Katie Did It (1951)

So much average

Highly Overrated But Still Good

best movie i've ever seen.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

"Katie Did It" is a fine comedy-romance set in a small New England town and New York City. Ann Blyth and Mark Stevens have good chemistry in this film. All but forgotten and unknown by audiences of the 21st Century, Stevens had a fine career from the early 1940s to late 1980s. He had supporting and lead roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to war and Western films. He made some very good film noir mysteries in the 1940s. Yet, he is probably best remembered for his various TV series in the 1950s. Stevens never achieved the top stardom of the prominent leading men of Hollywood. He was lead actor in several 20th Century Fox films, but seldom had the top actresses opposite him. Those films in which he played opposite the big name stars all were box office successes. One of the best was "The Snake Pit" of 1948 with Olivia de Havilland. Other films with top stars were "From This Day Forward" of 1946 with Joan Fontaine, "The Dark Corner" of 1946 with Lucille Ball, "Please Believe Me of 1950 with Deborah Kerr, and "Jack Slade" of 1953 with Dorothy Malone.Whether in comedy, drama, mystery or even musical films, Stevens had a fine film persona. He always seemed more at ease and comfortable in his roles, whether tough guy, romantic lead or fun loving character. That's a great talent for actors and one that made him seem so natural and real. This film is a good example. "Katie Did It" has an original plot with some very good humor. Katherine Standish (Blyth) and Peter Van Arden (Stevens) have some scenes with good laughs. Other comedy is provided by a very good supporting cast. The best of those are Cecil Kellaway as Nathaniel Wakeley VI and William Lynn as Clarence Spivvens.Horseracing was very popular among the public in the early to md-20th century. So, many movies made during that time had scenes around the sport. This is one such film. But its contribution to the story and humor is quite flimsy. This is a weak aspect of the screenplay. Much better handling of this and one or two other scenarios would have raised this film a couple of notches. This isn't a rousing comedy on the order of "The Awful Truth" or "My Favorite Wife, but it's a fun film that the whole family can enjoy. Yes, even a modern family well into the 21st century. The film has two sequences that are very funny. The first is on a train ride and involves Katie, Peter and the conductor, played by Irving Bacon. The second is a nighttime scene with Katie, Uncle Nathaniel and Clarence Spivvens. They set out to touch up some artwork on several highway billboards. Humorous lines and snippets of funny antics are peppered throughout the film. Here are some favorite lines. For more, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie. Peter Van Arden introduces Nathaniel and Clarence to the gimlet cocktail. After each takes their first sip, Clarence says, "Ain't much kick to it, is there?" Nathaniel Wakeley replies, "Hmm. I've tasted chasers that were stronger." A few drinks later and the two old gents are pleasantly potted. Nathaniel Wakeley, "Peter, my boy. When you're my age, you'll begin to realize that all women are confusing."Katherine Standish has gone to see about getting a song published. The publishers are a couple of young guys toughing it out and trying to come up with salable songs. The title of her song is, "Just a Little Old Cape Cod Cottage in a Little New England Town." The song men say they'll have to change the title to something that would sell. Chick (Norman Abbott) suggests a couple titles: "A Little Bungalow in Kokomo," or "A Little Shack in Hackensack." Eddie (Gabriel Dell) suggests a South of the Border touch and the title "A Cottage Dandy by the Rio Grande."Nathaniel Wakely, to Katie, "I unintentionally bet $495 more than I intended."Conductor, "Tell me - is she dangerous when she has one of those spells?" Peter, "She, uh, she might do anything."The following is from a scene on the train. Katie, "Husband? Why I've never seen this person until a few days ago." Peter, "And what did I catch my little girl doing a couple days ago? You ran away and jumped in the river. You remember that don't you, Katie dear?" Katie, "Of course I remember. I was delivering some books and ..." Peter, "Now, dear, you know fish can't read." Conductor, "And for your own good, it's best your husband sit here."The same scene a little later. Katie, "Conductor!" The conductor walks over to them and says, "Why don't you relax, lady. Maybe the spell will pass off in a minute." Katie, "Spell?" Looking down at Peter, "What did you tell him?" Peter, "I told him the truth. I thought it was best." Conductor, "It certainly is. We're your friends."

