Call It a Day (1937) User Reviews (12)

Spring Fever For The Hiltons

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 29 January 2011]

Author Dodie Smith probably far better known for her novel 101 Dalmatians was the author of the play Call It A Day which ran on Broadway in 1936 for 194 performances. Before that it had done well in London. Hollywood's British colony with some American leavening was drafted into casting this rather slight comedy which gave Olivia DeHavilland her first role top billed.

I took note of the fact that it was Cosmopolitan Productions that made this film at Warner Brothers studio. This of course was the company headed by William Randolph Hearst and I'd bet that he bought this one for Marion Davies. He always saw her years younger and as the virtuous heroine. Olivia was 21 when she made this film and Marion was 41. Funny thing is she might well have been cast in Frieda Inescourt's role as Olivia's mother, but W.R. would never have let her appear in film in a mother's role.

Olivia is the oldest of three Hilton children the others being Peter Willes and Bonita Granville. On the first day of spring the entire family get themselves into some innocent spring flings with various people except Granville who's just in love with love and acts as kibitzer to her siblings. Ian Hunter is an accountant who gets more than he bargained for when he tries to work on the taxes of actress Marcia Ralston while Inescourt gets the mojo going for neighbor Roland Young. Olivia develops a crush on artist Walter Woolf King though for the life of me I can't see why, but his wife Peggy King is bothered. Willes starts paying attention to neighbor Anita Louise.

The film is done in the cross cutting style originated by Intolerance though the stories involve the actions of one family.

Call It A Day was an amusing bit of fluff in its time, but it's aged rather badly. It didn't do Olivia DeHavilland's career any harm and I'm sure she was grateful for the time away from being the heroine in crinoline just waiting supper for the hero which was usually Errol Flynn at this point in her career. Still no one will ever consider this one being in her top 10 performances.

Slice-of-life comedy features good performances but meanders too much

[csteidler · 6/10 · 8 July 2016]

Frieda Inescort and Ian Hunter lead a solid cast in this minor but pleasant comedy about a London family's dreams and adventures over the course of a single day.

A pair of spirited daughters have some good scenes; Olivia de Havilland is obsessed with married painter Walter Woolf King, for whom she is modelling, while 14-year-old Bonita Granville is in love with the poetry and paintings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Their brother Peter Willes, meanwhile, is planning to run away from home—until he meets new neighbor girl Anita Louise. These young people are all attractive and funny, but their stories pop into the picture sporadically then disappear for long stretches, with the result that we kind of forget about them.

Roland Young is fine as an old bachelor who initially mistakes Inescort for his blind date and then, even after he discovers that she is married, insists that he loves her and attempts to romance her. Meanwhile, Inescort's accountant husband Hunter is pursued by slinky actress Marcia Ralston, who invites him to come up and see her sometime—not, it turns out, to work on her taxes.

The plot is inoffensive if not particularly inspired; the performances are all quite good and the characters too are likable. Still, there's something missing, and it's not just the fact that the whole thing is pretty dated. Possibly there are too many main characters for a 90-minute movie....we just don't get to know any of them well enough. (I would be interested to see sometime if this works better as a play—apparently it had a nice run on the stage.)

Ian Hunter is fine as the male lead but Frieda Inescort has the film's best role....as mother and wife she is alternately bemused, exasperated, challenged, and charmed. She comes closest to being a character we really care about.

Spring fever grips the Hilton family and their acquaintances in this low-keyed but delightful comedy set in London on the first day of spring.

[Art-22 · 7/10 · 18 February 1999]

The Hilton family awakens to a lovely, warm and sunny first day of spring and soon each are enmeshed in affairs of the heart. It's a thoroughly underrated situation comedy with a few twists. Roland Young steals the movie with his persistent wooing of Frieda Inescourt, but then again he has the best lines. Walter Woolf King is also excellent trying to repel the clinging Olivia de Havilland every time his wife leaves the studio. It's all verbal humor and it's a feel-good movie well worth seeing.

Low-key comedy wastes de Havilland...

