mark.waltz The music of the 1920's takes center stage in a non-musical comedy of growing up in small town America where a studious young girl deals with the romantic struggles of youth. Jeanne Crain is the epitome of comical awkwardness, sharing her story through flashback with her young daughter (Anne E. Todd) who comes across a pair of large bloomers while they are in the attic. The bloomers represent a funny reminder of Crain's past, and while they may look like just a hideous undergarment to her daughter, to Crain, they are the link to how she found romance with her husband and chose him over other admirers.Don't expect Esther Blodgett of "Meet Me in St. Louis" here in Crain's characterization. She's a bit of a geek, the star debater of the school's debate team, and rather shy with the boys who are interested in her. Among them are Alan Young (long before "Mr. Ed") and Conrad Janis (long before "Mork and Mindy"), and when she meets handsome teacher Glenn Langdan, Crain is instantly gaga over him. There's some question to her parental background: she lives with her former suffragette grandmother (a delightful Esther Dale) while her father (Hobart Cavanaugh) lives separately, working for the local mortician. Crain's bashful girl shines briefly on the ice skating rink, even outshining the school's most popular girl (a perky Barbara Lawrence) who has just done some fabulous Sonia Henie moves while on the rink. But as happens later at the school prom, fate takes over, and Crain faces possible humiliation when the unthinkable (at least for a proper young lady in the 1920's) happens.Snippets of some very popular 20's songs are heard, most notably the title song written for the character's wedding, played on a 78 RPM while Crain and her daughter are in the attic, and the beautiful "April Showers". Lawrence gets to warble the amusing "Coffee, a Sandwich, and You". The music doesn't overwhelm the film's plot, so it is inconsequential to the goings on. Hattie McDaniel, in one of her later roles, has a few nice moments as the housekeeper, but she doesn't really get much to do. As America headed out of World War II and into a very cynical future, films like this became rarer and rarer, so historically, they are very memorable as a part of the tougher times. The color photography is beautiful and every other technical detail is impressive as well.

Dan-13 There are certain movies that just leave you with a warm glow, no matter how many times you watch them. "Margie" is one of those, a sweet, nostalgic lollipop of a movie whose chief purpose is to entertain and delight.Jeanne Crain, an actress who has never quite gotten the credit she deserves, is a true revelation in this movie. She manages to make Margie charming without being winsome, strong without being overbearing. Whether getting laughs with her exaggerated gestures during a high school debate or dealing with her constantly droopy bloomers, Ms. Crain sparkles and lights up the screen for the entire 94 minutes. Also amusing is Alan Young, as the cow-eyed, poetry-spouting geek who only has eyes for Margie.Though Glenn Langan is a bit of a bore as Margie's French teacher--a sort of Humbert Humbert-lite--the rest of the cast is excellent. Conrad Janis is properly smarmy as a Sheik in raccoon's clothing, Barbara Lawrence terrific as a flirty flapper and Esther Dale amusing as Margie's free-thinking grandma. As Granny's housekeeper, Hattie McDaniel is, as always, a welcome presence."Margie" is the very definition of a feel-good movie. After all is said and done, there is really only one "Margie."

MARIO GAUCI Unassuming but surprisingly enjoyable Americana with an authentic feel for its 1920s small-town setting (encompassing high-school life, teenage romance, musical styles, politics, etc). Fox stalwart King here shows he was as much at home in an intimate environment as an elaborate one; the result is an extremely handsome-looking Technicolor production further blessed by a most appealing young cast. This is led by Jeanne Crain in a star-making role as the titular character (embarrassed by Father's profession or when her undergarments gets unfastened in public places!) but also highlighting Glenn Langan as the dashing French professor (who ends up marrying her!), pretty blonde Barbara Lawrence as her popular best friend/neighbor (a nimble dancer and skater yet jealous of Langan's attentions for Crain) and a debuting Alan Young as the heroine's mild-mannered but devoted poet beau. While there were a few too many songs for my tastes, the warm humor and amiable characterizations eventually won the day; albeit well-loved, the film is oddly unavailable on DVD – so that I had to make do with a TV-sourced French-subtitled copy of variable quality!

theowinthrop Mr. Cavanaugh had a long career, but rarely did he distinguish himself as in his role of the heroine's father in "Margie". His normal roles were of quiet little men, frequently henpecked or bossed about. Here he is a town businessman who rarely communicates with his daughter.Most of the film deals with small town growing up in the roaring twenties (I notice that the writing credits state the original story is by Ruth McKinney, author of the stories that became "My Sister Eileen" which is about the misadventures of two small town girls trying to make it in New York City in the 1930s). Margie's main tribulations are which of three boy friends (one the school French teacher) she will end up with. That part of the film is justly considered charming, and Jeanne Peters, Alan Young, Conrad Janis, Frank Langan and the rest of the cast do very well here. But it is the part of Mr. Cavanaugh as the father that is the real treat.Margie has to take part in a debate, and when she mentions this at home her father finally sees an opportunity to get closer to his daughter by helping her. So what is the subject? Should the Coolidge administration keep sending American marines to fight Sandino? Mr. Cavanaugh was expecting some simple topic, like are the old virtues the best. Instead he is forced to ask what Margie is talking about. It seems that in this film (set in 1926) President Coolidge is involved in one of a series of "police actions" that flared up between the Spanish-American War and (say) 1941 in Latin America. This one is in Nicaragua, and involves a popular local "bandit" leader Sandino who is trying to get rid of a corrupt government under a man named Somoza (the father of the Somoza most of us recall from the 1970s). Unfortunately, Somoza is close to American business interests in Nicaragua, so the Coolidge administration is sending Marines in to help catch Sandino. Cavanaugh has no conception of the background of this, and is amazed to discover this police action is three years old. For the rest of the film whenever we see Cavanaugh he is studying old newspapers, and slowly learning the ugly side of the Monroe Doctrine. And it is riling him. Not only is this un-American imperialism (he's a bit naive there), but there have been injuries and fatalities in this illegal, undeclared war. He becomes a critic of the government policies...an outspoken critic. Finally a respected critic. At the end of the film we learn that Cavanaugh eventually became the Ambassador to Nicaragua.Would that it could have been that simple, but I note this film is the only one I am aware of (except for the two versions of "Torrid Zone", first with Cagney and then with Reagan - and both are fictionalized versions) that tackle the story of Sandino. He was killed in a government ambush in the early 1930s, but (as we know) his cause survived him. Taken over by left wingers, who called themselves "Sandinistas", they ruled Nicaragua for a number of years in the 1980s, and even now are not out of that country's political system. This then is the only film that actually gets involved in the seed of the problem that helped lead to the "Iran Contra Affair". I cannot think of any other likable little comedy that manages to open up such a curious historical trail. And in doing so it gave Mr. Cavanaugh his big moment to shine on screen.