Evergreen (1934) User Reviews (23)

"My Lover's Overhead...."

[theowinthrop · 8/10 · 7 September 2005]

This film appeared more frequently on Channel 13 in the late 1980s than it does today. I'm glad it has been transferred to DVD, and I hope to find it one day.

The film was based on a musical comedy of the same name that was composed by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart but produced in London. It starred the rising musical comedy star of the 1930s and early 1940s Jessie Matthews. Married to Sonny Hale (who appears in the film as her producer) the story was about how Matthews takes part in a mild swindle. She is the granddaughter of a turn-of-the-century stage star, a beauty of that day, and Matthews pretends she is the same woman who has retained her youthful looks (but has grayish hair) due to a "fountain of youth" concoction. Hence the title, EVERGREEN. The show had many R.& H. tunes in it, but the best one was "Dancing on the Ceiling" which is still a standard.

In the movie, Jessie Matthews only pretends to be her mother, but the story is relatively the same. The complications involve her increasing romance with her publicist, her having to keep up the fiction of her reawakening an older romance with the aristocrat who romanced her mother, and her having to handle the blackmail of her actual father. It does eventually work out, even for the blackmailer (Hartley Powers).

Given the relative poverty in budgets of British musicals as opposed to Americans ones, this film is on par with the best American musicals of the period. As for Matthews, she went on to other musical film triumphs, including "FIRST A MAN", a musical about a woman, pretending to be a female impersonator. It was based on a German film, and both were the basis for the Julie Andrews - Robert Preston - James Garner triumph VICTOR/VICTORIA.

Yesterday

[Spondonman · 8/10 · 1 August 2004]

Evergreen is an old evergreen favourite of mine, now 70 years young and rising. Jessie Matthews sparkles but as usual Sonnie Hale tinkles.

It's got a typically bizarre 30's British film plot, but it's handled in a defter way than was usual to help suspend your disbelief for the required 90 minutes. Illegitimate 20 yo daughter of deceased famous Music Hall singer comes from obscurity to impersonate her and gains fame as a result, the decent looking chap she's falling for (and vv) finds himself having to impersonate her non-existent son while her real father comes out of the woodwork after 20 years and starts to blackmail them. And for thousands of pounds a time in todays money - nice man!

Of course this is all merely filler for the Rodgers & Hart songs, none greater than Dancing On The Ceiling, a sublime and surreal 4 minutes than grows more beautiful every time I see it. Jessie never used her beautiful cut glass voice to better effect. She was supposed to be a great dancer but I've not seen any evidence of it yet in her films, but this is probably as close as she ever will come to impressing me in that department. I'm always mindful of Dirk Bogarde's personal assessment of her dancing talents in the BBC documentary about her that he narrated in the early '90's that she was better than Ginger Rogers, and that she was a success in the US because of this. Again, Rogers had her own style - maybe Jessie was better in a chorus line; to me she danced like an ostrich on an escalator, her flying feet competition only to Charlotte Greenwood or Jackie Chan. Having said that, I could watch her films until the cows came home, they're all pleasant with good music, good dancing and good stories - sometimes!

Watch this and marvel - that anyone as vital as she could die in obscurity in a nursing home and be buried unmarked in an obscure cemetery.

A Glimpse Of A Different World

[go_titans · 6/10 · 29 July 2009]

Most of the reviews on this page seem to be coming from experienced viewers of the period with much broader knowledge of 30s musicals than I have. My viewing experience of the 30s doesn't extend out much past Errol Flynn, and while his swashbuckling style bears a vague resemblance to more recent times, I can assuredly say that this movie is of a completely different style to anything else I've ever seen. I suspect that modern audiences will have trouble appreciating the songs and dance routines, as the world has moved on several times over since then and these days expects something quite different for it's entertainment. I would like to think however, that any person born of a more recent generation (I'm 37 at the time of writing) viewing a movie from this period would have respect for the historical importance of such an opportunity. At the very least it is a glimpse at our world dating back 75 years, and very recently restored and transferred to DVD by Network media (25 May 2009). So what is my interest in this particular film? Quite simply; Jessie Matthews. I regard her as the most beautiful and charming woman I have ever seen on screen, and that is taking into account all modern day actresses. She is a complete natural with comedy, and despite a large portion of Evergreen's 90 minutes being devoted to singing and dancing, Jessie's comedic ability still gets a chance to shine through. Furthermore, while I find it difficult to appreciate the musical side of the production, I can safely say that there is never a moment when Jessie does not look perfectly suited to the task of both singer and dancer. I found the plot to be a little silly but still entertaining, and in fact the 90 minutes run time felt more like 60 by the time the film had come to an end. I would dearly love to see all of Jessie's films released on DVD, and can only hope that the company decides to do so, and I also hope that there is a large audience out there that can still appreciate a glimpse of a different world.

