Amiamoci

Through the courtesy of Turner Classic Movies, this little gem of a Hollywood romantic comedy was, indeed, a breezy expedition into the mysteries of Ann Sothern. She positively sparkles in this seemingly predictable venue.

Perhaps my expectations were not so large to begin with, but I found this story to be both very charming and a little wacky, and that was my reward for the short time it took to enjoy. In fact, I found the production values to be first rate. The opening sequence with the famous song given a beautiful rendition reminded me of just how sentimental people in this country were, once upon a time. The story was established firmly and all in a rush. That was kind of cool. In fact, it was very cool.

I suppose that this was B movie Depression Era fare. It was probably made to "cheer up" people who had nothing to do in an afternoon -- because they were out of work -- and had at least twenty-five cents to spare. TCM provided it for free, and it was a more enjoyable hour and seven minutes than was the last "first run" movie I saw in a theater, and which cost TEN DOLLARS to see.

This film was clever, fun, funny and had great music. Seven Stars.

I'm always happy to see a movie with singer Art Jarrett, who was at the height of his radio & film popularity about 1933-4 and a personable tenor who always turned in a good performance. In Let's Fall In Love he sings the beautiful title song very early in the picture with a sweet- sounding female chorus.

Also watch for him in MGM's Dancing Lady with Joan Crawford & in the 1933 Paramount film Sitting Pretty. His voice is heard in 1934's MGM Hollywood Party singing in the animated segment called Hot Chocolate Soldiers. He was married to swimmer Elinor Holm, famous for the 1936 Berlin Olympics and 1939 Billy Rose Aquacade at the NY World's Fair. I believe Elinor later married Rose, after his failed marriage to "Funny Girl" Fanny Brice.

Star Ann Sothern is gorgeous and sings very well in Let's Fall In Love; no wonder she had such a long an successful Hollywood career. Though Columbia was neither big nor wealthy in 1933, they made this entertaining film which happily survives in 2009.

... starring Ann Sothern and Edmund Lowe has as its setting the fictional Hollywood studio Premier Pictures. A temperamental Swedish actress (a parody of Greta Garbo?), unhappy with the film she's shooting, storms off the set. Director Ken Lane (Edmund Lowe) is determined to find a genuine Swedish replacement, resulting in a fruitless nationwide search. Dejected, Ken tries to clear his mind by going to the carnival, where he spots Jean (Ann Sothern), selling tickets using a faux French accent. Ken convinces a skeptical Jean he can turn her into the next Swedish movie star. The American Jean is thus transformed into Sigrid Lund. Her true identity a secret, even from reactionary studio boss Max Hopper (in a parody of the mogul), played hilariously by Gregory Ratoff. The public loves Sigrid, but Ken's jealous fiancé, Gerry (Miriam Jordan), has other plans. The charming song Let's Fall in Love is performed by a crooner as well as Ann Sothern.

Piffle about a carny girl who pretends to be Norwegian in order to win a movie contract, and falls in love with her director. Not much, but at slightly over an hour it certainly doesn't wear out its welcome, and that hour includes several renditions of the altogether lovely Arlen-Koehler title song. The other asset: Ann Sothern, getting her first real movie chance to flaunt her comedic talents. She's pretty and ebullient, and her natural high spirits offset her co-star's smarminess. Tala Birell is also fun as a screaming diva, and Gregory Ratoff does a very early warmup of his "All About Eve" role. A very pleasant way to kill 67 minutes.

But the film itself is a dated trifle that passes the time pleasantly at a little more than an hour. ANN SOTHERN shows why her breezy charm worked magic on audiences and top-billed EDMUND LOWE, largely unknown today, is her leading man as a Hollywood director.

The title tune gets a nice workout in the opening scene inside a movie studio while the plot is launched about a temperamental Swedish diva on the warpath about nobody leaving her alone (a la Garbo). When she storms off the lot in a huff, guess who waltzes in--ANN SOTHERN of course.

"As long as she's Swedish," says producer GREGORY RATOFF. So Lowe meets Sothern at a carnival and is convinced she'd make a good replacement for his Swedish diva. Sothern reluctantly agrees but says, "We'll never get away with it." And, of course, the rest of the breezy romantic comedy (predictable as it is) is concerned with the transformation of Sothern into a Swedish actress and her romantic alliance with Edmund Lowe.

It's a well-written, fast-moving comedy of Hollywood manners and morals and Lowe, Sothern and Ratoff manage to make it work. The youthful Miss Sothern is at her prettiest and has fun with her key role, Swedish accent and all.

Summing up: Better than average comedy from Columbia, well worth watching if you're an Ann Sothern fan.