[Doylenf · 5 April 2001]

Although given top billing for the first time in her career, it is not Olivia de Havilland who carries this low-key comedy of spring fever running rampant in an upperclass British family. Ian Hunter and Frieda Inescourt have the main burden--as well as Roland Young who makes amorous advances toward Frieda and Bonita Granville giving another of her irritating brat performances. Olivia makes scant few appearances as a lovesick girl batting her eyes at artist Walter Woolf King. Her role is so small it is a wonder the studio bothered to give her top billing. Likewise, Anita Louise is reduced to a small role as the attractive girl next door. Hunter and Inescourt do well in their parts but this minor comedy from a stage play is a trifle easily forgotten. Incidentally, Olivia's sister Joan Fontaine played a role in a Los Angeles stage version of the film. May have been the same one Olivia plays, but I'm not sure.

a young de havilland

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 23 August 2020]

A YOUNG olivia dehavilland is Catherine Hilton, in a wacky family, with wacky maids and cooks. a few subplots raging in this story that started as a stage play. Catherine is falling for her (married) artist friend Paul. The amazing Alice Brady and Roland Young are brother and sister, along for laughs. SHE won an oscar; he was nominated. if you haven't seen them in other things, you really should; they are both hilarious. Muriel (Brady) has picked out a wife for brother Frank.. .but he isn't convinced he wants a wife. Dad Hilton is being pursued by a client, an actress! . Spring has sprung. even Mom Hilton accidentally gets mixed up in a love triangle. mistaken identities! mixups! Keep an eye out for Una Oconnor, the short, tiny housekeeper. she speaks her mind, and was always prim and proper. Director Archie Mayo made this right after Petrified Forest. sadly, Alice Brady would die quite young just two years after making this film. this film is fun... snappy. has a lot in common with Merrily we Live, but that is MGM.

See it if you like English genteel charm, skip if you don't

[rhoda-9 · 7/10 · 13 June 2021]

This is the first time in all the years I have been following imdb that I have seen a movie rating that I thought was too low. Call It a Day is the kind of movie that, depending on your taste, can be seen as charming or annoying. It's a gentle, pleasant little picture meant for those who like this sort of thing.

All the players here are attractive and, yes, charming--handsome, sturdy Ian Hunter, who deserved better than all those roles as a soon-to-be-discarded fiance; gracious Frieda Inescourt; adorable, bumbling Roland Young. Only the exquisite 21-year-old Olivia de Havilland gives a poor performance, way over the top as the love-crazed girl, one that a better director got her to tone down in the same role in It's Love I'm After later the same year.

The relentlessly nice, genteel atmosphere may seem phony to some--but this was a genteel time. Still, there is a wonderful performance from Alice Brady, as Inescourt's chattering, racy friend, and de Havilland throws herself at a married man with a shameless intensity not likely to be found in American movies of that date. The dialogue more often pleases by its familiarity than its cleverness, but it does please. There are more ways to be charming than to be Noel Coward.

Sad to find Olivia de Havilland in this dreary talk-fest

[JohnHowardReid · 1/10 · 20 November 2013]

Very much a filmed stage play – and what a dated, "terribly black" (to quote one of the characters) stage play it is, redolent with talk about staying too long in the bath and the delights of having a room of one's own – all couched in stage English, "Anyone for tennis?" slang. Although seemingly unaware that a movie set is not akin to the stage at the Paladium, the players battle valiantly with Archie Mayo's dull, unimaginative and relentlessly routine direction. Photography is soft and film editing, merely functional. In fact, let's not mix words. This gab-fest of banal dialogue is one of the worst movies of all time. True, it doesn't open too badly and there is a nice scene with Olivia de Havilland in an artist's studio, but the large roster of players never let up on the yakkity-yak-yak for a single second until finally the ear can stand this excruciating torment no longer and one is forced to flee the cinema for the comparative quiet of the jack-hammers, trolley-buses and streetcars outside. Would you believe this incredibly bad picture has been resurrected and is now available on a Warner Archive DVD?

Be A Dear And Love Me Madly

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

Its title suggests that the action in this film takes place in a 24-hour period and that its happenings are of little consequence. This adaptation of a Dodie Smith play does occupy only one day, and some of the day's happenings will probably seem like dreams in the reset of another night's sleep.