Just Wonderful

[drednm · 4 July 2007]

Wonderful 30s British musical based on a show by Rodgers and Hart that never played on Broadway.

Jessie Matthews stars as Harriet Green, the toast of the London stage in the early 1900s when she suddenly retires and disappears in South Africa because she has an illegitimate child by a man who is blackmailing her. 30 years later a young actress is making the rounds and is discovered because she is a dead ringer for old Harriet. Of course she is the daughter.

But a desperate producer (Sonnie Hale) and a publicity man (Barry McKay) come up with a plan to foist the girl off as the original, ageless Harriet (evergreen). She is a sensation. But her success causes all sorts or problems when the blackmailer returns and when McKay falls in love with her (after he has been proclaimed to be her son!).

Fanciful plot is far-fetched, but the cast is excellent in this terrific musical by two American greats. And Jessie Matthews is superb. She was a major musical comedy star of the British stage and screen from the 20s through WW II. And she is incandescent here in her best film.

This is maybe the most Hollywood-looking musical the Brits produced in the 1930s. Matthews has one great production number when as old Harriet she does a succession of dance numbers, each one going back ten years to the 1890s. In between each number she flips a giant hour glass to denote the passage of time.

Matthews was a great dancer and singer and in EVERGREEN she was never better. She has another great number in "Dancing on the Ceiling" in which she shows her famous high kicks and arched back moves. Hale (her husband) and McKay are also good. Betty Balfour as Maudie has an hysterical bit when she does an aria from "Rigoletto." My VHS copy has bad sound but it's a terrific old film and a chance to see the legendary Jessie Matthews in her best role.

Jessie Matthews's First Starring Lead role

[timothymcclenaghan · 7/10 · 31 August 2005]

Jessie Matthews re-creates the role she originated in the 1930 Rodgers & Hart London stage production. From that production, only three songs from the original score made the transition to the film, one of which, "Dancing On The Ceiling", has become an American standard. Additional songs were provided by American composer, Harry Woods.

While Matthews was nicknamed "The Dancing Divinity", she was also admired for her singing. She reportedly was a very popular and prolific recording artist in England. In this role, she sings as much, if not more, than she dances. Nevertheless, she was a skilled dancer, certainly equal to any of the dancing ladies of the 1930s. You'll see Matthews perform a variety of different dance styles in this film.

"Evergreen" was reportedly a very popular and profitable film in both England and America. This was the first of several musical comedy films done by Matthews, in which she had the lead starring role. It's interesting to watch if you enjoy 1930s musicals and their stars, especially if you enjoy dance in film. This film can be obtained on VHS.

Over My Shoulder

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 23 June 2014]

Evergreen gives us a chance to see Jessie Matthews who starred on stage as well as screen in the United Kingdom in the role that made her a star. So few stars of the 30s and 40s were able to recreate their roles so we are fortunate indeed.

Charles Cochran of the London stage, the British equivalent of Florenz Ziegfeld hired American songwriters Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart to write the score for Evergreen. As it is in Hollywood the Gaumont- British only retained a few Rodgers&Hart songs, most importantly Dancing On A Ceiling which was Matthews's first big hit. Some British musical bits and new songs written by British songwriter Harry Woods were written for this film including Over My Shoulder which also became identified with Jessie Matthews.

Only later on after Matthews prime years did she go to Hollywood for films turning down a lot of offers. I understand that Gaumont-British also tried to get Fred Astaire to co-star with no success. She and Astaire would have been marvelous.

The story has Matthews first appearing on the London stage in the Victorian era and becoming a smash success. But the impending birth of a daughter out of wedlock forces her to retire to South Africa. Going to the Thirties Matthews as her own daughter is seeking employment when publicity agent Barry MacKay convinces producer/star Sonnie Hale to feature the daughter as her ageless mother making a comeback.

