Lo sprecone

I had a very hard time watching and enjoying "Just This Once" and I am sure this film will strike some viewers the same way. This is because the leading character is so unlikable and spoiled that it's hard to care about him...and this seems like a fatal quality to have in a romantic comedy!

When the film begins, the Judge (Lewis Stone) is frustrated at Mark (Peter Lawford). After all, the Judge is in charge of the trust fund which more than amply provides for Mark...a million dollars a year. Yet despite this, he spends MUCH more and his creditors are furious. In desperation, he has a tough attorney, Lucy Duncan (Janet Leigh) appointed to oversea Mark's finances. She gives him a budget and does everything she can to stop his spending...and he responds by flying to Europe and Honolulu and spending like a mad man! Obviously he's either really, really dim or extremely arrogant and spoiled...neither of which make him an attractive or likable person. Sadly, you know that since this is a rom-com that these two completely mismatched folks will eventually fall in love...something that just makes no sense in a case like this.

So despite this major problem, is the film any good? Well, Leigh and Stone try their best but the plot difficulties are just too overwhelming to overcome. The film is slick looking and has a nice MGM look but the script is just awful...a case where I am surprised that the film was made in the first place. And, a film which makes Peter Lawford seem boorish and annoying.