Love in Bloom (1935) User Reviews

The End of Dixie Lee's career.

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 26 August 2004]

A previous reviewer warned fans of Burns&Allen not to expect too much from them. Though first billed, George and Gracie were definitely supporting players.

The story revolves about the love story of a carnival girl trying to escape her background and an idealistic young songwriter played by Dixie Lee and Joe Morrison respectively. Morrison had a pleasant tenor voice and no personality. But according to IMDb he's still alive at the age of 96.

Dixie Lee, born Wilma Winifred Wyatt, was far better known as the first Mrs. Bing Crosby. His career was rocketing vertically now and her's was coming to an end. She was a blonde and had a manner not unlike Alice Faye. Put over a song like Alice Faye also although no memorable

numbers came from here. In fact the song Love In Bloom which Bing had introduced the year before in She Loves Me Not is not even heard as background music.

Dixie's carny father is played by J.C. Nugent who played it as a kind

of unctuous and corrupt Senator Claghorn. This was a role that was tailor made for W.C. Fields, to bad he didn't do it. In fact

Paramount should have cast Bing Crosby opposite his wife. Morrison's part would have had to be rewritten so he's more in line with Bing's personality, but if it had been done, I suspect we might have had a classic.

Burns and Allen give the picture the merit it has in their moments. George is Dixie's brother and Gracie is his wife, if you can believe an exotic dancer. Watch how Gracie gets out of a speeding ticket, best moment in the film.

Dixie did one more film, cut a record with her husband of two songs from Swing Time, The Way You Look Tonight and A Fine Romance in 1936. She made occasional appearances on Bing's radio show at Christmas time. Mostly she concentrated on being wife and mother to four boys and unfortunately drank a lot.

Like Terry Molloy said, it could have been a contender.

Not a Burns and Allen vehicle

[janfletcher49 · 5/10 · 7 June 2001]

Despite the misleading photo, this film is about the budding romance between two attractive young actors whose faces you probably will never see again. Burns and Allen command about 10 minutes of screen time, but it is a pleasant little picture regardless. It's a nice old film, with a pretty typical old plot line, and worth a look. Just be forewarned that George and Gracie are not the leads here.

longer, slower -paced episode of Burns & Allen show

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 28 July 2008]

Fun with George Burns & Gracie Allen! One of the three movies on the "Best Of Burns & Allen" DVD from Universal Studios. Opens with the sheriff trying to shut down the carnival and Gracie singing "Here Comes Cookie" , which is also the title of one of the other films on the DVD.... Co-stars Dixie Lee, who was married to Bing Crosby for 20 years, and singer Joe Morrison, who didn't seem to stay in Hollywood for too long. He stopped appearing in films couple years after making this one, but does a decent job singing "My Heart is an Open Book" during his job interview with Mr. Heinrich (played by Lee Kohlmar, born in 1873!) The plot here kind of goes around the mulberry bush, not sure where it wants to go. Maybe they should have invited WC Fields to be in this one too, since half of Fields' films were about carnivals or vaudeville shows. Another odd connection - Morrison also made "The Old Fashioned Way" with WC Fields; Fields appeared with Burns & Allen in "Six of a Kind" in 1934. George and Gracie come back into "Love in Bloom" now and then to do a few of their jokes... it feels like they found a script, and added themselves into it. It's OK, but it's no Shakespeare. Its a story of falling in love with someone from the other side of the tracks.

This should NOT be considered a Burns & Allen movie film.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 16 April 2010]

This movie was packaged along with two other Burns & Allen films on one disk. However, despite Burns & Allen getting top billing, "Love in Bloom" really did NOT feature the comedy team, nor was it really much of a comedy. Instead, Dixie Lee and Joe Morrison were featured in the leading roles (despite the billing) and it was clearly a romantic musical--sort of like the stuff that Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy did during that same era. There were two major problems with this. First, I don't particularly like this style of film and I was expecting a comedy. Second, the Lee and Morrison were awfully bland--so even if I did like this sort of sappy drivel, I would be frustrated in watching it. As for Burns & Allen, they appeared here and there to do some comedy routines and sing--but the usual banter between George and Gracie was noticeably absent. Sorry, despite the generally good reviews and overall IMDb rating, I cannot recommend you see this one--it's just not good nor is it what you expect. In fact, audiences back in 1935 must have been equally frustrated with it.