Unfortnunate her low life of a sperm donor Hartley Power shows up and threatens to blow the whole thing wide open. This is a Fedora like scheme played a little more lightly.

Matthews sings and dances divinely especially with Sonnie Hale with whom she was involved in real life and who became her second husband.

Rightly so Evergreen is considered the best British musical from that era. I haven't seen better and it holds up well today.

Best of British Movie Musicals

[jmitchel-2 · 10/10 · 6 March 2000]

"Evergreen" was an original Rodgers and Hart creation, both in story and music, successfully produced on stage in 1930 in Glasgow and London by British impresario, C. B. Cochran. Gaumont British Picture loosely adapted the show into a Hollywood style musical in this 1934 version. Three Rodgers and Hart songs were retained, most notably, "Dancing on the Ceiling." In addition, three songs by the American composer, Harry Woods were interpolated, including the movie's main theme, "When You've Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart."

Fortunately, for lovers of 1930's musicals, Evergreen's breezy plot, lilting music, and stylish dancing routines all come together to highlight the talents and beauty of British musical queen, Jessie Matthews. The willowy, long-legged Mathews is a singing and dancing revelation, as charming and lovable a musical comedy heroine as ever seen on either side of the Atlantic.

This movie is a joy in every way. As refrained by composer Woods: "And each happy scene will be Evergreen as the sweetest morning in June, when you've got a little springtime in your heart."

Charming and delightful Rodgers and Hart musical film

[bbmtwist · 7/10 · 19 November 2008]

I must add to the other raves on this page. This is an utterly charming and delightful film, derived from the London production of a Rodgers and Hart musical. Sadly, only three of their songs are retained, but one is the classic DANCING ON THE CEILING. Five songs by Henry M. Woods and others fill out the score.

Matthews is a sheer delight, reminding me of Joan Collins, Julie Andrews, Jane Wyatt and Jennifer Jones, all rolled into one.

The plot is cute and its twists and turns are fun. It moves swiftly with marvelous performances and the cinematography, art direction and editing are all top notch.

I saw an impeccable print on Turner. Highly recommended to all musical film enthusiasts.

The order of songs as they appear in the film:

DADDY WOULDN'T BUY ME A BOW WOW (Tabrar) I WOULDN'T LEAVE MY LITTLE WOODEN HUT (Collins/Mellor) A LITTLE SPRINGTIME IN YOUR HEART (Woods) IF I GIVE IN TO YOU (Rodgers/Hart) TINKLE, TINKLE, TINKLE (Woods) DEAR DEAR (Rodgers/Hart) DANCING ON THE CEILING (Rodgers/Hart) OVER MY SHOULDERR (Woods)

An Absolutely Gorgeous Musical!!!

[kidboots · 10/10 · 31 March 2010]

"Ever Green" (the musical play) was a triumph for Jessie Matthews and opened at the Adelphi Theatre on the West End in December, 1930 for a lengthy seven month run. Fortunately Jessie was able to repeat her role in the film version four years later but unfortunately they were not able to get Fred Astaire, who had been appearing on the London stage in "The Gay Divorce and had wisely been snapped up by RKO. Victor Saville, who had been the first director to bring out Jessie's film potential in "The Good Companions" (1933), had been desperately hoping to hire Astaire to star opposite her. What an amazing dancing team they would have been, but he had to make do with boring Barry MacKay who could neither sing nor dance. Even though Jessie was called the "Dancing Divinity", her film experience and different directors had left her with an inferiority complex about her looks and her cinema appeal. Two people who joined her on "Evergreen" actually gave Jessie the confidence to believe she could become a star - Glen MacWilliams, a cinematographer who helped to show her how to accentuate her very cute features to advantage and Buddy Bradley, the American choreographer who bought something extra to her dances and made them extremely memorable.

In most of Jessie Matthews films she was always pretending to be someone she is not - similar to the Astaire/ Rogers films. Harriet Green is a beloved music hall entertainer who delights fans with her renditions of "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow" and "I Wouldn't Leave My Little Wooden Hut for You", but at the end of her performance she astonishes fans with the news that she is retiring to marry a Nobleman. Her happiness is destroyed when her long thought dead lover appears and demands "hush money". She disappears - but leaves her little daughter in a maid's care.

