Irene (1940 film)

Irene is an American musical film from 1940 directed by Herbert Wilcox. Anna Neagle plays Irene O'Dare, a simple Irish girl in the Don portrayed by Ray Milland Marshall falls in love, a young man from the high society.

The film plot is based on James H. Montgomery's musical comedy Irene with music by Harry Tierney and Joseph McCarty, which was released on November 1, 1919 in New York.

Action

Originating from humble Irene O'Dare works as an employee at a upholsterer. When she at the luxurious estate of Mrs. Herman Vincent in Long Iceland measure takes for a new upholstery of the chairs, they met there on Donald "Don" Marshall. The young man is immediately smitten with Irene and decides to promote it. So he buys in the background to change the fashion salon " Madame Lucy " says Mr. Smith as a manager and are anonymous, the order, Irene offer a job as a model. It so happens that Irene soon prominent and wealthy women like Mrs. Vincent dresses showing off. Irritated by their privileged position, she encounters the other girls of the salon hostile. When Bob Vincent accompanied his mother to a fashion show, he can not escape Irene's charm and flirting heavily with her.

In order more effectively to put the clothes in the salon scene and to promote the sale, Smith reached for his models that they receive an invitation to a charity ball, which is hosted by the company Vincent real estate. Since Irene with the dress she should show there, a mishap happens, it replaces it with an extraordinary blue dress from the estate of her grandmother, thus making attention to itself in a very significant extent. When it also comes to confusion, since it assigns Irene because of her last name O'Dare an Irish aristocratic family of the same name, Mr. Smith sees this as happy chance and want to exploit the fact of confusion. For this reason, he rents for Irene to an apartment on Park Avenue and provides the young woman with suitable clothes and exquisite jewelry. One of the models, Irene envy their success, is the gossip columnist " Biffy " Webster a tip, which then in snide insinuations in his column about it omits, as Irene Financiers her life of luxury. Hurt and full of anger will then talk to Irene " Madame Lucy" and must learn that the fashion salon Don heard. Enraged at the opening and feeling betrayed, Irene agrees then in Bob's marriage proposal a. On the eve of the upcoming wedding Bob, however, recognizes that he does not love Irene, but still, with whom he was Eleanor Worth before Irene together. And Irene admits that the loves in reality Don. After the "right" couples have found their happiness, nothing stands in the way.

Production and background

Filming began in November 1939; on 23 April 1940, the film had its premiere then in Portland, Oregon. On 3 May 1940, he was generally in the cinemas of the United States.

While the movie was shot in black and white, the ball scene in which Irene is presented as Irene O'Dare and appears in a blue ball gown, colored. It ends with the completion of the ball and the announcement " The gray light of the morning ". The bright red hair of Anna Neagle, that does not come in the black and white scenes for carrying and contrasts with the blue ball gown, had the audience, as the color sequence began to spontaneously applaud.

According to a report in the Hollywood Reporter in June 1934, the rights to James H. Montgomery's stage play for another film adaptation have already been negotiated at that time, after 1926 based on Montgomery's musical comedy silent film with Colleen Moore under Alfred E. Green's director was published. Jeanette MacDonald took over the role in 1936 in a radio -Lux Theatre version.

The musical stage play Irene had already written on November 18, 1919 premiere at New York's Vanderbilt Theatre and held the record for the longest running show in the history of Broadway with a total of 670 performances. 17 traveling theaters of the country had the piece in the program. 1973 Debbie Reynolds played the role of Irene on Broadway, where it was replaced after 605 performances by Jane Powell, but later returned for another five months.

The London-born actress Anna Neagle was the leading film star in England in the 1930s and 1940s, what you also with the help of producer and director Herbert Wilcox, whom she married in 1943, succeeded. Neagle was elected seven times consecutively from 1945 to the most popular actress in Britain. She worked in several films, including several Hollywood productions, together with her husband.

Music in Film

The orchestral arrangement was Anthony Collins and Gene Rose, as composers and lyricists were Joseph McCarthy and Harry Tierney in appearance. The film contains some original Broadway songs such as Castle of Dreams, Worthy of You, You've Got Me Out on a Limb, There's Something in the Air and Alice Blue Gown.

  • Castle of Dreams
  • You've Got Me Out on a Limb
  • Alice Blue Gown
  • Irene
  • Worthy of You
  • Something in the Air
  • Sweet Vermosa Brown

Criticism

Was Bosley Crowther of The New York Times that Anna Neagle, the former " Vickie ", the role of " Irene" surprisingly easy implementing in a couple of stiff British films, graceful dance, not bad sing and speak with a soft Irish Aktzent. In view of this film, one would hardly suspect that it played the martyr Nurse Edith Cavell only last year, but always frivolous heroines. Restrictive Crowther spoke with some of them made ​​jokes in the film that they had a faint smell of mothballs, what is also the film could not quite deny altogether.

Variety spoke of a familiar story, but the old-fashioned WOULD and the fact that Anna Neagle and Ray Milland would not make it to fully carry the film.

Awards

In 1941, Anthony Collins in the category " Best Music " nominated for an Oscar, but was opposite Alfred Newman's not prevail film music for the drama with singing Tin Pan Alley.

1940 in film Screenplay Alice Duer Miller RKO Pictures Film score Anthony Collins (composer) Russell Metty Elmo Williams Alan Marshal (actor) Marsha Hunt (actress) Column (periodical) Portland (Oregon) Broadway theatre 13th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Original Score Alfred Newman (composer) Tin Pan Alley (Film)
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