Review of Rings on Her Fingers (1942) by Scott R — 02 Sep 2013

It's easy to see that "Rings on Her Fingers" was inspired by the success of 1941's "The Lady Eve." It has con-artists, Henry Fonda, and an unlikely love story. What it doesn't have in common with "The Lady Eve" though, is wit, Preston Sturges, or Barbara Stanwyck.

Ultimately, the film plays it a little too safe and gentle to be razor sharp like it most likely wanted to be. It's a shame, because Gene Tierney has never been lovelier and the concept could have truly been a divine black comedy.

Fonda plays John Wheeler, an accountant who is mistaken for a millionaire when two grifters, Warren (Laird Cregar) and Maybelle (Spring Byington), overhear him attempting to buy a yacht over the phone. Hoping to quickly get some fast-cash, they rope in down-on-her-luck salesgirl Susan (Tierney) to pose as their daughter. They intend to flaunt her in front of John so then he'll fall in love with her.

At first, their plan goes perfectly. Susan is very attractive, and so it doesn't take long for John to become smitten. Unfortunately, Susan falls in love with him too (surprise) which dampens the plan hugely; things get even worse when it's discovered by all that John isn't really wealthy. When Susan eventually gets engaged to him, she has to decide if she wants to stay part of the con or risk it and back out. In the meantime, Warren and Maybelle scheme to find a different millionaire to fall for Susan.

"Rings on Her Fingers" gets a bevy of 20th Century Fox's glamorous treatment, so everything look great. But obviously what wasn't on the mind was a great script, just box-office. On paper, Tierney and Fonda sound like a fantastic pairing, but they don't have much chemistry, making their romance feel all too forced. Cregar and Byington aren't believable as con artists, as they seem to be empty on the brain, and aren't nearly as clever as most grifters would be.

Rouben Mamoulian, one of Hollywood's most experienced crowd-pleasing directors, isn't the right pick for the film. His other films, which include glitzy spectacles such as "Blood and Sand" and "Queen Christina," are all dramatically beautiful -- which shows that he isn't very much inclined to the comedy genre. The direction for "Rings on Her Fingers" should be zippy; instead, it fizzles. It's painful to imagine what Howard Hawks could have done.

As far as being "pleasant," "Rings on Her Fingers" does no wrong. But what makes it not such a good film is the fact that it could've been so much more, giving the film a feeling of missed opportunity.