It Happened to Jane

Maybe Hollywood should be producing more movies of this caliber. There are no deep messages here, and no need for pseudo-intellectual criticism. It is just a great classic piece of wholesome entertainment, even now. This 1959 movie has it all: great directing, superb cinematography, quality cast, and beautiful on-location background scenery, filmed in both Connecticut and Maine. Ernie Kovacs shines as the rich railroad magnate fighting Doris Day and Jack Lemmon, although my favorite cast member is Sam the Lobster, who doesn't have many lines to say in the movie, but rumor has it that production nearly came to a standstill when he demanded to be Doris Day's love interest.

for discover the entire force of film , it is not a bad idea to see it twice. first time for its adorable cast and extraordinary humor. than, for the message. it is more than an old film and it is more than a comedy. it has a splendid charm but the fight between a young widow, the role of media for case, the great corporation against the simple people are more great challenges for 2015 than for 1959. another aspect - Doris Day's acting who could be, after too many easy roles, a surprise. Jack Lemmon is himself and the dose of romanticism is perfect for admire a film who use all its potential. a remarkable comedy. and one of the splendid roles by Doris Day.

I have always liked this movie, as a nice relaxing movie when you are depressed. The cast is uniformly well suited to their roles, especially Kovacs as the nasty tyrannical railroad tycoon, he couldn't be improved upon. The wonderful old steam locomotives is one of the stars, and provides some of the best scenes. It has its serious side as an example of someone standing up for principle regardless of the odds, something all too rare today. Some people consider using the train to be far-fetched, and maybe it is. But sadly by far the most far-fetched thing in today's society is everyone being shamed by Georges wonderful and elequent speech and rallying to the support of their neighbor. In todays society that is less likely than the train lifting off the tracks and flying. But the beauty of the countryside and the village are lasting and endearing. And as an escape to the America that once was, even if idealized it provides some escapist comfort.

Doris is full of pluck and moxie fighting a big corporate jerk who actually seems unhinged in his singular quest to squash the hard working widow Jane. Jack is the earnest lawyer who has loved her since childhood. Together they make a wonderful pair as they go through no end of complications that drive them apart and united them again. Charming comedy was an inexplicable failure on its initial release probably in large part because of that atrocious title. It's re-release title of Twinkle and Shine was hardly an improvement, why they didn't stick with the initial title of That Jane from Maine which would have fit it perfectly is a mystery. Be that as it may this is a cute family comedy with wonderful location shooting and high production values as well as a super supporting cast.

"It Happened to Jane" might have deserved a better title, as this one hardy reflects the nature of this great family picture. Be that as it may, many engineers and technical types would argue that one of the main stars of the film is the TRAIN. The demise of steam power and the production of this movie coincided in time, and thus, "It Happened to Jane" provides one of the last images of steam on the mainline system. Like the TV show "Petticoat Junction", the train becomes central to much of the theme. Doris Day and Jack Lemmon make the story entertaining, but without the train, there would be no movie. A Doris Day classic, this film is fun! At the time of this review (3-3-01), a VHS or DVD version of this movie was not available. When (if) it does get released, I'm buying it.

Having expected a run-of-the-mill comedy effort I was surprised to be drawn into this unusually well-written, -acted, and -produced effort. The story avoided dropping to the "cutesy" level; there was enough grit in the conflict between Jane and the railroad magnate to keep one involved. I can only echo the plaudits given by others in this space to the efforts of Day, Lemmon and, especially, the underrated Ernie Kovacs. I echo the criticism of the brief flash of gratuitous partisanship in Lemmon's little speech about the stingy, nasty Republican running for selectman, but it's a minor flaw. A nice plus is the rich look of the movie, with its portrayal of the New England countryside and its nice footage of the venerable steam locomotive, a form of transport sadly passing from the scene when the flick was made. (The color technology of films from this period is superior to what we have nowadays). All in all, a delightful surprise, and well worth catching.

After watching this film several times -- one wonders why the natural talents of Doris Day and Jack Lemmon weren't paired more often. Their totally believable portrayals really hold the viewer -- one can't overlook the fact that these two were at the top when it came to natural talent on the screen. Day's fight with railroad magnate (Ernie Kovaks fits his role like an old shoe) brings to the fore "corporate/community greed" vs. "human rights" as the townfolk and eventually the "nation" get behind Doris' quest to save her lobster business in Maine. The humor is mixed with some thought-provoking questions. In 2001, the film is almost a glimpse at the last vestage of the "town hall meeting" government. The supporting cast is fine (Mary Wickes, in particular adds great comic touch) -- but it's Day and Lemmon together that make this film a must see.