And One Was Beautiful (1940) User Reviews (10)

And Once Movies Were Beautiful In Their Simplicity

[crispy_comments · 7/10 · 9 March 2010]

Apparently a B movie ...B must stand for Better acting and a Better message than we get in big budget "A" pictures today. Modern-day movies aimed at young women, surely aren't designed to encourage depth of character over shallow self-serving behavior... or increase the self-esteem of young girls who don't conform to "feminine" standards. (After all, criticizing the fake and flashy, like this movie does, ain't gonna help sell more products that depend on girls *not* being satisfied with their natural attributes or inner beauty.)

Laraine Day is lovable as a mechanically inclined tomboy who "bounds" into rooms and confesses to an inability to flirt. She bonds with Robert Cummings due to similar interests, a shared sense of humour, and her honesty, loyalty and good friendship, which he gradually comes to value over the superficial "charms" of her selfish glamour-girl sister (who only brings out his own selfish, reckless playboy tendencies).

Although Laraine is outwardly beautiful as well, it's refreshing to see inner beauty valued more, and the depiction of true friendship leading to the most fulfilling romantic relationship. I wish young girls (and guys) were getting this kind of down-to-earth message today.

Maybe if Hollywood returns to making "B" movies again, with modest budgets, and tries to be content with modest profits... what am I saying? Sacrificing the blockbuster mentality to create something sincere on a smaller-scale, would be like expecting a guy to give up the shallow sexpot for a sweet girl who really cares about him. That's crazy talk.

Please, somebody invent a time machine already! I belong in 1940.

I'd rate this movie higher, but the ending is a bit too abrupt, and perhaps lacked sufficient indication of Robert Cummings' change of heart. (I like the fact that B movies are short & snappy, not bloated & self-indulgent, but this one might've needed more than 70 minutes.) Also found it somewhat unrealistic that a widow and young children would be so unaffected by a sudden death in their family...or be so forgiving of the one who caused it. I mean, I guess it's *nice*, but a little more grieving or bitterness would've been only natural. Maybe a deliberate choice to make this family act lighthearted about their loss, to lessen the impact of the tragedy and make sure *we* forgive those involved in the death - since it's just a plot device anyway, not the real point of the film. Still strange though.

This 1940 Film Surprised Me

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 8 June 2008]

Had no idea what I was going to experience viewing this old film from 1940. However, I always enjoy viewing Laraine Day, (Katie Lattimer) who plays the role as a younger sister to Jean Muir, (Helen Lattimer) and also their mother, Billie Burke, (Mrs. Julia Lattimer). Thought I was going to be bored with the story of two sister's and a mother who is overly protective of her daughters until they meet up with Robert Cummings, (Ridley Crane) who has the reputation of being a millionaire playboy who has plenty of gals and is a heavy drinker who parties all the time. One night, Helen Lattimer goes on a date with Ridley and he proceeds to get bombed out of his mind and simply cannot drive his car. It is at this point in the film when this becomes a drama and changes the complete direction of this film which will definitely hold your attention right to the very end of the film.

Nothing particularly special, but still very watchable

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 14 May 2008]

This is a pretty decent 1940s B-movie--one with a lesser cast and lower production values. A very similar plot was used years later in the Italian film "Muerte de un ciclista" ("Death of a Cyclist"), but this later film was a bit more interesting and well made. So, many of you who have seen the Italian film will sure see a lot of similarities.

Bob Cummings is a hard drinking playboy and two high-society sisters are in love with him. The older one is considered more "chic" but the younger one (played by Laraine Day) seems to be the one with much greater depth of personality and character.

One night, Cummings is out with the older sister and he's stinking drunk. Against everyone's advice, he drives home but the older sister won't get in the car with him. Later, though, as she's walking home, he drives up and soon passes out in front of her. The sister then gets in the car to drive him home. Unfortunately, on the way home she accidentally hits and kills a bicylist but leaves the scene. No one knows she was driving and the next day Cummings is arrested for the crime. The sister, being a weasel, says nothing and is very happy to have him take the rap.

While the concept was very interesting and kept my interest, what happened next was a bit hard to take--in particular, Cummings' reaction as well as the sister's. Both seemed very unreal in how they dealt with the crime and the final portion, instead of ending with a bang seemed to just fizzle. Overall, it's a good time passer that SHOULD have been a lot better given the concept.

Stick with it

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 31 October 2019]

There's no question that this was an MGM B movie. And unfortunately, incredibly lackluster screen writers ruined the first 20 minutes of the film by imagining that every word that comes out of the mouths of fairly well off Americans is clever...which, of course, is so unrealistic. Not knowing what this film was about, based on that 20 minutes, I would have normally turned the film off. However, I think that both Robert Cummings and Laraine Day were terribly underrated actors, so I decided to stick with it. And then, about 20 minutes into the film, like a slap in the face, the film turns from being a failed romantic story to a man being sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. What a turn-around. The man (Cummings) accepts going to prison to protect a romantic interest (Jean Muir) who is too cowardly to tell the truth. And Muir is haunted by her sister's (Day) constant reminders of her cowardice. Meanwhile, Day is falling in love with Cummings, and almost single-handedly, she gets Cummings a pardon from his 5 year prison sentence. And it seems for a while as if Cummings is going to fall back in love with the WRONG sister! But, Cummings and Day do live happily ever-after.

