Review of The Strawberry Blonde (1941) by Antonius B — 01 Jan 2018

Let's start with the star power - it's set to max here, with James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, and Rita Hayworth all in this movie, which is set in the gay 1890's. Hey, it was a time when street lamps were powered by gas, leeches were helpful for swelling after fisticuffs, and spaghetti was an exotic food! There is plenty of silliness in this movie, including the scene where everyone is baffled over how to eat spaghetti, and some of that may make you groan.

It's also kind of crazy to think that Olivia de Havilland would be viewed as the booby prize, even to Hayward - I mean, talk about a plot hole. I loved how her character was a 'free thinker' - questioning marriage ("an institution started by the cavemen and endorsed by florists and jewelers"), hinting at free love, and believing in women's rights.

Think of Natalie Wood's role 24 years later in 'The Great Race'. Unfortunately here it's softened somewhat by her own back-tracking and Cagney's admonishments that he won't have her smoking a cigarette, but she is intriguing and a little feisty nonetheless.

The cast is excellent, including Jack Carson, who plays his oily and manipulative character well. It's a bit of a kitchen sink, with physical comedy, romance, and some musical numbers, including "The Band Played On" and "Meet Me in St.

Louis". I would have given it a slightly lower rating, but loved the scenes of betrayal and love towards the end, which really made the movie for me. Perhaps that's just the kind of hairpin I am.