Molly and Me (1945) User Reviews

Their Greatest Engagement

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 20 October 2011]

Probably the United Kingdom's most popular entertainer during the Thirties was Gracie Fields. She came over to the USA in the early Forties partly as a hands across the sea goodwill gesture and partly because of a scandal involving her new husband Monty Banks, real name Bianchini. Italians were not real popular over in the UK then, they were as bad as Germans, they never reached that degree of odiousness in the USA during World War II as Germans or Japanese.

In any event the American movie-going public got a real treat to see what our allies on the other side of the pond had been seeing for years. Molly And Me is very typical of the kind of character Fields did over there, the bright and chirpy working class woman with an every ready smile and song who solves everyone's problems. I only wish her work were more available here.

In any event out of work actress Gracie takes a job as a housekeeper for the rich and stuffy Monty Woolley who is expecting his son Roddy McDowall home. He and McDowall are distant from each other and while he's told Roddy that mother is dead, she in the person of Doris Lloyd is very much alive and living a sleazy life, divorced from Woolley. Monty wants to keep Lloyd away from their son.

When she arrives there after being hired by Reginald Gardiner the butler who is also a former thespian, Fields finds wholesale thievery among the staff and sacks the lot of them. She then hires a bunch of her former mates from the stock company she was with. Let's just say a whole lot of problems are solved before the film ends.

Gracie got to work with a few members of the British colony in America in Molly And Me. Yet the film from 20th Century Fox really did have the look and feel of one of her British films.

Despite good performances from Woolley, McDowall, and Gardiner, Molly And Me is totally a Gracie Fields production. I'm just glad this is available for American audiences. Do not miss this or any other of her work should TCM broadcast it.

Long Live Optimism !!

[nicholas.rhodes · 7/10 · 23 September 2005]

This really is a film for those who appreciate a) filmed theatre and b) English humour c) optimism in adverse situations. The show is run by Gracie Fields erstwhile actress and singer from the north of England and who typifies the 'ee by gum accent ! A clan of out-of-work actors take over the running of a rich household but their profession remains unbeknown to the owner of the house. The staff already in place on Fields' arrival are summarily dismissed by her when she discovers that they have been "cooking" the books and indulging in illegal practices In addition to this the owner of the house has a son, played by Roddy McDowell, very young, who has a communication problem with his father -in fact, his mother ran away with another man whilst he was very young but he had always been led to believe that she had died.

The film is very optimistic and Fields is truly unflappable in when trying to deal with the various problematic situations that crop up. In the end the whole of the troop put in a splendid actors' performance in a bid to send packing Mr Graham's wife who suddenly turns up and demands money ! This fine episode brings a conclusion to a film well worth watching if you are lucky enough to see it scheduled !

The housekeeper

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 20 March 2009]

Out of work actress Molly Barry goes for an interview for the position of housekeeper in John Graham's household. Little prepares her to find an old theatrical acquaintance, Harry Phillips, already working there as butler/chauffeur using the alias of Peabody. With reluctance, she is accepted, but she is told Mr. Graham can't stand thespians or show people.

Mr. Graham, a humorless wealthy man, whose own life leaves a lot to be desired, realizes the addition to his household is the right one. When Molly discovers how the staff that is employed are all in cahoots to steal from their employer, fires all of them. When Mr. Graham asks her to prepare for a fancy dinner to impress a political influential man, Molly feels she has taken more than what she bargained for. So with the help of her theatrical pals, she does what show people do best: improvise!

There is also the problem of young Jimmy, the teen aged son of Mr. Graham who arrives from school to an empty house. He finds a great ally in Molly and the theater people, who take him under their wing. Little does the boy know that his father has lied about his mother by telling him she is dead, when in reality, she's alive and living in South Africa.

The sequence involving the return of the dead Mrs. Graham is one of the best in the movie that involves the troupe to put on a show that will ultimately help in getting rid of this nasty woman.