Jump to 1934 and Harriet Green (Jnr) is an out of work chorus girl who catches the eye of Leslie Benn (Sonnie Hale) who knew her mother. His leading lady walks out in a huff and he comes up with the "stunt" of passing Harriet off as her own mother. When she sings one of her mother's favourite songs, the publicity team go into action. With the help of a gray wig and some glasses she actually pulls it off but it means she has to hide her own considerable talent and it frustrates her. Hale leads a rehearsal of the infectious "Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle". "When You've Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart" is given quite a bizarre treatment (one of the many times the song is sung) as a huge hourglass is sent spinning through the years as Harriet leads a riotous charleston, chorus girls are turned into bombs and bullets on a 1914 assembly line, until the hour glass is smashed in 1904 and Harriet sings "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow".

The Marquis of Staines suddenly makes his appearance and in his befuddled state comes to the conclusion that Tommy (Barry MacKay) is really Harriet's son. In one of the best lines in the film Tommy says to the audience "I've been in love with her for weeks - but I have to go around calling her "Mummy". Staines proposes to Harriet and Tommy urges her to accept - for publicity. She accepts in anger but the duet "Dear, Dear" which she and Tommy sing shows the coolness melting with a long kiss (it also shows that Barry MacKay was no singer). Staines suggests that Tommy move in with his "mother" to look after her. Harriet does a sublimely beautiful dance to "Dancing on the Ceiling" - apparently Jessie improvised that dance and showed why she was called the "Dancing Divinity".

By opening night Harriet is determined to make it on her own and not as her own mother - so in a spirited tap dance to "Over My Shoulder" - the jig was up (as they say in America). In court - for defrauding the public, Harriet Green proves she can stand on her own as a beautiful singer and the stage is set for a sparkling finale, with a medley of "Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle", "Over My Shoulder" and "When You've Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart". This is just the most gorgeous musical with Jessie Matthews at her most beautiful best. Also of note is Betty Balfour as the dizzy countess, she was one of the early stars of the British stage and films.

Highly, Highly Recommended.

A lovely, sweet and amusing musical comedy

[1930s_Time_Machine · 7/10 · 7 January 2023]

Jessie Mathews is absolutely adorable playing first a popular Edwardian musical hall star and then 'in modern times,' her daughter who's pretending to be her famous mother but not looking any older. Whilst that sounds silly, in the early thirties there was a lot of pseudo-scientific experimentation with supposed youth-giving monkey glands and plastic surgery around so it wasn't quite as daffy as it sounds. And she wears a wig!

Even though I'm definitely not a fan of Rogers and Hart or indeed Jessie Mathew's style of singing, the musical numbers are just about made tolerable by Jessie Matthew's sheer charm. She has real star quality, especially when she's dancing - there's something amazing about the way she just moves that is so sensual that you cannot tear your eyes away from her.

What makes this film so watchable isn't just its star, it's its delightful feel-good nature. Right from the beginning, Victor Saville's excellent and imaginative direction makes these characters real people you can engage with and manages to put a smile on your face from start to finish.

Although he was no Busby Berkeley, choreographer, Buddy Bradley creates some impressive and spectacular numbers on par with what Hollywood was doing at the time. The sophisticated style of Gaumont, who made this, was comparable with say America's RKO (unlike that of ATP/Ealing Studio's more earthy style - closer Warner Brothers) making this something you could imagine Fred and Ginger in. Buddy Bradley by the way was an American but because he was black, he couldn't be a studio choreographer in his home country. Their loss, our gain!

The closing number is Over My Shoulder was fortunately (for those of us who dislike Rogers and Hart) written by Harry Woods and that's the highlight of the whole film. It was composed on the hoof as Saville described to him to him that he needed something for the finale when Matthews decides to reveal who she really is by stripping off her 'old lady clothes' on stage and tossing them over her shoulder. A perfect ending to a not exactly perfect but very enjoyable, fun motion picture.

Entertaining Brit Fare.

[arfdawg-1 · 5/10 · 28 March 2014]

Harriet Green, a beloved and radiant music hall star of the Edwardian era, has a guilty secret: She has a baby daughter, born out of wedlock.

Harriet leaves her public and flees to South Africa to raise her daughter quietly.

The years pass, and now her daughter, Harriet Hawkes, returns to London as a young show-biz hopeful.

Tommy, a wily publicity man, knowing that young Harriet is a dead ringer for her famous mother, convinces a theater producer to star her in a new revue as none other than the original Harriet Green, miraculously untouched by old age.

