The Strawberry Blonde

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites -- it'll be yours too!
Review: James Cagney is often overlooked as an action star who played gangsters. True enough.

But if you are looking for a Cagney flick that shows him in great breadth and depth in comedy and romance -- you must see The Strawberry Blonde.

I adore Cagney -- and will even watch a bad Cag flick because he is just so awesome. In the gangster flicks he is imcomparable. But catch me in the right mood, and I'll say that The Strawberry Blonde is just about the best film he ever made.

First of all, you have a great cast -- Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Jack Carson, Alan Hale Sr., George Tobias -- who all play wonderful characters, flirts and scoundrels.

Then you have a fantastic, engaging screenplay by the famous Epstein brothers (who wrote clever dialogue for such classics as Casablanca) about turn-of-the-century life in New York.

Then, there is Cagney who will make you laugh, fall in love, and cry. The scenario is perhaps overused -- a man falls in love with a society girl (Hayworth) whom he can never have, and rebounds in a marriage with a "plain" girl, played by de Havilland (who is anything but plain). Only after many trials and tribulations does he truly see the love and goodness in his marriage.

Sounds pretty serious, but it's a hilarious piece, with Cagney as the would-be suitor. A scene in a park where he is stuck with de Havilland when he would rather be with Hayworth, shows him at his best comedic flair, as a rude, pouting heartsick fellow. While Hayworth is giggling and flirting with another fellow behind some rocks in a silly, shallow exchange, de Havilland (with more substance than Cagney sees at the time) tries to engage him in conversations he will have no part of, then baits him with "advanced ideas" about women's rights. Needless to say, he is unimpressed, and the reactions are side splitting.

This film also is interesting because it shows the romance of which he was capable but rarely showed in his films. Cagney rarely kissed onscreen for more than a peck, finding mush embarrassing and counter to his screen image.

Here, he doesn't go much further, but finds other ways to express the romance and love in his heart to de Havilland. After a melodramatic turn, where he winds up in prison, he meets de Havilland in the park after his stint is up, and clutches her to him with a hug full of passion, desperation, love and sadness. It's the kind of embrace that happens between people in real life, and not often shown on film.

Finally, the music is wonderful, with songs like "Bill Bailey," "Let the Rest of the World Go By", "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louie," and "And the Band Played On." In fact, you get a few seconds of Cagney waltzing with Hayworth to "And the Band Played On." Not enough of Cagney's footwork is shown, but Lordy, could he dance!

Well, needless to say, you should see this The Strawberry Blonde.

Rating:
Summary: 1940's Nostalgia for the Turn of the Century
Review: Set in turn of the century NYC, "The Strawberry Blonde" has Jimmy Cagney playing "Biff Grimes," a tough, street-bred young man who is studying to be dentist. Biff, however, for all his outer toughness is constantly being suckered by his best "friend," "Hugo Barnstead" (Jack Carson.) Hugo is always thinking of schemes to advance himself and Biff, but time after time Hugo gets the benefit of the scheme and Biff gets stuck holding the bag for all the bad things. Yet Biff remains friends with Hugo because Hugo keeps promising him that "he'll take care of him."

Then along comes the "strawberry blonde"- a gorgeous, society girl called "Virginia" (Rita Hayworth.) Biff is instantly smitten and proclaims Virginia to be his "ideal." He and Hugo go out on double date with Virginia and her friend- an ordinary, working girl named "Amy" (Olivia De Haviland.) Yet once again Hugo gets a jump on Biff by walking off alone with Virginia and leaving a very disappointed Biff with Amy. Amy, of course, is very sweet and charming, but Biff is blinded to this by his infatuation with Virginia. Biff will eventually learn the hard way about what kind of a "friend" Hugo truly is and what kind of an "ideal" Virginia is.

"The Strawberry Blonde" is about happiness and we all know darn well who is going to be happily married and content at movie's end, but getting there is the fun part. This is just a really nicely made and entertaining movie. Cagney is very believable as a sweet, gullible guy, who is constantly being burned by his loyalties. However, fans of Cagney's trademark tough guy persona won't be completly disappointed because Biff is also a scrapper, who doesn't turn his cheek to insults. Rita Hayworth is very captivating as the object of desire, but is Olivia De Haviland really such a step down as a consolation prize? De Haviland is supposed to be playing the "plain," ordinary girl-next-door type. But as another reviewer has stated Ms. De Haviland is anything but plain. (In fact, if I had a choice between the two I would take Olivia anyday over Rita. I guess I'm just a sucker for the girl-next-door type, who also happens to be Hollywood actress gorgeous.)