I'm referring to the de-prim and proper-ing of uptight young ladies brought up to either be housewives and mothers, serious business women or spinsters, tightly corseted and bound up tighter than tight can possibly be. Wakely Massachusetts is an 18th Century town where the values have not changed along with the centuries, and even though freedom from the British was won turning a colony into a state, several additonal wars and countless fashion trends have come and gone, it remains as prudish as it was more than a hundred years before. Artist Mark Stevens visits the town to paint a new sign for the White Horse Inn and drips paint onto the hat of prudish librarian passer-by Ann Blyth. When news spreads that Stevens is a painter of fleshy young ladies wearing pretty much nothing and surrounded only by lily pads, his reputation begins to create shock, but Stevens has a surprise up his sleeve: a secret about the town that will turn them on their babbitty and provincial ears. So just what did Katie do? Well, with handsome Stevens persuading her to go to New York to try and get a song she's written published, she finds she must do what she can to make money to pay off the debts of rascally uncle Cecil Kellaway so she won't have to marry the most boring man in Wakely. This leads to a scene of a trend that started way before then that continues to this day where a poster of Katie ends up all over and alterations are made to it by the poser herself. (Check out pretty much any subway billboard for blacked out teeth, fake mustaches on women and other alterations that can be made to give modern artists something to work with.) This is pretty much 1930's style screwball comedy with little of a 1950's flavor changing how these types of movies were made 15 years before with stars like Myrna Loy, Rosalind Russell, Jean Arthur and Carole Lombard. Elizabeth Patterson, who played similar roles even back then is Blyth's prudish aunt, not having aged one bit. Jesse White is the local bartender who brings Stevens to town in the first place. There are some amusing moments, but the same old plot twists and devices to keep the leading couple from getting together until the very end. The town of Wakely looks like any ordinary small to medium sized town during the bulk of the 1900's and is filled with the same type of small minded people you've seen in many of these movies. Nothing new, nothing fresh, just moments of amusement, with pretty Blyth escaping from her Veda Pierce mode, yet still far from the singing Rose Marie.

Katherine Standish (Ann Blyth) is a very, very proper New England librarian in a town of extremely proper people. However, when a goofy artist, Peter Van Arden (Mark Stevens) arrives, all sorts of problems develop. He has contempt for rules and mores and delights in making the locals blush...particularly the pretty librarian. However, the more she protests, the more the viewer realizes that she and Peter will be married by the end of the picture...even though she already has a fiancé. How does it all unfold? See the film."Katie Did It" is a sweet and inconsequential little film. It won't change your life but has a few laughs and a nice romance. And, things do get pretty crazy after Peter decides to paint some racy pictures of Katherine...and the town's reaction and how he deals with this are all quite clever and engaging.

I had the chance to watch this on Youtube yesterday. Someone had just uploaded it a few hours before I found it online. After wanting to see this rare Universal romantic comedy from the 50s, it was a real treat. And worth the wait.Ann Blyth is at the peak of her career and does nicely as a wound-up-too-tight librarian who gradually comes out of her shell, thanks to the interest an artist (Mark Stevens) takes in her. It's a shame the leads did not reunite on-screen again, because they have real chemistry.The story is aided considerably by the veteran character actors in the cast. Elizabeth Patterson is perfect as Blyth's prickly aunt; Cecil Kellaway gives one of his best comic performances as the poor sap married to Patterson, whose penchant for fun gets Blyth into trouble; and Jesse White, who disappears a third of the way into the story, plays a bartender. There is also a great turn by Irving Bacon in two sequences as a train conductor.There are no major surprises in terms of the plot-- you can see how it's going to end a mile away. But it's so well played and there are quite a few funny gags that it's still rather enjoyable. Look for a scene that has Blyth posing for a portrait being painted by Stevens--it features her in a tub of water with lily pads. Earlier, she's glimpsed in an outdoor pool-- resembling how she was photographed in an earlier Universal picture, MR. PEABODY AND THE MERMAID.If you enjoy comedies about small town scandals, watch this one-- and also check out SMALL TOWN GIRL and THEODORA GOES WILD.