It All Came True (1940)

Powerful

Absolutely Fantastic

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

. . . laments gangster "Chips Maguire" (Humphrey Bogart) one-third of the way through IT ALL CAME TRUE. Chip senses that it will be hard to conduct sin as usual under the watchful eyes of such maternal influences. History indicates that if Adolph Hitler's mom had lived into her 90s, his Third Reich never would have gotten off the ground. With the presence or absence of just one mom having such a big impact on the course of human events, having TWO around can persuade a zebra to change his stripes. That's what happens to Chips in IT ALL CAME TRUE, as he sheepishly surrenders his freedom at the tail end. You can almost hear him echoing Margaret Hamilton's last words as the Wicked Witch of the West in THE WIZARD OF OZ: "Who could believe all my wonderful wickedness could be destroyed by a couple old biddies the likes of Youse?" After all, OZ played on America's big screens just a year prior to IT ALL CAME TRUE.

Overbearingly annoying and motherly Jessie Busley (Nora) and irritatingly unfunny and blustering Una O'Connor (Maggie) run a boarding house of out of work people of no particular talent such as tiresome magician Felix Bressart (The Great Boldini) and his stupid dog that only seems to have one trick. I guess it's meant to be cute. That's already too many comedy characters for one film, but, regrettably there are more. Anyway, into this mix comes nightclub entertainer Ann Sheridan (Sarah Jane), who is also a pain in the arse with her energetic, whirlwind entrance into the film. Composer Jeffrey Lynn (Tommy) also rocks up at the house in order to shelter gangster Humphrey Bogart (Chips Maguire/Grasselli) and Lynn and Sheridan start to make sweet music together. Can they romance each other and get a happy ending? Bogart is the best thing about this film and he has genuinely funny moments that will get you laughing. Unfortunately, he is more than offset by several comedy characters that won't have you laughing. Shame. A scene that stands out is when the group of non-talented wannabes are giving a performance to the residents of the boarding-house and the poet recites his rubbish poem. Bogart's reactions are hilarious. As they are when he is introduced to his room full of stuffed animals. But goodness me, that motherly Busley woman is annoying. Will Bogart shoot her? Sheridan is okay, nothing special while Lynn is particularly unlikable. Will Bogart shoot him for being a bit of a dullard? The film contains some entertaining and some weird musical numbers which, along with Bogart's performance, elevate this film into the okay category. But all those blasted annoying characters and that terribly contrived ending………oh please……..corny stuff.

It isn't often a movie can change a mood, but this little piece of fluff did. Whether it was a chance to see a young Bogie doing some comic acting, or Jeffrey Lynn doing something besides standing in the shadows, or Ann Sheridan being more than a wisecracking dish, I don't know - but I expect it was the latter. On one level this is a poor man's YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, with a dash of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE thrown in. It isn't oscar bait, but it does make you realize how much simple joy the hard working people at Warner Brothers gave to audiences during the Depression and the second world war. When I finished watching, I could just imagine pushing out into the evening air after the show, taking my date to get a piece a pie and cup of coffee someplace, and basking the warm glow of a simple happy time.Taken for what it is, you'll have a heck of a good time with IT ALL CAME TRUE.

Would this work? Well, of course it does. Ann Sheridan is charming, Bogart is same as ever, Jeffrey Lynn is slightly irritating in a cute kind of way, the character actors are impeccable and the film moves along at a good, relaxing pace. One of those late night weekend films to watch with a sherry and a box of chocs.