Steineded How sad is this?

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

bkoganbing Ferenc Molnar's The Good Fairy ran for 151 performances on Broadway in the 1932 season and a young Helen Hayes played the title role of Luisa Ginglebuscher. That name itself I'm sure produced a few chuckles from the audience.The Good Fairy is the kind of work where casting of the lead is all. If you don't have an actress skilled enough to bring off an almost impossible role of an orphan waif who may have stayed too long at an orphanage and brings her naivete out with her, just forget about doing the play or the film. In the case of this film Margaret Sullavan in her third film proved to be just right for the part. You get this wrong and you'll get hooted off the stage.Not that Sullavan didn't have help with William Wyler directing her who was legendary in his painstaking methods of doing dozens of takes so a player could get it exactly as he wanted. Molnar's play was adapted for the screen by Preston Sturges whose directorial career was about four years in the future. During the film Wyler became Sullavan's second husband.Wyler even got Herbert Marshall to bend a little. Usually Marshall was cast in serious dramatic roles, characters with the weight of the world on their shoulders like in Foreign Correspondent or The Little Foxes. Here Marshall lightens up and proves a good comedic foil. Frank Morgan plays an aging roue, millionaire owner of a meat import business and he's settling into character as the eternal bumbler.The Good Fairy is a star vehicle and it's got one great star in Margaret Sullavan to put it across.

sheerblue-1 This gem of a screwball comedy has it all: wonderful performances (especially from Margaret Sullavan), witty dialogue, good comedic timing, etc. The premise is a little outlandish, but hey, what do you expect from a screwball? Besides, that's partly what made "A Palm Beach Story" (also written by Sturges) so charming.Margaret Sullavan plays Louisa, an orphan hired as a movie theater usher (which, in the scheme of things, is not important). Through funny circumstances she ends up befriending Detlaff, a prickly but lovable waiter. He invites her to a fancy party where millionaire Konrad falls for her and tries to seduce her (and fails miserably). Frightened, Louisa lies and says she's married and picks her husband's name out of the phone book. Konrad decides to give this lawyer (Max Sporum/Herbert Marshall) an important position with his company so that _he_ can go on to lavish Lousia with expensive gifts.You can figure out the rest. Herbert Marshall and Sullavan have a great chemistry, though, and though I never took to Marshall in "Trouble in Paradise", I found him utterly charming here with his accent, enthusiasm, and dry humor. As for Sullavan...wow! She produced such touching scenes that I would have labeled this movie a tearjerker if it weren't so darned funny! A must-see.

PWNYCNY Corny movie, dated, but cute, watchable but if you fall asleep don't be surprised. It is amazing how the name Preston Sturges sets up certain expectations for a movie, that it will be fast-paced and crammed with witty, funny dialogue, but alas reputation, like many other aspects of human life, may not be completely consistent with reality. This is a good movie but it is obscure and for good reason. The movie has an excellent cast but the movie's premise is so simplistic that it calls into question whether the audience in 1935 was so naive. This story presents a rather bizarre portrayal of life in an orphanage and the transition from ward to the government to independent woman. Also, the transplantation of Hollywoodish scenery and dialogue onto a story originally set in Hungary is a bit of a stretch but nevertheless it's a good movie. Herbert Marshall, Frank Morgan and Reginald Owen give excellent performances, which is further evidence that the quality of acting was far superior than what it is today, which isn't surprising given Hollywood's obsession for special effects with its firm reliance on the computer to rescue movies from total oblivion.

MartinHafer Margaret Sullavan plays a lady who was just released into the world from an orphan asylum where she had spent her entire life. As a result, she's incredibly naive about the world. She soon meets nice-guy Reginald Owen decides to take it upon himself to follow her and protect her from evil men who might try to take advantage of her. Owen is a waiter at a fancy hotel and he tries to keep Sullavan from getting mixed up with a rich old lecher, played by Frank Morgan. But Sullavan doesn't realize that Morgan is a potential threat and doesn't understand Owen's insistence that she avoid Morgan. It's pretty funny watching Owen whisking in and out of the private dining room where Sullavan and Morgan are about to eat--and he uses every excuse in the world to interrupt. However, Morgan is not deterred and promises to do ANYTHING for Sullavan. Sullavan is so naive that she thinks Morgan is doing this just out of the goodness of his heart.Eventually, however, even naive (and dim) Sullavan seems to understand that Morgan is trying to seduce her and so she panics and tells him she is married. When he asks her to whom, she picks a name out of the phone book--a very poor but honest lawyer played by Herbert Marshall. Morgan STILL isn't deterred and offers to help Sullavan's 'husband'--sort of a "quid pro quo" arrangement where he helps Marshall in order to eventually win Sullavan's heart.Later that day, Morgan goes to Marshall's office and offers him a huge salary to become his lawyer in charge of his multinational meat packing company. Marshall ecstatically accepts and has no idea why this offer came his way.Soon afterwords, Sullavan tracks down Marshall and they do actually fall in love. This is a tremendously cute and romantic portion of the film. Sullavan plans on telling Marshall why this good fortune has come this way, but decides against it because Marshall thinks that it must be his reward for being a decent and honest lawyer! However, into this bliss returns Morgan who wants payback for his 'good deed' for Marshall. Sullavan is shocked to see that she is expected to reciprocate and a very, very, very determined Reginald Owen once again returns to save the day--kidnapping Sullavan! Morgan gives chase and they all end up at Marshall's office--at which point Morgan is furious at Marshall's wife for creating this mess. Marshall, who is unmarried, is baffled about this 'wife' and a big argument ensues. This portion of the film is hilarious--especially when Sullavan tries to get Marshall to say that they are married! Eventually, they all realize that the problem was all orchestrated by Sullavan. But, since she really is such a sweet person, it all works out for a very happy (if a bit contrived) ending.If the plot sounds a bit hard to believe, then you are correct. But, with romantic comedies like this, you are expected to suspend disbelief. Provided you can do this, then the movie is terrific with excellent romance, sparkling dialog and a witty yet adult tone to the film. While not exactly a 'screwball comedy' like BRINGING UP BABY or MY MAN GODFREY, it is very funny and definitely more romantic. A wonderful balance and a wonderful but forgotten picture.