The Pursuit of Happiness

It starts out like a war picture. Hessian soldiers are conscripted to fight in America beside the British. Francis Lederer is a college student who can speak English and becomes a translator, before deserting to join the American side once here.

Upon meeting Joan Bennett he is smitten and the picture abruptly becomes a light comedy. It is clearly a vehicle for Lederer who had just become Paramount's newest star. He is in nearly every scene, cheerful, appealing and smiling relentlessly.

We find out about Bundling, a colonial courting custom allowing couples to sit in bed to converse, read to one another, etc., and with a 9 inch wooden board between them to ward off any impure spirits. It's a very entertaining story and was adapted from the Broadway stage to the big screen.

See it if you can, it's surprisingly good. I saw it at Capitolfest, Rome, NY. 8/14/21.

*******7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.

Have you ever heard of the courting ritual of bundling? You won't forget it after seeing this movie.

Francis Lederer is a lively beacon in what could have been a stuffy historical drama. It is the time of the American Revolution and Max (Lederer) has been forced to become a Hessian mercenary, though he quickly deserts the army. The colonists hold him captive, and he slowly wins his way into their confidence, though some like him less than others, like Adrian Morris who doesn't like the way he looks at Prudence (Joan Bennett). Charlie Ruggles gets a lot of chuckles as her church-skipping father. Lederer is exuberant and charming, and he and Bennett make a beautiful couple.

How often do you see a comedy set in the revolutionary war? How often do you see an unmarried couple in bed together during the production code era? For that matter how often do you see a married couple in bed together during the production code era? Well, at least in this film you do, although this was released early in the production code era - just two months after the code went into effect.

Francis Lederer plays a Hessian musician and professor of languages who gets caught up in the conscription by the Duke of Hess who is being paid by King George to send soldiers to fight in the American Revolutionary War. Max (Lederer) is a lover not a fighter, so he deliberately misses whenever he is told to shoot and deserts as soon as possible. Mainly he does this because he does not want to be a soldier, but the Americans were also sendng notices around telling the Hessians if they joined the American side they got 40 acres of land. Plus the poet in Max is overjoyed by "the pursuit of happiness" promised by the Americans.

Unfortunately, Max makes his way to rural Connecticut which was still quite Puritan at the time and gives himself up there. Very quickly the American soldiers realize this guy is not a Trojan Horse. He really is, in actuality, a victim of circumstance who wants to join this great experiment called America.

Max is confused by some of the customs - putting people in stocks for drinking or swearing, and can't figure out why the entire town cowtows to the arbitrary rulings of the squire of the town. In his own words "You may be able to pursue happiness but these strange customs make it hard to catch".

Max gets into more trouble when he meets Prudence (Constance Bennett) a beautiful girl living on a neighboring farm. A local member of the militia is already interested in Prudence and won't let "some foreigner" get in the way. How does this all work out? Watch and find out.

Charles Ruggles and Mary Boland play wonderfully off of each other as Prudence's parents. Thankfully, for once Paramount couldn't let Ruggles do his drunk act or else he would have spent the entire movie in the stocks! Adrian Morris plays the militiaman in love with Prudence. He looks much like John Candy but shows none of Candy's charm. Walter Kingsford is an ominous humorless presence as the Squire, which is exactly what the role required. Lederer is terrific as the bubbly scholarly gentleman - a stranger in a strange land.

I highly recommend this film because it is clever AND because it tries to bring in some actual history to the movie. There really was a courting practice called "bundling" that existed into the 19th century, the Puritan rulers of New England really were in juxtaposition to the pursuit of happiness, and there really was a Colonel Sherwood in the American forces during the Revolutionary war.

Charming old movie (black & white) set in our colonial war during the winter. A hessian soldier-Franz Lederer (conscripted into the British army goes a.w.o.l.) Meets American girl, romance, candles in the window, bundling board-(an old new england custom to conserve wood) ensue. Saw this 30 years ago on TV haven't seen since. Charlie Ruggles was particularly good. So is Lederer and the female lead.

That rarest of birds, a Revolutionary War comedy.

Lederer is for once in his American career cast sensibly as a Hessian soldier conscripted into service who comes over to the patriots side but runs into multiple problems with the natives along the way. He happens upon the household of a tippling farmer, her bossy wife, their fair daughter and saucy serving girl. During his pursuit of the daughter he crosses swords, figuratively, with a blowhard militia man who is interested in her as well and the self righteous reverend of the community.

Pleasant story is buoyed by the presence of expert comic actors Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland as the parents of the young lass who catches Lederer's eye, a lovely and very blonde Joan Bennett.

Hard to find but a pleasure to watch if you happen upon it.