There is a manic energy in the air as the day begins in the Hilton household. It is the first day of Spring and, much like a troupe of Shakespearian characters, they are greatly influenced by the seasonal airs and the vernal moon. Inspired, they are, to flights of fancy and foolishness.

The narrative is divided into various subplots for the numerous characters, so each actor has limited camera time, but the acting is credible. I especially enjoyed the performance of Roland Young as the older man who instantly falls in love with Mrs. Hilton and---at least for a day-is willing to upend his life for this singular passion. And I found Marcia Ralston charming as an American actress who tempts Mr. Hilton; she has a screen presence reminiscent of Kay Francis.

Though British conventions are bent, they are never broken in this ebullient farce. All's well that ends well. And no one ever misses a tea time.

Wow...what a thankless role for Miss de Havilland.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 9 February 2013]

"Call it a Day" could have been a very good film, but thanks to poor writing, even the slickly polished film and quality actors could quite pull this off. My score of 4 seems a bit generous--but at least the film picked up as it progressed.

The film begins in a very loud household. The three children (two grown and one on the way to being grown) are pretty obnoxious. The least obnoxious of these was played by Bonita Granville--which is odd, as she made a career out of playing obnoxious teenagers! The brother is a bit more annoying. But the worst of all, by far, was played by Olivia de Havilland. Her character is completely fake and one-dimensional--and just appallingly badly written. It's odd, as de Havilland was an up and coming major star--with films like "Sea Hawk" and "Charge of the Light Brigade" to her credit. As for the parents, Ian Hunter plays a rather annoying out of touch guy and Alice Brady as the very patient mother. Of the five family members, only Brady comes off as a real human being--not some sort of goofy caricature.

"Call it a Day" occurs all during one day--as all five of the family members have brushes with love. De Havilland's was naturally annoying--and I hated every minute she was on screen. It's amazing, as she is among my very favorite actresses--and I adore her normally and would love to meet this fine lady. It must have killed her soul to play such a doofus and you can see the sort of roles that pushed her to push back at the studio! As for the rest, the son's romance is rather cute and Granville's is, well, weird. The only ones I really liked ended up being the parents' brushes with adultery. BOTH of them SHOULD have told their pursuers to get lost loudly and clearly--this did annoy me a bit, as it wasn't very realistic. But, I loved it when they showed both of them on their separate 'dates'. Bouncing back and forth and showing them BOTH saying and doing the same things was very clever. And, this is the rub--late in the film it gets really, really good--but the first portion AND every second de Havilland's character is on the screen are just badly written. It was as if the film was written by two different writers--one clever and one a knucklehead. Rarely is a film this uneven.

My advice? If you love Miss de Havilland, skip this one--it's one her few obvious misfires. And, apparently Neil Doyle's review would concur that she was wasted. Otherwise, it's a time-passer that just misses the mark.

Little comedy shows de Havilland's talent

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 2 May 2018]

"Call It a Day" is a light comedy about the life of members of a family who catch spring fever. But, rather than much interplay with the whole family, it's more a collection of vignettes about each member of the clan. There's no time when the whole family actually is together. It takes place on the first day of spring. There's nothing exceptional about the screenplay, and the script is just so-so. With more snappy and witty dialog, this could have made a very funny and meatier comedy.

Although she doesn't have the lead role, Olivia de Havilland has first billing in the credits of the film. With just half a dozen movies to her credit, de Havilland already had gained a niche as a top actress. In this film, she plays Catherine Hilton, a supporting role to those of the two leads, Roger and Dorothy Hilton. They are played by Ian Hunter and Frieda Inescourt.

Hunter and Inescourt started their careers in England, and both were good performers. But they never achieved the top level of stardom. Hunter was a leading man during the 1930s and a major supporting actor in many films with big name stars. Inescourt played mostly supporting roles during her career.

Others in the cast will be recognized by movie buffs. Bonita Granville plays Ann Hilton and went on to make many films in supporting roles. Anita Louise was well known in films and TV until her early death at age 55 following a stroke. Roland Young and Una O'Connor need no introduction - they were mainstays in many films until the mid-1950s.