Under the able direction of Lewis Seiler, this delightful 1945 comedy is still a lot of fun. Part of what Mr. Seiler achieved was the fine turn Gracie Fields gives to the proceedings. She completely runs away with the picture. She is surrounded by an excellent cast that includes Monty Wooley, Reginald Gardiner, Roddy McDowell, and Natalie Schafer, in the main roles.

The film has a lot of laughs and will not disappoint fans of the genre.

Actors acting like servants, or trying to.

[dennis-35 · 7/10 · 25 February 2002]

Here is a whimsical tale of an out-of-work actress and her other also-situated actors and actresses. Tired of playing the starving artist, she lands the role of maid in a house over-running with thieving employees. She single-handedly cleans up the household, and begins to work on her unloving boss. She soon begins to melt his icy heart, and teaches him the value of things (not money, which he knows too well already).

Her actor friends soon must take on the role of fellow servants, and the rest is hilarious. They over-act their positions, and confuse and confound their new boss.

Goodness Gracie

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 7/10 · 8 April 2017]

An out of work artiste manages to get a job as housekeeper at the home of a curmudgeonly politician with a young son whom he has neglected. It sounds simple and it is but the film is full of funny scenes, music and a bit of drama and it fills up its 77 minutes very nicely.

The acting is entertaining. Monty Woolley as the waspish but kind politician, Reginald Gardiner as the incapable butler Peabody and Roddy McDowall as the shy son are excellent with Natalie Schaefer hilarious as an artiste who has married well.

As the housekeeper Molly Barry the film is anchored by Gracie Fields. With cheerfulness, determination and intelligence she sorts out the problems people have. Fields was famous as a singer and comedienne but she was also a good actor and in this film she shows how good she can be and effortlessly dominates the scenes she is in. Her scenes with McDowall are lovely.

At the end of the film it is seen that the Monty Woolly character has taken a shine to her but it comes out of the blue. Perhaps if the film was longer it could have developed that more.

It is a cheery film that entertains and amuses and leaves a warm glow.

Pregnant Premise

[dougdoepke · 2 December 2018]

Rather obscure comedy of manners from TCF. It's not a knee-slapper, but the situation's amusing enough along with a very capable cast. In fact I agree with another reviewer that the material is strong enough to warrant a longer film. Coming from moneyed studio TCF, I wonder why the oversight. Maybe it was because of the British cast and lack of a marquee name.

An unemployed crew of stage performers pretends to be household servants so they can become a rich stuffy old man's household help. The trouble is can they bring off the impersonation even as their amusing staginess keeps interfering with their act? The comedic potential between clashing personality types remains a rich one

The first part is a fairly mild set-up, comedy-wise, but the last reaches a level of madcap as the crew's real identities begin to show though-- they just can't help themselves. The latter furnishes a lot of chuckles, especially Gardiner's ditzy mugging. On the whole, Fields makes a persuasive chief conniver, while Gardiner and Schaefer get most of the laughs. Wooley, of course, makes a grandiose rich guy, stuffy and superior, a perfect foil for the stagy cut-ups. Then too, McDowall's estranged teen-age son adds a note of poignancy to the proceedings.

Anyway, the premise and cast are a compelling one even if the overall results add up to an under-achiever.

Too maudlin (the kid) to be Sturges but fun, witty, ensemble play

[phlbrq · 7/10 · 20 June 2020]

You don't like this, I don't like you. Recommended for old TCM fans and new generations exploring classic Hollywood fables. Gracie Fields, Monty Wooley and yes, that's Lovey Howell from Gilligan's Island.

Ever wish a film were longer than it is?

[darrylwad · 9/10 · 16 April 2009]

What a wonderful and thoroughly entertaining film this is, this is my first experience of Gracie Fields and purchased this due to Monty Woolley being in this, suffice to say not only am I a fan Of Monty's, but Gracie's, too.

There's a good mixture of fun, laughter, slapstick, farce, singing and a terrific, entertaining cast, as well as Monty and Gracie the main cast members to stand out for me are a very young Roddy McDowall (as Monty's son) and Reginald Gardner (as the Butler), the rest of the cast are all excellent and together with me the cast were clearly having a ball too!! My one and only problem with the film is that I wish it were longer, it's only 76 minutes long and just wish it'd been at least another 10-15 minutes more, but it's always a sure sign just how much you've enjoyed a film when you think this way I guess, If you enjoyed Monty Woolley in this then please check out The Man who came to dinner with Bette Davis, it's a terrific comedy, sadly only available on Region 1 at the moment.

