"Molly and Me" is based on a 1937 novel, "Molly, Bless Her," by American author and prolific screenwriter, Frances Marion. 20th Century Fox changed the setting from Long Island, New York, to London. This likely was because it had a deal with British stage and film star, Gracie Fields. She signed a contract to make five movies with Fox, but they all had to be filmed in England.
This is the last of just 16 films that Fields made in her career. It has a wonderful plot and very good screenplay. It isn't loaded with witty lines or clever dialog, nor does it have crazy antics or frenetic scenes of humor. Yet, this is an endearing comedy, with some music included. It's a comedy of life. It has smiles and brightness, happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow. And a cast that fills the bill perfectly for such a comedy-drama.
Gracie Fields is the heart and soul of the film. As out of work actress Molly Barry, she finagles her way into a job as the housekeeper to John Graham (played by Monty Woolley). From there on, the lives of Graham, his son Jimmy (played by Roddy McDowall), his butler, Peabody (played by Reginald Gardiner) and many of her out-of-work stage friends change for the better. Oh, yes, other lives change as well. Molly sacks the lot of a crooked household staff that has been robbing Graham.
The story has some wonderful twists, and Fields has a couple of songs. Before she lands her new job, whilst plying Peabody with a few pints in the local pub, Molly sings "The Artfulness, the Sinfulness, the Wickedness of Men." I had never heard this song before, but it's a real hoot. All of the cast are very good in this film. Woolley's character is relatively subdued compared to his usually bombastic parts. But, he's very good in this tamer persona. When he first meets his new housekeeper, Molly has been singing to herself and opened the drapes to let light into the room. She comments about the healthiness of sunlight and fresh air. Graham quips, "You seem to be a goldmine of rather revolting physiological information."
It's hard to come by a DVD of a Gracie Fields movie that will play in region 1 – the West side of the pond. So, I was fortunate to find this one. Fields was a talented actress, singer and comedienne. She was born in Rochdale, a suburb of greater Manchester in northern England. Fields was beloved for her working class origins and the working class demeanor she brought to the theater and entertainment. She exuded a persona filled with hope, courage and perseverance.
She went to the U.S. for a few years in the mid-1930s, but returned to England before the start of World War II. During the war, she entertained Allied troops in France and as far away as the South Pacific. She was a philanthropist and humanitarian who donated her London home for an orphanage. She helped many causes in her native Rochdale and elsewhere in England.
Fields nearly died in 1939 from cervical cancer, but she survived an operation and the cancer went into remission. She had many hit songs and recordings and during the 1930s was the most popular English female entertainer. An item under the Trivia section of her IMDb biography, states that she was the highest paid movie star in the world in 1937.
Fields never fully retired, but moved to a summer home she had acquired in the late 1920s on Capri. From there she would do musical tours and shows for the rest of her life. Her tours and shows decreased in number over the years. Her last major appearance was in 1978 at the 10th Royal Variety Performance in London. She sang one of her trademark songs, "Sally," from her early stage days. At the date of this review, one could find a video of that on YouTube. Fields died in 1979 at her home in Capri.
"Molly and Me" is a film that everyone should enjoy.
This is the last of just 16 films that Fields made in her career. It has a wonderful plot and very good screenplay. It isn't loaded with witty lines or clever dialog, nor does it have crazy antics or frenetic scenes of humor. Yet, this is an endearing comedy, with some music included. It's a comedy of life. It has smiles and brightness, happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow. And a cast that fills the bill perfectly for such a comedy-drama.
Gracie Fields is the heart and soul of the film. As out of work actress Molly Barry, she finagles her way into a job as the housekeeper to John Graham (played by Monty Woolley). From there on, the lives of Graham, his son Jimmy (played by Roddy McDowall), his butler, Peabody (played by Reginald Gardiner) and many of her out-of-work stage friends change for the better. Oh, yes, other lives change as well. Molly sacks the lot of a crooked household staff that has been robbing Graham.
The story has some wonderful twists, and Fields has a couple of songs. Before she lands her new job, whilst plying Peabody with a few pints in the local pub, Molly sings "The Artfulness, the Sinfulness, the Wickedness of Men." I had never heard this song before, but it's a real hoot. All of the cast are very good in this film. Woolley's character is relatively subdued compared to his usually bombastic parts. But, he's very good in this tamer persona. When he first meets his new housekeeper, Molly has been singing to herself and opened the drapes to let light into the room. She comments about the healthiness of sunlight and fresh air. Graham quips, "You seem to be a goldmine of rather revolting physiological information."
It's hard to come by a DVD of a Gracie Fields movie that will play in region 1 – the West side of the pond. So, I was fortunate to find this one. Fields was a talented actress, singer and comedienne. She was born in Rochdale, a suburb of greater Manchester in northern England. Fields was beloved for her working class origins and the working class demeanor she brought to the theater and entertainment. She exuded a persona filled with hope, courage and perseverance.
She went to the U.S. for a few years in the mid-1930s, but returned to England before the start of World War II. During the war, she entertained Allied troops in France and as far away as the South Pacific. She was a philanthropist and humanitarian who donated her London home for an orphanage. She helped many causes in her native Rochdale and elsewhere in England.
Fields nearly died in 1939 from cervical cancer, but she survived an operation and the cancer went into remission. She had many hit songs and recordings and during the 1930s was the most popular English female entertainer. An item under the Trivia section of her IMDb biography, states that she was the highest paid movie star in the world in 1937.
Fields never fully retired, but moved to a summer home she had acquired in the late 1920s on Capri. From there she would do musical tours and shows for the rest of her life. Her tours and shows decreased in number over the years. Her last major appearance was in 1978 at the 10th Royal Variety Performance in London. She sang one of her trademark songs, "Sally," from her early stage days. At the date of this review, one could find a video of that on YouTube. Fields died in 1979 at her home in Capri.
"Molly and Me" is a film that everyone should enjoy.