A bonkers fantasy comedy starring Veronica Lake and Fredric March? Surprisingly it works though it is hardly a major hallmark in this genre, it still lead to the eventual "Bewitched" TV series.
Puritans burn witches at the stake in nasty old Salem while March (miscast purposely, I imagine) is the Puritan Wooley who seems to have some misgivings about the witch's death. Of course, in the world of this movie, the witches are real. Nevertheless, years pass to the present day where one of the direct descendants, Wallace Wooley (March, again), is about to be elected as governor and get married to a wealthy sourpuss, Estelle Masterson (Susan Hayward). The dead witch and her father, a sorcerer, emerge from a tree as billows of smoke and burn a hotel to the ground. This gets the attention of Wallace who saves a woman in the hotel, a naked woman named Jennifer (Veronica Lake) who is of course the witch. Well, not totally naked you understand, this was 1942.
Shenanigans abound as she finds herself in his mansion frequently, always flirting and speaking of loving Wooley. This causes tension within him since he's getting married the following day. Wallace can't seem to get rid of Jennifer or her father who feigns getting shot during the wedding reception! Will Wallace marry the unhappy Estelle who feigns smiles for the cameras or will he settle for the allure of Jennifer?
Predictable to a tee, "I Married a Witch" is mostly charming and frequently amusing though Fredric March is not the actor I would have chosen for the paranoid Wallace (he seemed more adept to the comical surroundings of "Nothing Sacred" with Carole Lombard). He does not have the ringing chemistry that is central to the film's love story with lovely Lake (her whispers alone would make any man's heart melt). Still, Veronica Lake sells the film with her aura and unmistakable beauty and she has good comic timing (also thanks to Rene Clair's skillful direction). She's not devilish or evil, just simply a mischievous woman who wants nothing more than everlasting love. She's the witch that all men dream of.
No comments:
Post a Comment