The ruse works too well: Now the public believes Harriet is a well- preserved 60-year-old and Tommy is her son.

The deception is more than merely inconvenient, because now Harriet and Tommy have secretly fallen in love.

Leave it to the Brits to come up with a plot like this. It's entertaining.

A revelation - true entertainment

[stephen-63 · 10/10 · 26 October 2003]

I have just seen a pristine print of this film on a large cinema screen and it was a real delight. For English readers, Jesse Matthews is best known as a radio soap star, but in this film she shows she was first a dancer, then a comedienne (her timing is excellent) and then a singer. The radio work came later. Her dancing is superb. Recall the dancing days and looks of Una Stubbs then add the radiant beauty of a young Joan Collins... For American readers, there is a brief on screen appearance by the choreographer, unable to obtain credit for his work in the Busby-Berkeley movies for which he did so much. The big dance numbers are superb. The story somehow works and there is an energy and sense of fun which does much to entertain. No bad language. No nudity- but Matthews dancing is quite sensuous enough. Lovely family film. Try to see it if the new print appears near you. And surely there must be a DVD release soon... (perhaps from the BFI).

Dancing on the Ceiling with Jessie Matthews

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 28 September 2011]

"Yesterday," to avoid scandal involving her illegitimate baby girl, music hall performer Jessie Matthews (as Harriet Green) retires from the stage. "To-Day" her adult daughter, Ms. Matthews (as Harriet Hawkes), is back in London, auditioning as a chorus girl. She meets young show business hopeful Barry Mackay (as Tommy Thompson), who promotes Ms. Matthews as the return of her eternally youthful mother. The British public is delighted with the comeback, but 60-year-old "mother" Matthews falls in love with "son" Mackay and their ruse is threatened by paramours from Mathews' past. Helping out are real-life husband Sonnie Hale (as Leslie Benn), veteran British favorite Betty Balfour (as Maudie), and director Victor Saville.

****** Evergreen (4/34) Victor Saville ~ Jessie Matthews, Barry Mackay, Sonnie Hale, Betty Balfour

One of the all-time worst musicals

[wmschoell · 2/10 · 25 October 2016]

Okay, you take a fish-faced actress with a really awful voice and not that much acting ability, give her just one halfway decent song to sing, build a stupid plot around her that lacks not just a believable quality but any kind of charm or humor, and what have you got? Something that isn't even as entertaining as one of those mediocre Republic or Monogram musicals with Gale Storm or Phil Regan, both of whom sang better, and certainly looked better, than Jessie Matthews. There are about a zillion movie musicals better than this one. As for musicals by Rodgers and Hart, just about anything they did is a zillion times better than "Evergreen."

Far-fetched British musical about an inconvenient deception...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 29 April 2008]

The trouble with EVERGREEN is that it lacks the pizazz of even the most average Hollywood musical and only comes to life during two of its biggest production numbers--which occur when the film is almost over. As introduced by Robert Osborne, apparently the star, JESSIE MATTHEWS, was seen as a threat to Ginger Rogers at the time, although their dancing styles were never in any way similar. Matthews concentrates on flowing movements and high kicking routines that resemble those that Charlotte Greenwood is famous for. In no way does she suggest anything approaching the tap dancing and ballroom dancing of Rogers.

The songs may have been penned by none other than Richard Rodgers, but they're entirely unmemorable and cliché-ridden with titles like "Springtime in My Heart" warbled in shrill soprano style by Matthews. Only three songs from the original British musical survived and none of them registers as strong enough to make it to a stage musical. A number of routines are done by clunky, overweight chorus girls in unflattering costumes. The entire impersonation angle seems to strain credibility at every turn.

Sorry for the negative comments, but compared to the glossier MGM products of the day (namely, DANCING LADY with Joan Crawford and Clark Gable), EVERGREEN fails to reach that level of professionalism. The film does come alive toward the finale with two big production numbers, but by that time the silly plot contrivance of a girl posing as her own mother from a previous time--and in love with a man who must pretend to be her son--has worn its welcome.

Another example of a British musical vs. the Hollywood style, where Hollywood wins.

