Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302025156
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 630202515X
Label: Turner Home Entertainment
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Turner Home Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Turner Home Entertainment
Release Date: 1991-05-29
Running Time: 89
Studio: Turner Home Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 1950-08-19

Customer Rating:
Summary: "Next thing you know, these rodeos'll hold a knitting contest."
Comment: NEVER A DULL MOMENT is a pleasant 1950 domestic comedy starring Irene Dunne and Fred MacMurray. In the tradition of THE EGG AND I (which also starred MacMurray), the fish-out-of-water premise involves Irene Dunne as a big time New York songwriter who, after a whirlwind romance, weds a widowed rancher/rodeo cowboy and then has to adjust to life way out west.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT is a lower-tiered comedy, which is probably why it's still only available in VHS. It lacks the sparkle and punch achieved in Irene Dunne's best screwball classics and suffers from listless direction and a tepid storyline, although the engaging actors do go a ways to make it watchable enough. A segue now: Irene Dunne was outstanding in so many pictures (SHOW BOAT, Love Affair, I Remember Mama, to name only three). But my favorite of her films tend to be the madcap classics - THEODORA GOES WILD, My Favorite Wife, and The Awful Truth. Irene Dunne always did have that gift for transitioning effortlessly from poised elegance to fearless screwball, although, here, she doesn't go the screwball route as much. Still, much of the comedy in NEVER A DULL MOMENT relies on Dunne's character trying to overcome her culture shock and assimilate to the robust life on the farm. Her step-kids are rightfully concerned about whether their new mom will be a fair hand around the farm and, indeed, this city slicker instantly proves to be woefully clueless at everyday chores. Lots of bone-jarring physical gags involving Dunne's character; her stunt double must've gotten a work-out and then some. And Fred MacMurray? What can you say about this guy, other than he's once again got his feet firmly planted on the ground and delivering his patented stand-up regular guy routine. However, yes, he could've been given more to do here. Just goes to show that the featured attraction in this film truly is Irene Dunne.

But here's a piece of trivia: did you know that Captain Marvel creator C.C. Beck modeled his superhero's appearance after Fred MacMurray?

The supporting cast is solid. A young Natalie Wood, already well versed in scene stealing, performs well as one of the two preteen step-daughters, although Wood doesn't quite steal the scenes here. Maybe because the other girl, Gigi Perreau, is just as cute. Classic character actors William Demarest and Andy Devine are solid, dependably bringing their respective brands of familiar grump and homespun plump.

Note that Dunne's character of Kay Kingsley Heyward is based on real life 1930s Broadway composer Kay Swift, who did marry a rodeo cowboy and who wrote three songs for this film ("Sagebrush Lullaby," "The Man with the Big Felt Hat" (a snippet of which is sung by MacMurray), and "Once you find your Guy."). These songs prove to be tame and mildly entertaining stuff. Kind of like the movie.

---