Back during the Studio Era of Hollywood, film's like this were cranked out like Ford automobiles. They were filmed on small budgets and in a short time, reaching theaters within weeks of their filming and editing. No pretense, no elaborate sets, no special effects - just good, wholesome entertainment. The best of them feature some terrific ensemble casts, crisp dialog, unpretentious direction, no-frills cinematography and good, clear story-telling. This delightful film is a fine example of that system.
I am a big fan of the 3 leads in this movie: Priscilla Lane, Dennis Morgan and Thomas Mitchell. Priscilla Lane, like her contemporary, Jean Arthur, was a very big star who is not as widely known or appreciated today. While Arthur was much more prolific, the body of work that each left behind is very impressive. They were both leading ladies for such giants as Jimmy Stewart and John Garfield, to name two. They were both equally adept at comedy and drama. They both had a girl-next-door appeal that is not in great demand today. Here, Priscilla Lane is lovely and charming, as the object of conflict in this film.
Dennis Morgan is similarly obscure to most people today. Paired with Jack Carson in a number of films as a kind of Warner Brothers response to the Hope-Crosby duo, Morgan was also equally adept at drama and comedy. Here he is charming as a Scotsman, with a very convincing Scottish accent. We really root for him in his courtship of Priscilla and in his struggle against Mitchell's prejudice. He and Lane are really good together.
I also really like Mitchell (perhaps best remembered as Scarlett O'Hara's father), however, this is not one of his best roles or performances. He is usually better at balancing bluster with comedy. He is sometimes quite poignant. Such poignancy and balance are somewhat lacking in this role. In short, he is not so much a lovable curmudgeon as he is just a curmudgeon.
Disowning his loving, devoted daughter simply because she marries a Scotsman seems rather contrary to the strong father-daughter relationship the film has portrayed up to that time. It also seems like a punishment that is way too severe for the "crime."
Then the pregnancy and the end arrive too abruptly. We have never seen Mitchell soften in his attitude of total rejection of Lane, until he learns of her pregnancy. He begins to soften, but a little too suddenly and a little too late. In the end, we want to see him become a little more contrite and also accepting of Morgan. We want to know that he realizes that he has been overly harsh and needs to make some gesture of contrition and reconciliation. But his only concession is to finally call Morgan a "Scotsman." His character from beginning to end, is a little too harsh to be as sympathetic as I think he should be. This doesn't ruin the movie, but just keeps it from being completely satisfying. Had Mitchell provided one of his more typical characterizations, I would have rated this movie an 8. A very enjoyable movie nonetheless.
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