When the supporting actors in any film garner more attention and get more screen time than the leading lady there are sure to be problems. This is exactly what happens to poor Joan Fontaine, at the very start of her career, in a part that requires her to, well, carry the film as a second lead to Fred Astaire. She plays Lady Alyce Marshmorton, a woman whom Fred Astaire's character is supposed to woo out of an arranged marriage, and frankly, her colorlessness is painfully evident. Probably it's that she was at the beginning of her career and would only after 1939 come into her own as a respected actress and go on to win an Oscar for SUSPICION, but whatever she would have just doesn't show here, not to mention she can't dance at all.
Then you have the two supporting characters played by George Burns and Gracie Allen -- essentially playing what would be their signature routine, here extended for an entire film -- and whenever they're on screen the movie first comes to a halt, but a good halt. Their exchanges at the start of the movie can crack anyone up and a sequence in a carnival which seems to go on forever, while adding zero to the flimsy story, has a humor all its own especially whenever Gracie Allen is on screen throwing her zingers left and right and playing ditsy to perfection. Then you have some pat scenes with Constance Collier which are pretty funny; she had her Britishness down pat.
If it weren't for the supporting actors, A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS would be a much worse movie, and because of them it's watchable but forgettable, routine fluff from the movie factory.
Then you have the two supporting characters played by George Burns and Gracie Allen -- essentially playing what would be their signature routine, here extended for an entire film -- and whenever they're on screen the movie first comes to a halt, but a good halt. Their exchanges at the start of the movie can crack anyone up and a sequence in a carnival which seems to go on forever, while adding zero to the flimsy story, has a humor all its own especially whenever Gracie Allen is on screen throwing her zingers left and right and playing ditsy to perfection. Then you have some pat scenes with Constance Collier which are pretty funny; she had her Britishness down pat.
If it weren't for the supporting actors, A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS would be a much worse movie, and because of them it's watchable but forgettable, routine fluff from the movie factory.