A local politician in Scotland tries to break the reporter who wrote a negative story about him, and who is also in love with his daughter.
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I love this movie so much
Absolutely Fantastic
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
I love animals! And I love Rex Harrison and Vivien Leigh. The honest journalist and the feisty daughter of a local politician make a perfect couple of animal rights activists, falling in love while rescuing a dog. The film shows awareness that fascism is on the rise and the British humorous attitude about it, cleverly making an antifascist social commentary while dealing with animal rights. I know it sounds boring, but it isn't. The world of 1937 was free-spirited, even with fascism looming over, and film was still a new and exciting art form. Screwball comedies champion free women and free men.
Two years before the monumental "Gone With the Wind," Vivien Leigh made this rather bad film with Rex Harrison. Of all people, the wonderful Sara Allgood steals the show whose dog is ready to be put to death since she hasn't paid the local dog tax in Baikie, Scotland.A story of the corruption of politics follows. Leigh's father, the town provost, has political aspirations until he is exposed by Harrison in his news story.The scene with the dogs invading the mansion is quite funny; unfortunately, the movie really isn't; in fact, it's quite inane and dreary to say the least.The person who made Allgood's costume in the last scene of the film in court deserved an Oscar nomination.
I agree with the previous reviewer that this British film is an attempt by them to produce a Frank Capra like populist comedy. Certainly Cecil Parker as the town provost could easily have fit into a Capra film, a Mr. Potter from Scotland. Rex Harrison could easily be James Stewart, standing up for good.Cecil Parker is the provost (Mayor?) of a small Scottish town called Baikie way in the rural north. Parker's an efficient manager who's come to the attention of party bigwigs who want to run him in a bi-election for an open seat in Parliament.Parker is also a fatuous, arrogant oaf with the public relations sense of an ostrich. While being interviewed by reporter Rex Harrison, Sara Allgood who's a poor widow who can't afford the money for a dog license has her dog taken by Parker's police to be put to death as a stray. As she's begging, he throws her into the street.Harrison who was going to do a puff piece as we would now call it, is outraged enough to write what occurred.Complicating things is the fact that Harrison's fallen big time for Parker's daughter, Vivien Leigh. This was an early film for both and the megastardom that was destined for both is apparent.Of course being the oaf he is with his ego out of joint, Parker keeps escalating this storm in a teacup until it's a nationwide issue. But the ending couldn't have been better done by Frank Capra himself.Lots of laughs in this one and check out the scene where the dogs invade Parker's house. Could have been done as a short subject in and of itself.
Rex Harrison portrays a newly arrived British journalist in Scotland who uses his new job at a newspaper to take on the local political bigwig in this pleasing British comedy. The unfortunate circumstance is that while he battles the politician, he happens to be falling in love with the politician's beautiful daughter, Vivian Leigh. The issue at hand is the life of a dog that Leigh's father has coldly ordered to be put to sleep. It seems that its owner could not afford a dog license. Dog lovers should enjoy one scene in particular where what seems to be hundreds of dogs of all shapes and sizes raid the politician's mansion.