Review of Dodsworth (1936) by J D — 01 Nov 2007

Maybe I'm missing something, and I must be judging by the raves by the other reviewers, but I just couldn't get into this movie. Mostly it was the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Dodsworth. None of it gelled.

I knew as soon as she accused David Niven of assaulting her, and Dodsworth's only reaction was "Well, you probably asked for it", that it was going to take a lot for me to suspend my disbelief regarding their relationship.

And it didn't improve. Dodsworth should have dropped her like a hot potato within 30 minutes of the movie, but I suppose that wouldn't have been much of a film. As it is, I found no pleasure in watching the story of a boring cuckold and his annoying, philandering wife.

Not to mention Mary Astor's lack of self-respect when Dodsworth makes his initial decision at the end. By an standard, whether it be 1936 or 2006, these characters just weren't believable.