A wonderfully preposterous plot provides a very funny - at times, hilarious story and film. "For the Love of Mary" takes place in Washington, D. C. Deanna Durbin turns in her last superb performance in this film, before leaving Hollywood behind for all time. She is a switchboard operator. But not your ordinary, pleasant-voiced, and very polite but business-like operator. She's loaded with personality - the trademark of most of the roles Durbin had in her career.
Mary Peppertree knows her way around the nation's capitol. She had been a top switchboard operator for the Supreme Court, but left that job because of her planned wedding to fiancé Phillip Manning. But, when she called that off, she had to find another job and landed one at the White House. It just so happened that her dad, Timothy Peppertree, was a sergeant in the White House police force. And, of course she came highly recommended by several justices of the high court.
Well, she barely meets the other single ladies on the switchboard, when she handles a call from a frequent caller whom the ladies consider a crank and a pest. Then, as quickly as she handles and dismisses Mr. Paxton, she takes a call from the President. He has a cold and she suggests the surefire remedy of her grandmother. But, Mary gets the hiccups when she's nervous, as she does now in talking with the president. So, he suggests his sure remedy for her. As a messenger delivers a paper bag for her to blow into and breathe from to stop the hiccups, one justice after a another from the high court calls the switchboard to talk to Mary.
Well, that all starts viewers on a hilarious, far-out plot that is filled with mayhem and very funny situations and scenes. And, oh, did I mention that the president gets involved in contributing to a love quadrangle for Mary when he orders a White House naval attache to take Mary to a party which she hadn't planned to attend. The lieutenant is Tom Farrington, who had to break another date to take Mary out. But, he quickly falls for her and soon gets into verbal combat and maneuvering with Manning, over Mary. Then, the third male in this love quadrangle turns out to be the irritable David Paxton.
Plot twists come and go as this story plays out, with a couple more subplots. One is with a favorite restaurant owner and chef, Gustav Heindel. He is applying for U. S. citizenship. The Supreme Court justices, Justice Department attorneys and some of the White House and Pentagon brass frequent Gustav's place. And they are helping him study for his citizenship test.
The ending is a madcap affair with a twist that is very funny. I could guess part of it by that time. All of the cast give superb performances. Emond O'Brien is Lt. Farrington, Jeffrey Lynn plays Manning and Don Taylor is David Paxton. Hugo Hass plays chef Gustav Heindel, Harry Davenport is Justice Peabody, and Ray Collins is White House chief Harvey Elwood. Several others add to the fun of this film.
As someone who lived in the suburbs of D. C. and worked "on the hill" for a decade in the later years of the mid-20th century, I especially enjoyed this film. It would have been nice to have a few short scenes to show some of the Washington Mall with all of its magnificent monuments, and a couple of aerial or street scenes that show the layout of the city. Washington is quite unusual as an American city. It was designed by a French engineer, Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The city layout somewhat resembles that of the central part of Paris, France. The network of roads converge and emerge from several traffic circles in the city. The film does have some background scenes behind the opening credits. These show the Capitol, Supreme Court building and White House.
This is a very good film, with a far-out plot that makes for great comedy. A plot doesn't have to be believable, or probable or possible for a comedy. This one stretches a lot, but it scores with its humor throughout. And, for modern audiences, it offers a short scene of some histoic interest. It has a very good depiction of the telephone switchboards that operated before the age of cell phones and computer banks.
Mary Peppertree knows her way around the nation's capitol. She had been a top switchboard operator for the Supreme Court, but left that job because of her planned wedding to fiancé Phillip Manning. But, when she called that off, she had to find another job and landed one at the White House. It just so happened that her dad, Timothy Peppertree, was a sergeant in the White House police force. And, of course she came highly recommended by several justices of the high court.
Well, she barely meets the other single ladies on the switchboard, when she handles a call from a frequent caller whom the ladies consider a crank and a pest. Then, as quickly as she handles and dismisses Mr. Paxton, she takes a call from the President. He has a cold and she suggests the surefire remedy of her grandmother. But, Mary gets the hiccups when she's nervous, as she does now in talking with the president. So, he suggests his sure remedy for her. As a messenger delivers a paper bag for her to blow into and breathe from to stop the hiccups, one justice after a another from the high court calls the switchboard to talk to Mary.
Well, that all starts viewers on a hilarious, far-out plot that is filled with mayhem and very funny situations and scenes. And, oh, did I mention that the president gets involved in contributing to a love quadrangle for Mary when he orders a White House naval attache to take Mary to a party which she hadn't planned to attend. The lieutenant is Tom Farrington, who had to break another date to take Mary out. But, he quickly falls for her and soon gets into verbal combat and maneuvering with Manning, over Mary. Then, the third male in this love quadrangle turns out to be the irritable David Paxton.
Plot twists come and go as this story plays out, with a couple more subplots. One is with a favorite restaurant owner and chef, Gustav Heindel. He is applying for U. S. citizenship. The Supreme Court justices, Justice Department attorneys and some of the White House and Pentagon brass frequent Gustav's place. And they are helping him study for his citizenship test.
The ending is a madcap affair with a twist that is very funny. I could guess part of it by that time. All of the cast give superb performances. Emond O'Brien is Lt. Farrington, Jeffrey Lynn plays Manning and Don Taylor is David Paxton. Hugo Hass plays chef Gustav Heindel, Harry Davenport is Justice Peabody, and Ray Collins is White House chief Harvey Elwood. Several others add to the fun of this film.
As someone who lived in the suburbs of D. C. and worked "on the hill" for a decade in the later years of the mid-20th century, I especially enjoyed this film. It would have been nice to have a few short scenes to show some of the Washington Mall with all of its magnificent monuments, and a couple of aerial or street scenes that show the layout of the city. Washington is quite unusual as an American city. It was designed by a French engineer, Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The city layout somewhat resembles that of the central part of Paris, France. The network of roads converge and emerge from several traffic circles in the city. The film does have some background scenes behind the opening credits. These show the Capitol, Supreme Court building and White House.
This is a very good film, with a far-out plot that makes for great comedy. A plot doesn't have to be believable, or probable or possible for a comedy. This one stretches a lot, but it scores with its humor throughout. And, for modern audiences, it offers a short scene of some histoic interest. It has a very good depiction of the telephone switchboards that operated before the age of cell phones and computer banks.