Honeymoon in Bali (1939)

That was an excellent one.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

"Honeymoon in Bali" is a sweet romance that has inexplicably fallen into the public domain. Often, public domain films suck--but this one is far from sucky.The film is about a nice guy who has returned to the States to visit, though Bill (Fred MacMurray) lives in Bali (that's a very large island in Indonesia, if you care). After having a fortune teller inform her she'd meet someone, Gail (Madeline Carroll)--a high-powered career woman. The two kind of hit it off, but Gail isn't convinced that Bill is the man the fortune teller told her about...after all, he is moving back to Bali and she has her career. She also has a boyfriend already, and Eric (Allan Jones) seems like a very nice guy. However, when Gail meets Bill's young ward (Rosie, played by Carolyn Lee), her heart is captured. But how can Gail have Bill and Rosie in her life? After all, they're returning to Bali and she has her career...as well as Eric.The scenes between MacMurray and Carroll were very nice and they worked well together. However, the scenes between Carroll and young Lee were magical. Lee was perfect--adorable, but not too much and seemed very natural. I do wonder why she only had a few screen credits. Regardless, due to a nice story, very good dialog and some nice characters (Eric is exceptionally sweet), the film is just fun and a decent date film. Well worth seeing and available on YouTube and most likely also from archive.org since it's a public domain film.

Also called My Love for Yours.Bill Burnett, a resident of Bali, visits New York City, meets and falls in love with Gail Allen, the successful manager of a Fifth Avenue shop, who is determined to remain free and independent. Bill proposes, Gail declines and Bill goes home to Bali. But a young girl, Rosie, and Tony the Window Cleaner, who dispels advice on every floor, soon have Gail thinking maybe she was a bit hasty with her no to Bill's proposal. Ere long she discovers that she does love Bill and can't live without him. She goes down to Bali to give him the good news. He learns that he is soon to marry Noel Van Ness. She goes back to New York City. Or does she?It's a trite well done film that is easily watched.

Since I watched her in the Hitchcock film, "The 39 Steps (1935), I have admired Madeleine for her cool blond, sophisticated skill as an actress. "Honeymoon in Bali" was a very enjoyable film which did not telegraph its ending until the final scene, a tribute to the intelligent screenplay and writer.In some ways the plot is modern despite it being over 70 years old.There are still many career girls working in New York who are bright, but are emotionally lonely and always on the lookout for "Mr Right", I worked for an American Bank and met quite a few bright American girls in our London office (and was even propositioned by one).Madeleine Carroll is her own boss and has a highly successful well paid career and is loath to surrender it all up for a mere man!She has the sophisticated NYK accent off pat and plays her bright, intelligent and attractive self.Love comes knocking in the shape of Fred MacMurray whom she meets in an expensive boat showroom in the heart of Manhattan.Madeleine has a best friend (Helen Broderick) who incautiously reminds her that her opera singing boyfriend (Allan Jones) has not put enough candles on the cake.The singing telegram scene is flat and without emotion despite Allan Jones giving an operatic version of "Happy Birthday".You sense Madeleine needs emotional fulfillment at this point.As to the candle discrepancy, in a bit of repartee worthy of Oscar Wilde, Madeleine retorts,"I always think one shouldn't have people around you know for too long".Fred is the legal guardian of a little girl and asks whether Madeleine would temporarily look after her, but Madeleine must put her career first.Fred has worked in Bali and has a platonic relationship with a foreign girl who is already contemplating marriage to him.A window cleaner played by Akim Tamiroff cleans Madeleine's office windows and appears something of a philosopher who rates Fred but not Allan Jones.Gradually Madeleine becomes emotionally attached to Fred's little girl and even treks to his home in Bali when she realises she really loves him.Although we cannot have a sad ending, in a denouement worthy of the great Jane Austen herself, the film ends leaving us with a feel-good factor, (although we are kept guessing right up to its end).A triumph for the great Madeleine Carroll sufficient to make Robert Donat really jealous!!

Wow! I picked this up today from the $4.99 DVD bin at K-Mart. What a pleasant surprise. It's your typical romantic story of boy meets girl, boy looses girl, ect., but there are some very fine moments.The film opens with Madeline Carroll having her fortune told. It's an outrageous fortune, but as the story unfolds we see it coming true to life. Fred MacMurray is great in this film. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't compare to his role in 'The Apartment,' but I was shocked when I realized that this film was made in 1939.The open and candid talk of one of the characters attempted suicides (done in a VERY light-hearted way), makes me wonder if this film was passed by the Production Code.