength along the way.

Some of Hollwood's fine character actors get a chance to impress too. The hard-working Jack Carson impresses as Hugo Barnstead, the charming womanizer turned sleazy tycoon. George Tobias has plenty of scene-stealing moments as Grimes' good friend, Nick the barber. (Look closely and you may recognize him as Bewitched's Abner Kravitz.) Alan Hale is at his best as Grimes' irrepressible Irish father. Keep your eye out for TV's Superman George Reeves as Harold, the Yale student neighbour.

This film provides an amusing reminder that beauty and wealth do not always bring happiness.

Enjoy Strawberry Blonde. I did.