Trite comedy drama suffers with a lack of love and likable characters.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 3 October 2013]

Less a Burns and Allen comedy and more a story of survival and the embarrassment caused by family, this has far too many defects caused by the excessive directions it tries to go in. The plot surrounds a down on his luck song writer and a former carny girl who strike up a romance while she fears the revelation of her trashy family's occupation. This is the one time I want to say Goodnight Gracie and mean goodbye because the character she plays is totally amoral, even reciting her usual silly malapropisms. Everything she says reeks of being a total opportunist. She has a much seen skit involving getting out of a traffic ticket that too many comics did over and over.

The film is honestly more interesting when it focuses on the romantic situation of Dixie Lee and Joe Morrison. While Burns and Allen had great success in two-reelers and their long running sitcom, their best features had them in support or as part of an ensemble. Even top-billed in leads, they often over stay their welcome, and Allen is particularly annoying trying to do an "I'm No Angel" like impression of Mae West while singing at a carny. J.C. Nugent is the obnoxiously drunk father and Lee Kohlmar the kindly music store owner who helps Lee and Morrison out by giving them a job.

A B-picture gem from Paramount

[broadway_melody_girl · 8/10 · 3 October 2009]

I decided to watch this movie on a whim with absolutely no expectations and I was completely charmed by it. Sure, the plot is your usual 30's rom com hogwash where a bad girl meets a good boy, but the script is unusually well-written for a B-picture and provides many laughs and cute romantic moments you'll sigh over. The 2 leads, Dixie Lee and Joe Morrison look unbelievably cute together, though Joe is a bit of a wooden actor. His main purpose in this movie is just to stand around looking cute and sing love songs, which he does remarkably well, so we can forgive him that. Dixie Lee, Bing Crosby's unfortunate first wife, does very well here as she cracks wise and sings. What makes this B movie extra-special are Burns and Allen as supporting characters, and all their gags are not to be missed. Another thing that makes this movie oh so lovable are the marvelous 30's tunes. My favorites were Dixie Lee's solo "You Got Me Doin' Things" and Joe's midnight lullaby to Dixie, "Let Me Sing You to Sleep". Joe also gives a very lovely rendition of the Tchaikovsky's "Nur Wer Die Sehnsucht Kennt".

Unfortunately, the movie suffers when it takes a melodramatic turn in the last 10 minutes but the ending is happy (it's a comedy after all!) and Burns and Allen save the ending somewhat with their antics. Despite all the film's small faults, it's terribly charming, and if you like 30's comedies or musicals I highly recommend it. It'll leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

The wonderful Dixie Lee

[pitcairn89 · 9/10 · 28 September 2006]

This is a very pleasant little romantic comedy, similar in storyline and tone to a lot of other unpretentious films of the 1930s. What distinguishes it, in my mind, is the acting of the two romantic leads, Joe Morrison and Dixie Lee. While Burns and Allen receive top billing, the film really belongs to this romantic couple. George and Gracie are always lots of fun, as they are here, but, to my surprise, I found myself enjoying the love story more. When you think of the love interests in 30s comedies, such as in the Marx Brothers films, you can't help but think of the words 'sappy,''bland,' and 'obnoxious.' But Morrison and Lee are actually very charming, and give a poignancy to the story that lesser actors couldn't do.

Morrison has an easy manner, a nice voice, and an appealing personality. He really makes you believe in this nice guy. A popular radio singer, he seems to have made few films. He is good in "The Old Fashioned Way," 1934, with W.C. Fields, and in "Four Hours to Kill!", 1935, among others. It's a shame he didn't have a longer career.

Dixie Lee is sensational. Aside from being incredibly gorgeous, she has a beautiful voice, an even more appealing manner, and is an excellent actress. It would be easy to coast through a part like this-- that of the hard-boiled (but softhearted) dame, looking for love in the big city. But she invests the part with real tenderness and pathos, and one feels the tragedy of her attempts to shake off her seedy carnival past. She is a very sensitive actress, and uses her face, body, and voice in very effective ways. And watch how expressively she uses her eyes. She has beautiful eyes, and you can really feel her emotions in them. Not always an easy thing for an actor to do. She is so wonderful in this part, that one can't help regretting that she didn't make more pictures. I imagine she was pretty busy being Mrs. Bing Crosby, and raising a family. But she would have been good in some of the other light romances Paramount made so well, perhaps even co-starring with her husband.

