Adventure in Manhattan

Fans of the divine Joel McCrea and the adorable Jean Arthur will enjoy watching them doing the romantic fencing needed to prolong the love story aspect of the movie. The trouble is that the other aspect of the movie, the bank robbery, is really, really dumb, and makes even 72 minutes seem long, with its plot that is ridiculous and totally unbelievable both strategically and psychologically. Every time the movie comes round to it, it seems even less believable and more tiresome. That's not the only reason for the low rating. There is an extended joke involving a dead child that is horrible and offensive, and a quick joke involving a blind beggar that is also pretty tasteless. Yes, people at that time did not react the same way we do, but other movies did not commit such gross lapses of taste that, for me anyway, threw the comedy off the track.

It takes a deft touch to produce an amusing crime drama -- as Powell and Loy did for Nick and Nora and as "Mr and Mrs North" did on radio in the 40s. This one begins to get interesting as the McCrea character sneaks into a house to check out the cruel joke that has apparently been played on Jean Arthur. But it turns out that the joke is on him and a suspenseful situation becomes preposterous. The elaborate hoax seems beyond the capabilities of its practitioners. And the comment that suggests that the ring of crooks is entirely too large is accurate. The film oscillates between noir and screwball comedy and the two genre compete with each other. The film never decides what it wants to be and ends up being a generic midair collision.

Let me begin by saying that McCrea and Arthur make one of the best looking, likable, elegant and best acting duos I have ever had the pleasure to watch. ADVENTURE IN MANHATTAN is a zany tale about a newsman (McCrea) who can predict robberies - exactly why he has prediction powers no one can say. Dialogue is full of repartee and it is rather advanced for a 1936 flick. Director Edward Ludwig does a great job, cinematography is top drawer and the script does not make a whole load of sense but that is what makes this film so charming,

If you like screwball comedies, you'll like "Adventure in Manhattan." If you like Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea you'll like "Adventure in Manhattan." "Adventure in Manhattan" is not really a mystery or detective movie and it is definitely NOT a noir. So don't watch it hoping to be dazzled by impressive deducting or menaced by psychotic killers. Watch it for the zany laughs. This is not the best screwball comedy ever made, that honor probably belongs to "It Happened One Night," "My Man Godfrey" or "His Girl Friday." Nor is it the best film McCrea and Arthur made together; that would be "The More the Merrier." But an average screwball comedy with two of the greatest stars of the Silver Screen makes for an above average night at the movies. Put on the popcorn and watch the sparks fly...

I couldn't believe this film had such a rich look to it in the beginning, mainly for Arthur standing in the rain in her first scene. Then she does the truly bizarre bit and runs to the little shop and orders, "a facial and a shampoo" and comes out gussied up like a typical Hollywood starlet. How about that dress? Yea, that looks inconspicuous on the busy NY street, don't it? Then we get a coffin, she faints, and McCrea ends up exchanging ties with a guy holding a gun on him. It lost me completely with all this, cuz this was all nothing but a joke. After that, I hardly paid attention and am surprised to see the reviews here involved BANK ROBBERY! I caught on to none of this. All in all, it's quite a shame, as the beginning looked purely authentic, but it all turned on 'a facial and a shampoo' for me.

This is a fun film for all Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea fans and it is available online. The basic premise is that Joel McCrea is a likable newshound who angers some of his cronies with his boundless ego and they play a little joke on him. Enter Jean Arthur. After some ready made coincidences and a lot of tomfoolery the mystery is solved. In between we have some ideas stolen from earlier pictures and at least a couple that are stolen for later films. I find that kind of stuff fun so I definitely recommend this one as time well spent.