Colibel
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
Dorathen
Better Late Then Never
Francene Odetta
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
jovana-13676
I love animals! And I love Rex Harrison and Vivien Leigh. The honest journalist and the feisty daughter of a local politician make a perfect couple of animal rights activists, falling in love while rescuing a dog. The film shows awareness that fascism is on the rise and the British humorous attitude about it, cleverly making an antifascist social commentary while dealing with animal rights. I know it sounds boring, but it isn't. The world of 1937 was free-spirited, even with fascism looming over, and film was still a new and exciting art form. Screwball comedies champion free women and free men.
MartinHafer
When a young reporter, Frank Burdon (Rex Harrison), is given an assignment to interview a rather nasty and self-important local politician, it turns out to be very unpleasant. Although Provost Gow (Cecil Parker)* wants to run for parliament, he does a horrible job of impressing the reporter. This is because during the interview, Gow and Burden are interrupted by a local woman (Sara Allgood) who is begging the Provost to help her. Instead of helping, Provost Gow is completely unsympathetic and cruel--and vows to have the old lady's dog put to sleep!! Burdon is horrified and angry--how dare this local political boss mistreat his constituents like this! So he does what any honest reporter would do--he publishes the truth! This is a serious problem, though, as the paper was backing the Provost AND the Provost wasn't about to back down. Another problem is that Burdon soon falls in love with the Provost's daughter (Vivian Leigh)--and this relationship is surely doomed! This is a delightful film--sort of like a droll and British version of a screwball comedy. The dialog is GREAT and Harrison is at his best. It also helped that Cecil Parker was WONDERFUL as the buffoon politician. All in all, a great little film.*Speaking of Parker, he looked, sounded and acted almost exactly like David Horton (David Waldhorn). The likeness of the two characters is amazing.
edwagreen
Two years before the monumental "Gone With the Wind," Vivien Leigh made this rather bad film with Rex Harrison. Of all people, the wonderful Sara Allgood steals the show whose dog is ready to be put to death since she hasn't paid the local dog tax in Baikie, Scotland.A story of the corruption of politics follows. Leigh's father, the town provost, has political aspirations until he is exposed by Harrison in his news story.The scene with the dogs invading the mansion is quite funny; unfortunately, the movie really isn't; in fact, it's quite inane and dreary to say the least.The person who made Allgood's costume in the last scene of the film in court deserved an Oscar nomination.
FelixtheCat
Rex Harrison portrays a newly arrived British journalist in Scotland who uses his new job at a newspaper to take on the local political bigwig in this pleasing British comedy. The unfortunate circumstance is that while he battles the politician, he happens to be falling in love with the politician's beautiful daughter, Vivian Leigh. The issue at hand is the life of a dog that Leigh's father has coldly ordered to be put to sleep. It seems that its owner could not afford a dog license. Dog lovers should enjoy one scene in particular where what seems to be hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes raid the politician's mansion.
