(1952)
3
Craig Butler
Although it did not receive the same popular and critical acclaim as the earlier Born Yesterday -- which featured the same star and director and one of the same writers - The Marrying Kind is actually a more ambitious, if ultimately less successful, film. Whereas Born Yesterday was a straightforward comedy about a serious subject (or subjects, depending upon your point of view), Marrying Kind is an sometimes uneasy blend of comedy and drama -- at times, some fairly heavy drama, as when the son of the lead characters drowns. Neither director George Cukor nor writers Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon are completely successful at blending these disparate styles, which causes the film to wobble and jar occasionally. There also are forays into the bizarre and the surreal (similar to those in Pat and Mike), which are interesting but not totally successful. However, individual sequences, such as the heartbreaking quiz show segment, are masterful. Fortunately, Judy Holliday and Aldo Ray have no problem adjusting to the script's changes in direction. Ray is adept at capturing the husband's irritation and pride. Holliday gives what is arguably her finest performance. This movie was intended to show that she had a wide range, and she proves it with a remarkable etching of a woman who is simultaneous endearing, funny, insensitive and selfish. Her scene on the beach, as she learns that her son has drowned, is a marvel, and her rendition of "Dolores" is delightful. Holliday and Cukor would team up again, two years later, for the charming It Should Happen to You.
releases for The Marrying Kind on AllMovie
The Marrying Kind (1952)
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The Marrying Kind
Columbia TriStar
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October 21, 2003 |
