Ginger Minus Her Dancing Shoes

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 24, 25 November 1938, Page 16

Ginger Minus Her Dancing Shoes

["Having Wonderful Time." "RKO Radio. Directed by Alfred Santell. Starring Ginger Rogers, Douglas Fairbanks, jun. Just released.]j €é AVING Wonderful Time’’ should, I feel, have been a much "more ° notable picture than it is. It is the film version of the play by Arthur Kober which .won a prize as the best American comedy of 1937 and packed the theatres for record runs when pro‘duced by Mare ("Green Pastures") Connolty. RKO paid a large sum for the screen rights. Still, it’s largely because one knows of the film’s. eminent origin that there is a sense of disappointment, Otherwise it would he (and in fact; actually is) a modest but ‘agreeable light romance dealing ‘with troubied young love at one of those holiday camps so popular in Amertca.

Whatever happened to the story in process of translation to the Screen, its stage origin is still There are realistic outdoor settings, of course, but the pattern of the story is formal and circumscribed, and dialogue far outweighs action.

Miserable Time

NOBODY can portray the average . American girl-quick-witted, well-poised, self-possessed-better than Ginger Rogers. Here, as in "Vivacious Lady," she _ brings warmth and a delightful sense of

intimacy to -her romantic moments, as the overworked stenographer who leaves a nagging family and a bumptious fiance for a fortnight’s freedom among the mountains and lakes. However, her reaction to that great American institu. tion, the summer’ vacation camp, makes the title "Having Wonderful Time" distinctly ironical. The hearty, backSlapping communal atmosphere suits her about as much as I imagine it would suit me. The heroine is having a miserable time until she meets Douglas Fairbanks, jun., a penniless law

student earning his vacation by working as a waiter at the campand even then there are plenty of obstacles in the path of young love, including the problem of marriage without money.

Game For Two

SIMPLE but appealing entertainment, "Having Wonderful Time"’..reaches .its peak in that delicious . incident where the heroine tames the camp Don Juan, who has marked. her down .as his victim, by insisting .on playing packgammon "in ‘his cabin until he falls asleep from sheer exhaustion! ‘A few more scenes of that quality, and this would have been easily one of the best romantic comedies of. the year. . See if you like Ginger Rogers in comedy-drama, without her danc‘ing shoes. But don’t expect too much. .

DAD AND DAVE

Came To Town All Right ! TTHERE’S a happy smile these days on the face of Alec Regan, manager of the Majestic Theatre, Wellington. The Cinesound film "Dad and Dave Come to Town" had its premiere there last week, coupled with the personal appearance of Bert’ ("Dad") Bailey, and the business registered is bigger than for most of the- biggest pictures. It looks like’ being a three weeks’ season in Wellington’s largest picture theatre. This is probably the best business. ever done by an Australian film in New Zealand, including even the ocriginal "On Our Selection."