Robert Cummings is interesting. He had some wonderful films where he showed some real acting ability, such as Hitchcock's "Sabateur", "King's Row", and the bright comedy "The Devil And Miss Jones". But things eventually went downhill, perhaps due to his drug use, and he ended up being a rather successful television star for a while, before practically disappearing. He's very good here as a rather young actor on the verge of real stardom.

Laraine Day was right in the middle of her series of Dr. Kildare films with Lew Ayres when she made this film. She's very right for the part.

The supporting cast here is interesting, as well. Starting with probably the worst actress to ever be a successful film actress -- Billie Burke. To think that she was the wife of Flo Ziegfeld is mind-boggling! Esther Dale is, once again, the perfect maid. Rand Brooks (Charles Hamilton in GWTW) has a role as a suitor; I had no idea he was such a prolific -- if unremarkable -- actor until I looked him up.

One last comment. I mentioned the inappropriate first 20 minutes (roughly) of the film. The low point of the film, however, is the clownish behavior of the family of the manslaughter victim of the plot. Stupid movie-making.

However, this is a film worth watching. It's good. In the right hands (in terms of direction and screen writing) it could have been great. They let down the stars.

A love triangle with Robert Cummings, Jean Muir and Laraine Day

[jacobs-greenwood · 6/10 · 13 December 2016]

This is a fairly engaging story about a rich playboy and his troubled life, in part due to his own drinking. Beautiful Helen (Jean Muir) and "grease monkey" Kate (Laraine Day) are sisters that "love" the same man, Robert Cummings (the playboy). Billie Burke plays their mother.

When Kate subs for Helen at a party to keep up appearances, Cummings falls for her only to be infatuated once again with Helen on the next social occasion. After that outing, however, Cummings gets drunk. Helen won't ride with him, so he follows her in his car. When he stops and passes out, she drives and accidentally kills an old man on a bike. She freaks out and flees the scene on foot, leaving him to take the rap for hit-and-run murder. Though Kate discovers her deception, he is unbelievably compelled to plead guilty anyway and is sentenced to 5 years.

However, Kate won't let Helen forget her crime, which drives Helen, into an unwanted marriage with a "hanger on" who's about to depart on a 6 month trip, to escape. Cummings provides for the dead man's family such that, with Kate's help, they write the Governor requesting a pardon. When it is granted, Helen is there to meet him when he's released. Cummings tells her the truth about herself, says his love is for Kate, and the film ends with him proposing to Kate in the back of a vegetable truck!

There is some less than stellar acting which includes Laraine Day's lips moving when she confronts Jean Muir's character about evidence, which implicates her in the accident, that she had hidden. Arthur O'Connell appears uncredited.

fascinated with Helen

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 23 November 2023]

Helen Lattimer (Jean Muir) is a society-climbing upper-class debutante. Kate Lattimer (Laraine Day) is her younger tomboy sister. Kate hits it off with playboy Ridley Crane, but he's interested in the more glamorous Helen. One night, Helen encounters a drunken Ridley driving his car. He passes out and she tries to drive him home. She struggles with the car and runs over a bicyclist. She abandons the unconscious Ridley who takes the fall for the crime.

This starts like a social formal. I'm barely interested in getting dressed up for the ball. The car incident woke me up. From that point on, it's a much more interesting story about morality. I love that Helen turns into this character. The writing is a little stiff. I wouldn't mind giving more comeuppance for Helen. I don't think that Ridley is developed enough. The ending leaves me a little wanting, but I am just so fascinated with Helen.

Movie Shifts Gears But Keeps Moving On

[cdlistguy · 7/10 · 27 July 2022]

If you can handle the sudden switch in tone midstream, this is an unconventionally enjoyable rom-com. Jean Muir overdoes the melodrama, but we're more than compensated by Loraine Day's strong and sympathetic character. Bonus: I learned to always sit on the coconuts, not the tomatoes.

But the guilt will destroy her.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 28 January 2021]

A selfish nature hidden by sophistication and beauty describes socialite Jean Muir, popular rich girl who avoids getting into trouble by lying over being the cause of the death of a young man she accidentally hit with Robert Cummings' car. Younger tomboy sister Laraine Day suspects the truth and when she learns Muir is hiding evidence, she confronts her but of course the lies are too great. Muir is willing to marry someone she doesn't love just so she can get away when coming goes to prison, but obviously, she's not going to survive her conscience.

I'm thinking that if this had been an a picture, MGM would have taken a chance by casting Judy Garland in a non-singing role in Day's role and and Rutherford as the older sister. But with what we've got, it's an interesting pairing where Muir, having been promising at Warner Brothers yet never moving past B leads and supporting in A's, showed great potential at a studio over stuffed with leading ladies. Here, she's making a one-off appearance, and her character seems to be a bit one-dimensional, an aspect that shows in her performance.