Good sound and picture too, I've purchased this film in the Gracie Field's silver screen collection and that version at least has no subtitles whatsoever.

Simple and enjoyable

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 9 March 2011]

I noticed when I looked through IMDb that there were two previous movies with the same title. I would assume this 1945 film is a remake, but IMDb doesn't give this information. I do know that there are no reviews for these earlier films and this probably is because the films have been lost to the ravages of time--a common occurrence with early films made on nitrate stock.

Molly is an out of work actress from the London music hall world. Because she needs the job, she uses her acting talent to play the part of a housekeeper and manages to captivate the gruff new master as well as his young and rather lost son. Using Molly's gift for common-sense and pluck, she manages to do a bang-up job--and makes this house truly a home.

This is the second time I've seen this version of "Molly and Me" and I do remember liking it a bit more the first time. Now it isn't that I disliked the movie seeing it again--I just noticed a shortcoming in the tempo of the film when I watched it tonight. I see now that Monty Woolley's gruff character goes from a curmudgeon to a nice guy way too quickly in the film. I think doing the transition a bit more slowly and a bit more realistically would have made for an even better film. BUT, it's hard to fault the movie too much, as it's a pleasant little musical comedy--a sweet sort of film they just don't make any more but that they made so well back in the old days. Plus, Gracies Fields and Woolley were both so marvelous--as were the supporting actors (especially Reginald Gardner). It's hard not to like this nice little film.

An endearing comedy with Gracie Fields

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 27 November 2016]

"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.

A look at the upstairs/downstairs world of servants with theatrical ambitions.

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 9 June 2015]

"Downton Abbey" fans will love this comedy which tells the story of a struggling actress (Gracie Fields) who takes a housekeeper's job in a posh London home to make a living during the dark years of her career. She basically manipulates her way into the job, getting the alcoholic butler (Reginald Gardiner) drunk and basically blackmailing him into hiring her against the will of the other servants whom she immediately exposes for stealing from the household. Pompous politician Monty Woolley is both bemused and aghast by the tornado she stirs up, but when his estranged son (Roddy McDowall) shows up, she finds she's got another job to handle. This becomes even more obvious when Woolley's trashy ex-wife (a fantastically brusque Doris Lloyd) shows up with the cloak of blackmail around her sinister shoulders.

A clever comedy of manners with outstanding performances all the way around, this was the second pairing of Fields (in her last film here) and Woolley, the other a marvelous forgotten comedy called "Holy Matrimony" (the subject of an underrated forgotten musical, "Darling of the Day"). Fans of "Gilligan's Island" will be delighted to see Natalie Schaefer as an eccentric actress pal of Fields who marries into nobility and assists her in a scheme to discredit Lloyd. There's a very funny dinner party scene with her as a guest going into a panic attack every time she recognizes each of the servants as her old pals from the theatrical boarding house (which also includes a cute dancing puppy with miniature top hat) and later her participation in the ultimate scam to make the evil ex-wife scram.

Young McDowall plays a very gentle teenager who allows himself to come out of his shell once he becomes acquainted with Fields and her theatrical cronies. Gardiner has a very funny drunken scene and utilizes his droll manner to create a marvelous characterization. It's difficult to single out who steals the film, because when you've got such amusing actors like Woolley, Fields, Gardiner, Shaefer, McDowall and Lloyd (not to mention the lesser known actors playing both groups of servants), everybody really gets their moment in the spotlight to shine.

Stuffy British Humor

[goody-11 · 26 June 1999]

An out of work troop of actors take over running a proper English gentleman home. They show the rather harsh man there should be more compassion for the only son he has.

While a lot of the humor is very deadpan, it's an interesting look at how simple the rich life was in the 30's and 40's.

The son Jimmy is played by a very young Roddy McDowall