Vivacious Lady (1938)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Expected more

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I freely admit to a penchant for the light and even 'screwball' comedies of the 30s/40s and so never having seen or even heard of Vivacious Lady I snapped it up when I found it on a budget CD, on the strength of the two leads and the director. Viewing it for the first time in 2016 I found it somewhat pedestrian and predictable and, given the talent listed above, something of a disappointment and I attributed this to the third key element in any movie, i.e. the writing. Rogers was served much better by Billy Wilder in The Major And The Minor, and had more chemistry with David Niven in Bachelor Mother. This is not to say that Vivacious Lady is a total dog or even unwatchable; it is certainly watchable - once.

Botany professor James Stewart (as Peter Morgan) arrives in Manhattan to retrieve handsome cousin James Ellison (as Keith Morgan) from a partying binge, then marries mutually admired nightclub singer Ginger Rogers (as Francey Brent). At his "Old Sharon" college town home, Mr. Stewart must introduce beautiful but lower class Ms. Rogers to conservative parents Charles Coburn and Beulah Bondi (as Peter and Martha Morgan). Believe it or not, Stewart and Rogers also have trouble finding a place to be consummate the marriage. "Vivacious Lady" is stereotypical without the satirical wit in either script or performance to make it a classic, but it has producer/director George Stevens and a good cast. Co-stars Rogers and Stewart are an especially dynamic team, and this is unfortunately their only feature together.***** Vivacious Lady (5/10/38) George Stevens ~ Ginger Rogers, James Stewart, James Ellison, Beulah Bondi

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It was full of life and the premise worked out in an original way. I also liked the many speaking parts they gave to the Black actors of the time. They weren't stereotyped to the extent where it became offensive even for today. A simple story told in a sweet well written way makes you feel as if you were brighten by the whole story. I loved the contrast of New York and Old Sharon. Movies done in those times portrayed an innocence which we all lost in the big Hollywood productions of the past 30 years or so. Ginger Rogers didn't over act as she usually did and the plot didn't borrow from the popular "It happened One Night" as did other screw ball comedies of that time. I also loved the small dance scene and the trendy whistling the college students did. Get with your loved ones and put on an old movie from TCM and enjoy the types of movies which leave you feeling good.

Vivacious Lady (1938) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Romantic-comedy from George Stevens has a Professor (James Stewart) marrying a a nightclub singer (Ginger Rogers) but their love starts to fall apart when he takes her home and can't get the nerve to tell his father (Charles Coburn). I found the film to be quite romantic due to the two leads but the comedy area left me a tad bit cold. There's one great scene where Rogers gets into a slap fight, which is real funny but other than this scene there weren't any laughs to be found for me. Rogers and Stewart are wonderful together and the supporting cast does a fine job as well but it just needed a tad bit more.