Dixie reminds me of those other early 30s stars Nancy Carroll, Ann Dvorak and Mae Clarke, whose careers also petered out by the middle of the decade. Perhaps along with Carroll and Dvorak, Dixie has been largely forgotten by people today. Clarke is remembered for her more famous movies, like "The Public Enemy," "Waterloo Bridge," and "Frankenstein," and Carroll and Dvorak do have some similarly memorable films. But Dixie Lee only made a handful of films, as leads and second leads, and some of them have been lost. So she doesn't have a large body of work to study. A few of her other films are around- the Fox all-star musical "Happy Days," 1929; "No Limit," 1931, as the sidekick of Clara Bow; "Night Life in Reno," 1931, in a small part as a sexy husband stealer; "Quick Millions," 1931, in an unbilled bit as a secretary, (in a scene with George Raft), and a couple of others. She sings a charming song in "Manhattan Love Song," 1934, which is available on DVD. It's interesting in that when she married Bing Crosby, she was a bigger star than he was, and by 1935, he was a superstar, and her career was over. But she was good, and she shines in this film.

Actor/director Elliott Nugent made a number of good films, including five Bob Hope movies (such as "My Favorite Brunette)," as well as "She Loves Me Not," 1934, starring Dixie's husband Bing. His father, J.C. Nugent, plays Vi's father here. Elliott acted in a number of films, including Lon Chaney's last film, "The Unholy Three," in 1930, and "The Last Flight," 1931. He was reportedly one of Bob Hope's favorite directors.

"Love in Bloom" isn't a major film from that stellar year, 1935, but it is an appealing one, and it has real heart. In a story that could have just been clichéd and sappy, it manages to make you care for this Depression-era couple. And there is just enough humor to keep it from getting too maudlin. Burns and Allen fans might be disappointed that they don't have bigger parts, but they are also good here, and help advance the story. George in particular is quite sympathetic, and plays it straight in a number of scenes. And Gracie, zany as usual, has some wonderful bits as well.

So don't be put off by this film. Give it a chance, and take it for what it is. And watch Dixie Lee. She really was a wonderful actress. And, reportedly, a wonderful person as well. You can understand why Bing was so smitten with her. She was adorable.

A Charming, Underrated Romantic Comedy! Dixie Lee Shines!!

[hammit · 9/10 · 10 April 2019]

This film is one of Dixie Lee's most well known films. She essentially came out of retirement to make this film and "Redheads on Parade" (her last film), with both being released in 1935. While George Burns and Gracie Allen receive top billing due to their popularity, they are supporting characters in this movie. Gracie Allen is hilarious in her scenes! I feel like Dixie Lee and Joe Morrison's performances are under appreciated and underrated in this film, especially by some of the reviewers. Dixie's facial expressions, timing, singing, and chemistry with her co-stars are excellent! She was a very talented and beautiful actress and singer and often doesn't receive the credit she deserves, mostly due to the fact that she retired to be a devoted wife and mother after making about 16 films. She tends to most frequently be referred to as a mere footnote in her husband's (Bing Crosby) story, which isn't quite fair. She was very talented! In this movie, she plays the "bad girl," yet she also has this sweet, cute, innocent, yet mischievous way of presenting her character on screen. Joe Morrison plays the naive, love struck "good guy" that chases the "bad girl" who feels like she doesn't deserve him. It really is a pretty cute, simple, yet effective and enjoyable plot that was meant to brighten people's lives during the Depression era. Don't listen to the naysayers and do yourself a favor and see this film! It is still out there on DVD and can be found relatively easily.

A Burns and Allen movie? Who's kidding who?

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 30 July 2016]

Although billed fourth in the cast list, this is Dixie Lee's movie. She is not only so superb but so striking that it would be wrong to say that she had the assistance of her co-stars. Director Elliott Nugent (the son of this movie's J.C. Nugent) gives her some wonderful opportunities which she seizes with both hands. Despite their first and second billing, George Burns and Gracie Allen seem to have been added to the screenplay as an afterthought. One wonders how their fans reacted when their roles are not only so unusually small but have little or no connection to the main plot. Dixie is actually supported by Joe Morrison (this was a mistake – his singing is superb, but his mannerisms are a dead giveaway) and the utterly convincing Lee Kohlmar who has probably the largest role in his often uncredited career. On the other hand, I didn't spot Jack Mulhall's beggar (a big star in silent days, Jack managed to successfully hang on in Hollywood in walk-ons and occasional bits until he retired after appearing in The Atomic Submarine in 1959). Leo Tover's photography, as usual, is a constant delight. The way that man can so unobtrusively switch his photography from what is suitable for comedy, or for romance, or for drama is amazing! Available on an excellent Universal DVD.