Saville Row

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 21 July 2013]

As a lifelong fan of Larry Hart I knew that sooner or later I'd have to watch this for not only was it based on a show of the same name which was written by Rodgers and Hart some four years earlier, it also retained a couple of their songs including the standard Dancing On The Ceiling, albeit Matthews walks through it (sorry about that, no, on reflection I'm NOT sorry, because that's exactly what she does do, throwing it away and displaying absolutely no sense of timing or phrasing. On the other hand it WAS 1934, in the heart of the Great Depression so it's reasonable to assume that no one was being too critical and was happy to settle for something to take their minds of reality for an hour or so.

I found it!

[nellybly-3 · 9/10 · 10 July 2010]

I was feeling unwell and wanted to lay down and watch a movie to take my mind off it. I was searching on Netflix on the Instant Play and did 1930s romantic comedies. I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw "Evergreen" offered as one of them. I had been searching for the movie since the 1970s, the last time I saw it on PBS in the Los Angeles area. It disappeared about the same time as a Barbra Streisand movie, a remake of "A Star is Born" came out, with the theme song "Evergreen". I can't be certain but it seems to be more than a coincidence.

It was even better than I remembered. Sometimes it's a bad idea to watch a movie you hadn't seen since you were a child or a teen since it often disappoints. "Evergreen" didn't do that. :) Jessie Matthews is absolutely charming and Sonny Hale is less annoying than I remembered him being. I enjoyed the 1890s-early 1900s music during the first segment (I like that kind of music). The song "When You've Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart" written in 1934 but supposed to be from ca. 1904 didn't jar or sound like it didn't belong to the earlier era, but also wasn't made to sound stereotypically "Gay (or Naughty) Nineties". The music in this picture hit all the right notes (pun intended).

A bit of trivia--"Tinkle, Tinkle, Tinkle", a song from this movie, was used as the closing music in Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 "39 Steps" when Hannay and Pamela are backstage at the London Palladium and had uncovered the spy ring and their secret-- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026029/trivia

The video and audio are both very good, not in the least muddy or dark.

It's a very well written story. Just when it looks to slow down it picks right back up. Very funny, sweet, and just plain fun. The nostalgic moment when Harriet Green, Jr, is in the court room to prove her innocence of defrauding the public is a highlight of the picture. She is harmonizing with her mother's recording of "When You've Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart" and it really does bring a lump to the throat. They made and used a cylinder recording and didn't artificially amplify it (other than to be able to hear it). It sounds just like real cylinder recordings do.

Evergreen review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 20 April 2020]

The daughter of a once-famous music hall singer masquerades as her mother in order to become a star. A British musical that tries hard to emulate the glamour of its Hollywood counterparts, although on a much smaller scale. Unfortunately, Emlyn Williams's adaptation of the stage play also gives his characters the outgoing brashness of Americans, something which limited actors like Sonnie Hale (Mr. Jessie's Matthews) and handsome but dull Barry Mackay struggle to cope with. The toothy Jessie Matthews - who could high-kick with the best of them - is fun though, and her character shines through. The musical numbers, apart from a curiously futuristic sequence set in 1914, are largely forgettable.

Exquisite

[rhoda-1 · 8/10 · 30 December 2007]

Though sumptuous and sophisticated for an English musical of the period (or, let's face it, any period), Evergreen lacks the pizazz and production values of even an average Hollywood product of the Thirties. But what it does have is Jessie Matthews and the charm and sweetness that she had to a degree that elevated these qualities to sensual enchantment. Watch her in the "Dancing on the Ceiling" number, in which she dances up a spiral staircase, into her bedroom, and into bed, and you could swear she decides to hover in the air over the bed for a second, playfully kicking her heels. In "I Wouldn't Leave My Little Wooden Hut for You," which she performs dancing down the length of a dinner table with another actress, in the costumes of the 1890s, can reduce you to tears. The plot has her being given a gala farewell as she is about to leave England, and the feeling of the whole song is of a laughing farewell to an era of innocence.

There was no one in films who moved like Jessie Matthews, unless you count the very, very different Louise Brooks (also a dancer). They moved with a liquid grace that, while full of natural sensuality, was never vulgar or openly sexy, any more than the movements of a beautiful feline. In the final number, "Over My Shoulder," however, she does a strip tease to make it plain that she is not a wonderfully preserved old lady but a young and vital one. It's breathtakingly sexy, but not because Matthews behaves, like later actresses, in a manner deliberately meant to be arousing--rather, because she is just so full of the joy of life.

