The Perfect Woman (1950)

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

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Yes, undoubtedly one of the funniest films ever made, The Perfect Woman is that rare comedy than can be seen over and over again with no loss of humor or diminution in its appeal. The film's extraordinary ability to repeatedly entertain is due partly to its witty dialogue, risible situations and cleverly delineated characters; partly to the inspired comic portrayals contributed by almost the entire cast, particularly Patricia Roc (who never looked more charming), Nigel Patrick (delightfully in his element as a temporarily embarrassed young man of "good connections"), Stanley Holloway (the most versatile of gentleman's gentleman), Miles Malleson (impossible to surpass as irremediably absent-minded, eccentric yet lovable old duffers), David Hurst (a paragon of slow-witted incompetence) and Fred Berger (a short fuse splittingly compounded by his fractured English). Nor must we forget to commend Irene Handl, Jerry Desmonde and Anita Sharp-Bolster. As the robot, Pamela Devis is perhaps not quite as mechanical or automaton-like in some of her actions as would make for the greatest hilarity, but that small defect could probably be sheeted home to the make-up man and the director. Otherwise, the direction is surprisingly fluid and professional. The comic timing is always spot on and the director, by means of rapid pacing and neat compositions has managed to completely disguise the script's stage origins. Supporting technical credits are likewise highly appealing. OTHER VIEWS: At first sight, Patricia Roc, who gave such a convincing account of a chain-smoking neurotic in Love Story (1944), would hardly seem a prime contender for The Perfect Woman. Yet here, assisted by flattering costumes, make-up, hair styling and photography - plus her own innate charm, skills and talent - she seems a sure winner! - T.H.So many funny lines and situations, so hilariously played, I was absolutely cracking up at our Hollywood Classics screening - despite the fact that I'd already seen the movie three or four times. - G.A.

For some reason the director and actors seemed to be under the impression that if you acted in a maniacal fashion and speeded up your delivery everything would be hilarious.Instead it is an example of how not to film a farce.It makes even Brian Rix look restrained.Irene Handel and Miles Malleson are a joy as they are working at their own usual sedate pace.However what on earth were Patrick,Holloway and Roc playing at.Even as a robot Roc was wooden ,or should that be metallic.It is difficult to believe that Stanley Holloway gave a worse performance than this.I normally enjoy watching Nigel Patrick,but not in this.He literally chews the scenery.Little wonder that the British film industry was starring down at the precipice when this film was made.films of this type would help push it over the edge.

As a British attempt to do some American 'screwball' comedy, it falls very short of the mark. Perhaps the same vehicle in the hands of someone like Cary Grant could have made it work but not the set of actors in this. As a traditional British farce it works better but not by much, and sadly points up the fact that light comedy was not really Nigel Patrick's forte.In a short role as a effeminate dress sales clerk, Jerry Desmonde goes as far as you could without shouting out 'gay man,' in the days of fifties cinema. Pity his later roles were mainly playing stooge to the likes of Norman Wisdom.This type of broad slapstick farce and comedy of errors was slowly dying out to be replaced by the more subtle Ealing comedies. And wouldn't really return till the more risqué Carry Ons of the swinging sixties.All a bit dated in all and only vaguely amusing in the sense of 'they don't make them like that any more' type of way.

I stumbled upon this movie one afternoon on TV. It's a pacey movie when compared to many British Movies of this era (Bernard Knowles experience as cinematographer on Hitch's 39 Steps may have benefitted him in this respect). The cast are splendid, if somewhat theatrical (English Farce), especially Miles Malleson as the dotty old inventor.What fascinated me most was the similarities I began to notice with the acting of Leslie Banks as Cavendish with that of the exasperation of Basil Fawlty in "Fawlty Towers" a British TV show by ex-python John Cleese. The tortured expressions and heavily exaggerated body language were the first things to alert me to the "FT" connection. But there was more...The pace increased exponentially along with the emerging complications of taking a beautiful female robot (impersonated by Malleson's neice) to a honeymoon suite in a posh hotel until the film ended in total chaos.A foreign servant who spoke very little english and frequently misunderstood his manager's requests (Hmm, Manuel methinks!).