Four's a Crowd

Moviecut—Four's a Crowd

source: Four's a Crowd

Four's a Crowd

There is some charm in seeing 22-year-old Olivia de Havilland cavort about in this silly film, and alongside Errol Flynn in a role very different from that 'other' de Havilland/Flynn/Curtiz vehicle from 1938, 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'. Unfortunately, the plot is a mess, and every aspect of this film seems like a borrowed and watered down version of others from the period.

" . . . and your little dog, too!" during her brief scene here in FOUR'S A CROWD, but "M. Hamilton" is clearly auditioning for her star turn as "Elvira Gulch" (aka, The Wicked Witch of the West) for WIZARD OF OZ the following year. As eight million dollar woman "Lorri Dillingwell's" maid "Amy," the prospective Ms. Gulch eyes Lorri's little whitish mutt with an evil intent so obvious that Lorri's suitor "Bob" immediately secures this endangered beta version of "Toto" in the safety of an upright piano cabinet as soon as Elvira leaves the room. Unfortunately, pianos prove to be few and far between in the Land of Oz, forcing Dot & friends toward desperate measures during their later flick. (The shooting script of FOUR'S A CROWD shows this interchange--Amy: "Should I remove your empty ice cream dish?" Lorri: "Please, and take it with you"--did NOT make the film's final cut.)

Errol Flynn showed he was very capable of making light comedies and "Four's a Crowd" is his best one by quite some way. Once again, Michael Curtiz is the director and Olivia De Havilland is Flynn's leading lady. The script is a bit corny in all honesty but at least "Four's a Crowd" isn't depressing or melancholic. It takes a bit of getting used to, seeing Errol Flynn in a contemporary setting. An undemanding film but quite amusing.

Reporter Jean Christy (Rosalind Russell) is angry with new young newspaper owner Pat Buckley (Patric Knowles) who had a fight with managing editor Robert Lansford (Errol Flynn). Lansford is looking to do publicity business with tycoon John Dillingwell (Walter Connolly) and he's willing to make up any lies to do it. He discovers Dillingwell's granddaughter Lorri (Olivia de Havilland) is Buckley's fiancée. This is minor failure for Errol Flynn in his otherwise epic swashbuckling career. He's trying to expand into screwball comedy. He does have the fast speaking part but this movie seems content on letting speed be the comedy. The issue is that I don't like Lansford. It's a quartet puzzle with an unknowable solution. It starts with the cold opening and a cutesy switcharoo. I don't really like any of the combinations or characters. There is still an appealing energy to this screwball and Errol Flynn's charms are undeniable. He's able to pull this off although it's nothing great.

This movie was very much a disappointment to me. I very much like Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Rosalind Russell. And Michael Curtiz has directed some of my favorite movies, such as Robin Hood and The Sea Hawk. But despite all that talent, this movie just doesn't work for me. I place the blame on the script, which is really weak. Flynn's character is often incomprehensible - whom does he love, and why? - and not particularly likable, though Flynn exerts all of his very considerable charm. As a result, we're not really rooting for him, or even sure which way he wants to go. Russell is great - shades of her performance as a newspaper woman in His Girl Friday - but she doesn't get the great lines that movie provided her. Things move along briskly, but we don't always care. This movie leaves no lasting impression, which is a shame, because it shows that Flynn could have made some great comedies, had he but been given the right script.