On the other hand, Day, best known as the nurse/love interest in the Dr. Kildare series, is quite good, feisty and filled with spirit and attractive scrubby clothes she wears when working on cars. She really gets the best material here, although it's nice to see Billie Burke as a mother playing a serious role and not being a flighty society matron even though her character is well off.

The opening scene at a club party seems like something that may have been cut out of "The Women", but outside of the catty lines in that scene, this is a very serious film. When Muir slaps her sister for being caught, any sympathy for her goes out the window. Cummings, the victim of the film, doesn't really get you play on any aspects of his character to give him many levels, but he does the best that he can. This film isn't completely believable, but waiting for Muir to get her comeuppance is worth waiting for even if it's ultimately a letdown.

And one was a lying snake

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 14 May 2008]

Robert Cummings, Laraine Day and Jean Muir star in "And One Was Beautiful," a 1940 film also starring Billie Burke. At one hour and 15 minutes, this looks to have been a B movie. Cummings is a playboy, Ridley Crane, whom many women desire, including two sisters, Katherine and Helen Latimer (Day and Muir). Katherine is the more earthbound of the two who likes to fix cars, and Helen is the blonde social butterfly with the beautiful gowns. Ridley arrives back in town, and, believing he's not going to be at a party, Helen decides not to attend. Since the party is given by a family friend, their mother (Burke) sends Katherine in a pinned up dress. Ridley is there, and the two connect. But Ridley is into more superficiality, and when he sees Helen at a dinner party, the two pick up where they left off and go to a club. He becomes terribly drunk, and Helen at first refuses to ride in his car because he won't let her drive. After walking awhile and breaking the heel of her shoe, she gets into Ridley's car when he drives by. He passes out, and she takes over the wheel, accidentally hitting and killing a bicyclist.

Ridley can't remember anything, so Helen lets him take the blame for the death. The heel of a woman's shoe is found in the car, and Katherine sees her sister bury her shoes - plus, something in Helen's manner makes her realize that Helen isn't telling the truth. Ridley is convicted and goes to prison, and Helen marries a man she doesn't love and leaves for South America.

This is a wonderful film, even though at the time, this wasn't an A-list cast. Cummings is playing a part that Robert Taylor would have played (it's an MGM film) - he's handsome and very amiable, even if he doesn't have the dazzling looks of someone like Taylor. Laraine Day is a favorite actress of mine, someone MGM loaned out constantly because they didn't know what to do with her. Why, I wonder - a wonderful actress with a great face and voice, she livened up many a film. This one is no different. Her Katherine is determined, sympathetic and totally lovely. Jean Muir is a lousy actress.

So who was the beautiful one? We all know even if MGM didn't.

Highly recommended little gem.

...That Was Jean Muir!!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 14 February 2012]

....and she really was beautiful. During the thirties she hadn't really got the glamour treatment, John Springer said "the studio worked her like a road company Lillian Gish". She was at her best portraying naive, idealistic young women ("Dr. Monica") or awkward adolescents ("Desirable") with much sincerity and when she did have a glamorous role (as Helen, the one who was beautiful) she rose to the occasion as well. Like Josephine Hutchinson she was at the wrong studio, anywhere else she may have been thought of as another Katherine Hepburn but Warners threw her into everything.

When Helen Lattimer (Muir), the beautiful one, realises that Ridley Crane (Robert Cummings) millionaire man about town will not be at the party that night she pleads sick and tomboy sister Kate (Laraine Day) has to go in her place. But surprise!! surprise!! Ridley is there and is very taken with Kate and her freshness and charm - as she says "I'm not witty, can't wisecrack and can't flirt"!!! They share a mutual love of cars and their workings!!!

Helen gets her act together enough to mesmerize Ridley with her beauty next time they meet which is the next night. Ridley gets drunk and while Helen is at the wheel she kills a cyclist. Frightened she runs home and it is very easy to convince everyone that Ridley was driving as there was a witnessed scene outside the club and the fact that the town is still talking about Ridley's scandalous hit and run which happened the year before. Only Kate has her doubts - Helen's dirty gloves have been mysteriously scrubbed clean and she also digs up a parcel Helen has buried to find it is Helen's heel-less shoe - a big clue to determining Ridley's innocence. Things aren't plain sailing though, rushing to her uncle with evidence, Helen then refutes Kate, saying she was in the car but when Ridley ran over the man she ran off, screaming. Her lies are so convincing that everyone sides with her against Kate!!!

Being an MGM B means at any other studio the movie would have been promoted as an A - it's production, sets, direction and cast can't be faulted. Laraine Day was good as the determined Kate but even at this early stage of her career she had already appeared in two Dr. Kildare movies and the dye was cast. She was so popular as Nurse Molly Lamont that MGM didn't really consider her for anything else. When she was cast against type as the smiling psychopath in "The Locket", in my opinion she was not convincing.