One Rainy Afternoon

This was wonderfully enjoyable! Men probably disagree since it is most definitely Woman's Movie!! The leading man is almost too handsome and then he smiles!! Wow! Plus, Ida Lupino is so young & gorgeous! I doubt the film maker was hoping for an Oscar but an offering of romance and comedy!! Why not!! It's perfect in that category!!

When a European setting was considered necessary for a "sophisticated" romantic comedy and a "prestige" production, "One Rainy Night" delivered not only the setting, but also the European screenwriters and even the European lead -- Francis Lederer doing a passable Maurice Chevalier-like singing turn. The main plot is a trifle, as is appropriate for romantic comedy. Lederer plays a stage actor who accidentally kisses a stranger (Ida Lupino) in a darkened movie theater, when he thought he was kissing his married lover (billed as Countess Liev de Maigret). Lederer is prosecuted as a masher at the insistence of a public morality committee. At trial, he can't tell the true reason he kissed Lupino, so he says he was overcome by her beauty; the trial makes him a popular celebrity and his stage play a hit, and it starts a romance between Lederer and Lupino.

Lederer is a charming romantic lead and Lupino is radiant in an uncharacteristic early role as a sweet, innocent girl. Unfortunately, they have little chemistry between them, which is the weak point of the movie. But the supporting cast, including the always reliable Roland Young, Hugh Herbert, Donald Meek, Eric Rhodes, and Mischa Auer playing their usual characters, are all given either extended scenes or bits of business that keep the movie light, sparkling, and enjoyable. And Rowland Lee's direction is up to his usual high standard.

When you see a cast that contains such folks as Roland Young, Hugh Herbert, Mischa Auer, Donald Meek, Erik Rhodes, Eily Malyon, and Richard Carle in the cast it's almost an obligation to watch the film. All these are in the cast filling out roles you would expect of them supporting leads Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino.

This could only happen in France where they are a bit more permissive. And it could only work for a charming guy like Francis Lederer. Don't try this here unless you're Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. One afternoon Lederer who is opening in a revue shortly decides to spend an afternoon at the cinema with a woman he's dating and do the things couples do at the movies. Only Lederer gets the wrong row and when he reaches over and plants a big wet on Ida Lupino she's started and screams. when she's startled.

When the lights go on and everybody in the theater jumps into their business Lupino is willing to just let it all drop. But Eily Malyon best remembered as the parish housekeeper in Going My Way is there and happens to be the head of the Purity League. She insists on bringing a complaint against Lederer and the gendarmes haul him off to the pokey.

The court scene is pretty funny too as Judge Donald Meek looking for a few jollies has Lederer, Lupino, and Malyon who wants Lederer boiled in oil give their accounts of this incident.. Theater manager Roland Young fires Lederer from his revue, but his popularity among the French public skyrockets.

As was said by another reviewer this is a film that Maurice Chevalier should have done. But as Chevalier went back to France and was unavailable, Lederer is a good substitute.

Does all this lead to romance? Watch this charming comedy and find out.

Philippe Martin (Francis Lederer) is a struggling actor who accidentally kisses Monique (Ida Lupino) in a darkened cinema thinking that she is someone else. This incident causes a scandal which goes to court. In the meantime, Philippe's stage career takes off and we end with a theatre performance where the story depicts the recent events and we even have a song about it.

This film isn't very good despite having 2 good main actors in the lead roles. I expected more from Lederer and Lupino but there just wasn't anything in the script to deliver. The film is about an incident which is not capable of carrying a whole film. It also contains a very annoying Hugh Herbert as "Toto" who is given comedy music when he appears, which is all the way through the film. His character helps ruin the film. But it is a film with a nothing story to begin with. Shame the two main actors wasted their time with this.

Picture quality is pretty rough at the beginning, but this thing is already 85 years old, so i guess we should just appreciate still having it around. Produced by Mary Pickford, it stars Francis Lederer as Philippe, who is planning on meeting his (married) girlfriend in a Paris Theater. He mistakenly kisses the wrong girl, Monique, played by Ida Lupino. this starts a huge uproar in Paris, as the President of the Purity League was also in the theater. and no comedy would be complete without Donald Meek. and Erik Rhodes and Hugh Herbert. Roland Young (Topper!) this one is just loaded up with the best comedians. and we sit through the whole court case as they demand to know why Philippe kissed a girl. kind of like Much Ado about Nothing! a kissing caper. fun. moves right along. ice skating. Directed by Rowland Lee, who had directed some biggies, Count of Monte Cristo and Three Musketeers. Pickford played such a HUGE role in all aspects of films over her career, although it seems to have stopped when she divorced Fairbanks in 1936. THIS film was one of the last ones she produced. looks like she mostly retired from the biz when she married Buddy Rogers. Definitely catch One Rainy Afternoon if you can find it... Roland Young does a really FUN version of "Rainy Afternoon"!