NO TIME FOR COMEDY (Warner Brothers, 1940), directed by William Keighley, stars James Stewart and Rosalind Russell, in what the title indicates, a comedy. This comedy, however, taken from a stage play by S.N. Behrman, as produced by Katherine Cornell and the Playwright's Company that starred Laurence Olivier, is very much a screen adaptation by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein that was very much rewritten to fit in with Stewart's screen persona. Somewhat reminiscing with director Frank Capra's MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (Columbia, 1936) where country yokel (Gary Cooper) takes Manhattan, NO TIME FOR COMEDY offers Stewart something similar as country boy taking on Broadway (with some doses of Stewart's own MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)), especially when both Deeds and Estabrooke characters run off to fires after hearing sirens from fire engines at a distance.
Set in the Broadway district of New York City, Linda Paige (Rosalind Russell), actress, along with Richard Benson (Clarence Kolb), producer, and Morgan Carroll (Allyn Joslyn), director, are all set to work on an upcoming play, "Dilemma at Dinner," but are awaiting for the arrival of its author, Gaylord Esterbrook (James Stewart), from Redfield, Minnesota, who's to arrive and oversee production with rewrites. After nearly two weeks, Gaylord does appear, and once seen, is not believed to be taken seriously as the playwright until he shows his identification card being that from the Redfield Volunteer Fire Department. Even its lead actress, Linda, is stunned, after mistaking him for an usher by giving Gaylord a quarter to buy her a pack of cigarettes. Though Benson decides not to produce the play, Linda arranges to have Gaylord's first play go on as scheduled. The play, being a comedy about high society in three acts, much to everybody's surprise, becomes a smashing success. In due time, the shy country boy turned playwright marries his leading actress, Linda. For the next four years, Gaylord writes a succession on comedy hits, until coming up with a writer's block. During a dinner party, Gaylord meets Philo Swift (Charlie Ruggles), a middle-aged stock holder of Wall Street, and his attractive young wife, Amanda (Genevieve Tobin). It is Amanda who not only tells Gaylord he should be writing dramas, but soon finds no time for comedy and more time for Mrs. Swift, much to the dismay of Linda.
A pleasing comedy with some serious overtones features some notable character actors in support as J.M. Kerrigan (Jim, the Bartender); Robert Greig (Robert, the Butler); Frank Faylen (The Taxi Driver); and Herbert Anderson (better known for his 1960s TV role as the father of "Dennis the Menace") as one of the actors. Louise Beavers carries on her usual sassy performance as Linda's maid; while Charlie Ruggles (on loan from Paramount) having some of the best and funniest fine delivery one-liners ever heard to stir up laughter. Take note that spelling of Linda's last name is seen as "Paige" throughout the story, yet in the closing credits is spelled "Page." For film buffs or historians, it's interesting finding James Stewart and Rosalind Russell, both contract players for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, together for the only time in a Warner Brothers production. It's a wonder why Warners didn't use its very own stock players as George Brent and Olivia De Havilland, Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan, or Jeffrey Lynn and Priscilla Lane in the Stewart and Russell roles. Then again, stronger marque names is what lures audiences into the theaters. In this case, Stewart and Russell work out quite well, as does Genevieve Tobin, looking quite youthful here than she ever did thus far, in one of her final movie roles.
Of the handful of James Stewart or Rosalind Russell movies that have been distributed to home video, NO TIME FOR COMEDY was one that never was. Since its humble beginnings, broadcast on cable television as Turner Network Television (TNT) in the late 1980s, and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) dating back to 1994, presented this edition with a 1949 reissue and studio logo with asinine title, "Guy With a Grin." It wasn't until decades later when TCM finally broadcast NO TIME FOR COMEDY under its original title and studio logo when shown on June 4, 2017.
Though there have been other movies featuring similar themes where playwright tries to do something completely different from his usual style of writing, NO TIME FOR COMEDY is one for the time capsule where Broadway and playwrights are concerned. (***1/2)
Set in the Broadway district of New York City, Linda Paige (Rosalind Russell), actress, along with Richard Benson (Clarence Kolb), producer, and Morgan Carroll (Allyn Joslyn), director, are all set to work on an upcoming play, "Dilemma at Dinner," but are awaiting for the arrival of its author, Gaylord Esterbrook (James Stewart), from Redfield, Minnesota, who's to arrive and oversee production with rewrites. After nearly two weeks, Gaylord does appear, and once seen, is not believed to be taken seriously as the playwright until he shows his identification card being that from the Redfield Volunteer Fire Department. Even its lead actress, Linda, is stunned, after mistaking him for an usher by giving Gaylord a quarter to buy her a pack of cigarettes. Though Benson decides not to produce the play, Linda arranges to have Gaylord's first play go on as scheduled. The play, being a comedy about high society in three acts, much to everybody's surprise, becomes a smashing success. In due time, the shy country boy turned playwright marries his leading actress, Linda. For the next four years, Gaylord writes a succession on comedy hits, until coming up with a writer's block. During a dinner party, Gaylord meets Philo Swift (Charlie Ruggles), a middle-aged stock holder of Wall Street, and his attractive young wife, Amanda (Genevieve Tobin). It is Amanda who not only tells Gaylord he should be writing dramas, but soon finds no time for comedy and more time for Mrs. Swift, much to the dismay of Linda.
A pleasing comedy with some serious overtones features some notable character actors in support as J.M. Kerrigan (Jim, the Bartender); Robert Greig (Robert, the Butler); Frank Faylen (The Taxi Driver); and Herbert Anderson (better known for his 1960s TV role as the father of "Dennis the Menace") as one of the actors. Louise Beavers carries on her usual sassy performance as Linda's maid; while Charlie Ruggles (on loan from Paramount) having some of the best and funniest fine delivery one-liners ever heard to stir up laughter. Take note that spelling of Linda's last name is seen as "Paige" throughout the story, yet in the closing credits is spelled "Page." For film buffs or historians, it's interesting finding James Stewart and Rosalind Russell, both contract players for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, together for the only time in a Warner Brothers production. It's a wonder why Warners didn't use its very own stock players as George Brent and Olivia De Havilland, Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan, or Jeffrey Lynn and Priscilla Lane in the Stewart and Russell roles. Then again, stronger marque names is what lures audiences into the theaters. In this case, Stewart and Russell work out quite well, as does Genevieve Tobin, looking quite youthful here than she ever did thus far, in one of her final movie roles.
Of the handful of James Stewart or Rosalind Russell movies that have been distributed to home video, NO TIME FOR COMEDY was one that never was. Since its humble beginnings, broadcast on cable television as Turner Network Television (TNT) in the late 1980s, and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) dating back to 1994, presented this edition with a 1949 reissue and studio logo with asinine title, "Guy With a Grin." It wasn't until decades later when TCM finally broadcast NO TIME FOR COMEDY under its original title and studio logo when shown on June 4, 2017.
Though there have been other movies featuring similar themes where playwright tries to do something completely different from his usual style of writing, NO TIME FOR COMEDY is one for the time capsule where Broadway and playwrights are concerned. (***1/2)