This movie is not perfect. Alan Hale Sr. (the skipper's dad) playing Biff's Irish father just seems superfluous to the movie. The weakest point, though, is Jack Carson as Hugo. Jack Carson was a terrific supporting actor who made a career out of playing affable best friends in numerous Warner Bros. movies. Here Carson is playing a best friend, but he really can't pull off the conniving, selfish elements of this character because Carson plays him just too affably. Even when you're supposed to hate Hugo, Carson makes him likeable.

Rating:
Summary: 'Zactly
Review: The Strawberry Blonde has elements of comedy, drama, music, and romance all tossed into one entertaining film. Set at the turn of the century, James Cagney stars as a man studying to be a dentist who falls in love with a strawberry blonde stunner that every man is after, Rita Hayworth. Although she finds him attractive, she is more attracted to the prospects of his ambitious pal, Jack Carson. Caught up in the mix is Hayworth's friend, the forward thinking Olivia de Havilland. Cagney finds himself getting stuck with de Havilland, and it takes him a while to figure out what the audience already knows ... he really got the winner. Although Hayworth and the supporting cast of character actor veterans (Alan Hale, George Tobias, Una O'Connor, and Carson) are all fine, as a fan of Cagney and de Havilland I have to say the film belongs to them. Cagney gets to play his tough guy with a lighter touch here, getting knocked down more often than the other way around, and he displays a humorous romantic side that should have been used more often by Warner Bros. de Havilland has some of the film's best moments as the straightforward working girl who Cagney comes to discover has a lot more depth. Their three scenes in the park are classics, played with humour, charm, and honesty. Fans of Cagney and de Havilland should make this film a must for viewing!

Rating:
Summary: 'Zactly
Review: The Strawberry Blonde has elements of comedy, drama, music, and romance all tossed into one entertaining film. Set at the turn of the century, James Cagney stars as a man studying to be a dentist who falls in love with a strawberry blonde stunner that every man is after, Rita Hayworth. Although she finds him attractive, she is more attracted to the prospects of his ambitious pal, Jack Carson. Caught up in the mix is Hayworth's friend, the forward thinking Olivia de Havilland. Cagney finds himself getting stuck with de Havilland, and it takes him a while to figure out what the audience already knows ... he really got the winner. Although Hayworth and the supporting cast of character actor veterans (Alan Hale, George Tobias, Una O'Connor, and Carson) are all fine, as a fan of Cagney and de Havilland I have to say the film belongs to them. Cagney gets to play his tough guy with a lighter touch here, getting knocked down more often than the other way around, and he displays a humorous romantic side that should have been used more often by Warner Bros. de Havilland has some of the film's best moments as the straightforward working girl who Cagney comes to discover has a lot more depth. Their three scenes in the park are classics, played with humour, charm, and honesty. Fans of Cagney and de Havilland should make this film a must for viewing!

Rating:
Summary: 1940's Nostalgia for the Turn of the Century
Review: THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE is a forgotten masterpiece of the Hollywood of yesteryear. Through subtle,dreamy narrative and photography that reminds one of a long gone summer afternoon turning to autumn, Walsh follows Biff Grimes(Cagney in a nicely nuanced performance) and his journey from the spitoon to the clink to the altar. Haunting and unforgettable, a gentle,broadminded stunner about the games called society and marriage, and it's effects on the players who are fated to follow the rules of the game.

Rating:
Summary: RAOUL WALSH'S PURE PORTRAYAL OF SOCIETY AND HUMANITY
Review: THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE is a forgotten masterpiece of the Hollywood of yesteryear. Through subtle,dreamy narrative and photography that reminds one of a long gone summer afternoon turning to autumn, Walsh follows Biff Grimes(Cagney in a nicely nuanced performance) and his journey from the spitoon to the clink to the altar. Haunting and unforgettable, a gentle,broadminded stunner about the games called society and marriage, and it's effects on the players who are fated to follow the rules of the game.

Rating:
Summary: A turely captivating motion picture
Review: This is a movie that doesn't age. The emotions that it shares are still the same today for all couples who are turely in love. It will make you laugh and make you cry, but it teaches you a lesson. I like this movie so much that I hope that they release it in DVD format sometime in the near future. It is worth paying the extra money for it.