One of the greatest British musicals of all time

[malcolmgsw · 9/10 · 4 September 2017]

I was fortunate enough to be at the FBI Southbank when Jessie appeared with Michael Balcon at a Guardian lecture and talked a bout how Victor Sa ville gave her the confidence T9 face thé camera.Gros is one of the greatest thirties musicales.To thé American reviewer who claimed that any MGM musical such as Dancing Lady were better than this,i would say that they didn't make a memorable musical till Wizard of oz.Most of the rest suffering from elephantitis.

Early British song and dance star shines in this lavish musical

[SimonJack · 9/10 · 23 September 2019]

"Evergreen" is one of the best musical films that showcases the multi-talented Jessie Matthews. The darling of British stage and early cinema musicals shines in this lavish production with her singing and dancing. The film is a further adaptation of the original 1930 stage musical by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, in which Matthews starred.

The plot is modeled on the story of Edwardian actress, singer and comedienne Marie Lloyd (1870-1922). And, on her daughter's recreation of her mother's most popular stage show. The daughter performed as Marie Lloyd Junior.

This Gaumont film itself is similar to the lavish musicals that MGM made with the expansive choreography of Busby Berkeley. Matthews plays Harriet Green. She is the mother in the first few minutes, and daughter in the bulk of the film. Barry MacKay plays Tommy Thompson, the male lead. Sonnie Hale plays Leslie Benn, and Betty Balfour plays Maudie. Benn is the play director and choreographer who knew young Harriet's mother. He is now the producer and director of a new show that stars the daughter. There is a caveat to the mother-daughter aspect though. Harriet is being billed as the original Harriet returned. The theater press and public are rightly incredulous that this vibrant young-looking star could be a woman of nearly 60.

The story plays out well, with wonderful musical numbers, dancing and singing by Matthews. Her numbers are complimented with other lavishly choreographed and staged routines with large numbers of people.

Few Americans were able to see Matthews in films at the time. Those who traveled to England may have seen British films there. Others may have seen her in cinemas in Canada or overseas. The British cinema industry didn't want to lose Matthews, and she turned down several Hollywood offers in the 1930s.

Today, of course, people everywhere can enjoy the talents of Matthews through any number of media. "Evergreen" is one of her best musicals, but there are others. And, Matthews also shines in some straight comedies. One not to be missed is the wacky 1938 comedy, "Climbing High," in which Matthews stars with Michael Redgrave and Alastair Sim.

Who knew this was going to be so delightful?

[marcslope · 8/10 · 11 February 2022]

The Brits weren't turning out many musicals in the early '30s to rival the American output, but this highly adapted screen version of a stage success is a winner all around. It has a more intriguing plot than most musicals of the day, acceptable production values that don't attempt to hit us over the head with Busby Berkeley splendor, a catchy score that's about half by Rodgers and Hart, and, deservedly at the center, Jessie Matthews. She's lovely, with an amazing figure, and she dances like a dervish; you really wish Hollywood had grabbed her and starred her with Astaire, which was supposed to happen but didn't. Spouse Sonnie Hale does his usual backstage-conniptions thing, and Barry MacKay is a rather charming leading man. You'll catch Stewart Granger and Miles Malleson if you look closely, and you'll enjoy one of the rare '30s musicals where you actually want to know how the plot is going to resolve itself.

couldn't have been made in hollywood 1934

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 17 November 2021]

Based on an actual british singer.... check out the trivia section and wikipedia dot com for deets. In the film, jess matthews is harriet green, popular singer and dancer, who has a daughter out of wedlock. She takes a long leave, and has her friend raise her daughter. Years later, the daughter comes back to perform, so benn and thompson (hale and mackay) put the daughter back on stage, passing her off as her mother, the original. Keep an eye out for norma varden, about five minutes in.. she's the barmaid cleaning the glass; even has a couple lines. She was lady beekman in gentlemen prefer blondes. Had roles in so many big films. Co-stars betty balfour as maudie; the only one who might spill the beans is the marquis of staines, who was to marry harriet, way back when. And of course, the guy who got harriet pregnant. Can they put it over, without getting arrested? Directed by victor saville. He directed matthews and hale again in first a girl. Sonnie hale was actually married to matthews while filming this movie. He died quite young at 57. It's well done, if a little silly. A lot of dancing and singing, some of it good, some not so good. Probably better that they made it in england, since the subject matter would have been whitewashed by the censors in hollywood. Especially that very suggestive scene near the end.