Most of the roles are quite simple and offer little challenge to acting talents. And, that's where de Havilland stands out in her supporting role. She had enough diverse reactions in her role to be able to show a range of emotions most convincingly. This is little more than a fair, standard film with light entertainment. The main reason to watch it is to see the talent of one of the greatest actresses of stage and screen.

Here are the best lines from the movie. For more of the dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film.

Dorothy Hilton, "Roger! Roger! Wake up. You'd better shake him, Vera." Vera, the Maid, "Who, me?" Dorothy, "Yes." Vera, "Really, madam?" Dorothy, "Well, someone always has to and I hate getting out of bed until I've had my tea. Well, go on, go on!"

Vera, the Maid, to the cook, "A radish. That's what he said he wanted. Nothing less, and he was quite put out there wasn't one in the house."

Mrs. Elkins, the Cook, "Mrs. Milson, it says here, garlic and parsley is good for blood pressure." Mrs. Milson, the Housekeeper, "Well, it's wrong. You can't season blood pressure. You've got to cure it."

Muriel West, on the phone to Dorothy Hilton, "Oh, darling, darling, isn't it a marvelous day? ...Let's do something different, something utterly different. Let's go shopping."

Dorothy Hilton, "Oh, I don't know, Muriel. I really ought to start my spring house cleaning." Muriel West, "Oh... What does it matter if your house is filthy for another day?"

Frank Haines, "Madam, I will not be pushed about. I'll have you know there are two things a man likes to choose for himself - his wife and his ties."

Paul Francis, to Catherine Hilton, "Now, now, now, now, you go away. If Ann's too old to hug me, you certainly are. Out you go, young lady."

Roger Hilton, "Well, for utter indecency, give me the high minded."

A house where quiet doesn't exist.

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 4 October 2016]

This noisy family comedy makes me long for the squeaky cleanliness and moderate calm of MGM's Andy Hardy series. From the housekeeper and cook to mom and dad and the three obnoxious offspring, even to the family pet, nobody ever shuts up, and everything out of their mouth seems to be a claim if how important their problems are or begging for acknowledgment. In short, this is a family in its entirety which needs either therapy or a major time out.

While a plot description sets this up as a comedy surrounding the problems of the first day of spring, there's nothing amusing inside any of these characters, and that includes the people they are involved with outside of the family. Olivia De Havilland, in one of her first solo starring vehicles, plays a character throwing herself unashamedly at a married man, while mom and pop Freida Inescort and in Hunter deal with the gossipy or harsh financial situations in her club and his office. I can't see this being like this on stage, but I could very much be wrong considering that it has never been revived.

At least Bonita Granville has the excuse of being a teenaged girl for being so badly behaved. Peter Willes seems justified in his frustration as the middle child, dealing with two rather annoying sisters. Una O'Connor and Beryl Mercer manage to get a few laughs as the servants. Roland Young, Alice Brady, Peggy Wood, Anita Louise and Walter Woolf King are lost among the outsiders, indicating that this has far too many characters. Unlike other successful stage plays successfully made into movies that featured an extensive cast ("Stage Door", "The Women", "The Doughgirls"), this just flies all over the place. It made me find myself disliking it more and more as it went on...and on...and on.

Sharply written satire full of laughs

[michellek10 · 9/10 · 9 July 2016]

I caught this gem of a comedy on a Saturday morning on TCM, and I wasn't expecting much from it. I watched it for the star, Olivia de Havilland. However, although she received top billing, her part was more of a supportive one as the eldest daughter. The plot centers on a married couple with three nearly grown children who find themselves each fielding persistent and unexpected flirtations. There are many clever, funny lines in the script. ("What about the children?" "Well, you could just divide them up between you." "But there are three, it wouldn't come out even!" ) Olivia's facial expressions in her scene with the painter show her rarely tapped comedic talent. I'm not sure why other reviewers gave this film such low marks; I've watched dozens of films from the era (often with bigger stars) that weren't nearly as funny. Another plus for this film is that it doesn't, like so many other Hayes Code era films, pretend that adultery either doesn't exist or that no one ever actually goes through with it. The two lead actors are witty and believable and the ending is surprisingly touching.