Movies You Might Have Missed Monday

I hate to sound redundant. Lacking variety troubles me. But when you see a good thing, well, you can’t argue with it.

What I’m getting at is that this week’s movie (again) features Jimmy Stewart, in one of his first starring roles, this time paired up with Ginger Rogers of dancing fame.

While Jimmy is a shoe in for a good movie, Ginger Rogers also makes an impression. She’s so much more than a dancing duo a la Fred Astaire. She’s gorgeous, for one thing, and a captivating actress.

In this film, Vivacious Lady from 1938, Jimmy plays Peter Morgan, a college botany professor browbeat by his stuffy, prestigious father who happens to be the college’s president. Peter is sent into the city to retrieve his cousin, Keith, who is fond of club hopping and carousing. Peter finds him in a particular club staking out a particular club singer he’s fascinated with. In a quirky twist, Francey (Rogers), the singer, ends up hitting the town with Peter. A whirlwind romance ensues, and within 24 hours, Peter and Francine are married and headed back to Old Sharon, where Peter and his family live.

A few obstacles complicate their newlywed bliss right off the bat, not the least of which is Peter’s parent-picked fiancé awaiting him at the train depot.

The rest of the movie is the couple’s attempts to reveal their nuptials to his parents and the fiancé, to keep hidden their relationship until his parents know, and to overcome the differences in culture and society threatening their marriage.

Vivacious Lady is romantic, comical (LOL moments), and endearing. Peter wears his heart on his sleeve, abounding in tender gestures of love and adoration. Francey delivers snappy sarcasm and shows a lot of gumption.

It ends up being a good lesson in relationships, particularly marriages, but also parent/child ones as well.

I love Vivacious Lady. Maybe you would too?

Happy Movie Watching, Dry Ground friends!

(photo by photobucket.com)