(1945)
2.5
Craig Butler
Judged a misfire at the time of its release, Adventure is actually a decent little film. Part of the problem in 1945 is that viewers hearing that Clark Gable would appear in a film called Adventure must have expected quite a different picture than this relatively quiet, light-but-touching feature. The adventure of the title is really the adventure of giving up a rough bachelor's life and learning to become committed to a wife and family. Not that there isn't action along the way, but the film is essentially a romance and a coming-of-age story for an adult man. This summary makes the screenplay sound better than it is, but in actuality the script never really finds its footing, despite a few memorable scenes and some nifty stretches of dialogue. Gable gives a nicely nuanced performance and does himself proud in the setpiece scene in which he saves his baby's life. Greer Garson is lovely, and Joan Blondell and Thomas Mitchell steal a couple of scenes quite handily. Victor Fleming's direction is inconsistent, quite good in some sections and ineffective in others.
cast-crew for Adventure on AllMovie
Adventure (1945)
%202.jpg?partner=allrovi.com){kind=small}
/_derived_jpg_q90_80x60_m0/TheMerryWidow1952-Still6.jpg?partner=allrovi.com){kind=small}
/_derived_jpg_q90_80x60_m0/FriscoKid1935-Still2.jpg?partner=allrovi.com){kind=small}
