(1947)
2
Craig Butler
A would-be tearjerker, Escape Me Never is blatantly manipulative (which is certainly par for the course for this particular genre and in context is not necessarily a bad thing), but it's rarely effective. Intended as a real "weepie," the kind of film that is supposed to appeal to a largely female audience ready for a good cry mixed in with romance, Escape is sometimes unintentionally funny. The lion's share of the blame rests with the subpar screenplay, which is silly when it isn't being annoying. Although the film's initial scene is a whimper, it picks up immediately thereafter when Ida Lupino enters the picture; her spunky streetwise performance in the beginning adds a vital spark to the proceedings. Unfortunately, Lupino is given little of interest to play thereafter, and while she does a truly admirable job throughout, she can't rescue the film. The rest of the cast tries hard, but to no avail. Errol Flynn, of course, has charm, but he's not believable; he doesn't seem willing to really explore the caddish side of the character and he doesn't really impress as a musical genius. Gig Young is affable but unimpressive, and Eleanor Parker can only do so much with the part she has been handed. The ballet sequence is good, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score has much to recommend it, but this can't overcome Peter Godfrey's lackluster direction and the oh-so-obviously soundstage settings. Dedicated fans of soap operas or of the cast may want to give Escape Me Never a shot, but others are advised to give it a miss.
cast-crew for Escape Me Never on AllMovie
Escape Me Never (1947)
