Illusions perdues

That Uncertain Feeling

That Uncertain Feeling

That Uncertain Feeling

Happily married Jill Baker (Merle Oberon) is convinced by the girls to see popular therapist Dr. Vengard over her hiccups. He digs into her marriage and she starts to have doubts about her husband Larry (Melvyn Douglas). Later, she meets pianist Alexander Sebastian (Burgess Meredith) in Vengard's waiting room. None of the characters are that compelling. Jill and Larry are rather bland. Alexander is off as the depressed artist. It's old fashion but honestly, the opening is almost insulting. I find it hilarious that it purports to show the Ladies room as a place where no man has gone before and this was written by two men. This is a lesser rom-com without any edge or compelling work. The humor is lacking. I actually don't mind Jill and Larry reuniting because Jill and Alexander don't make a good match either. In an aside, I can't believe that Larry does his Heil Baker during this time in history. I guess it's a joke but it's so flippant that it's disrespectful. There is also hitting woman and other backwards aspects which makes this an awkward comedy.

The Plot. Against her better judgment, happily married Jill Baker is persuaded to see a popular psychoanalyst about her psychosomatic hiccups. Soon, she's disillusioned about husband Larry; and one day in the doctor's waiting room she meets pianist Alexander Sebastian, who's even more confused than she is. Can this marriage be saved? I suppose this is an example of a "modern-thinking" movie of the 40s. It's very dated. To be sure, there are some funny moments, but this is a movie where women lie about their age! Come on.

"That Uncertain Feeling" doesn't make it as a very good comedy. It has a top cast of the day. The plot is both familiar and yet slightly different. A shrink convinces a woman that she is miserable in her marriage. Her husband is all business and doesn't fawn over her. A third guy enters the picture to take advantage of the situation. So, the standard movie triangle develops. But this plot doesn't seem to click as written. The screenplay is weak, and the characters just don't seem to mix well. I suspect that's because of the character that Burgess Meredith plays. His Alexander Sebastian is an irritable, dislikable character from the first. His movements and antics seem forced. While they were probably intended for humor, they instead just seem to annoy one. His persona is not believable as someone that Merle Oberon's Jill Baker would fall for. Then there's Oberon herself. She is definitely not at home here. She contributes almost nothing to the comedy. Most of the comedy is provided by Melvyn Douglas as Larry Baker. For the very short times that three supporting actors are on screen, they all contribute to the humor. Alan Mowbray is Dr. Vengard, Harry davenport is Jones and Eve Arden is Shirley. Of the main characters, Douglas is the only one who could master comedy in many films. And that shows all too well in this film. Oberon and Burgess were very good actors, but mostly in dramas, mystery or other films. Only toward the end of his career did Burgess show a flair for comedy. For all of her beauty and dramatic talent, Oberon's few roles with comedy were hit and miss. Without Douglas, this film would have been a total flop. With a much better screenplay and an established comedienne in the lead female role (and Franchot Tone in the love triangle), this could have been a smashing comedy. Here is the best of the few funny lines in the film. Jill Baker, "Doctor, I want to be frank with you. I'm absolutely certain there's absolutely nothing wrong with me." Dr. Vengard, "I'm sure you'll feel differently when you leave this office." Jones, "Now, you're the best salesman in the business. There's nothing wrong with your marriage. You just have to resell it once in a while." Larry Baker, "Not so easy." Jones, "Well, who said it was? Was it easy to sell hail insurance in southern California? Just find the right slant. A new one." Larry, "Selling marriage with a new slant, huh?" Alexander Sebastian, "Anything serious?" Larry Baker, "No, she just fainted." Sebastian, "Oh, well. Women are always fainting. Any particular reason?" Larry, "No,. no. She just thought I was a genius. Then she found out I wasn't and it was too much for her." Alexander Sebastian, "I am not gonna fight. My hands are my only livelihood, and I'm not gonna risk 'em on your jaw." Larry Baker, handing Sebastian smelling salts, "Here, Mozart. Wake up your little credenza."

There's a lot of talent here: Merle Oberon, Melvyn Douglas, Burgess Meredith, Ernst Lubitsch. Where the talent was lacking was in the script. It just isn't very clever. Everyone tries their best - it was a potentially great role for Meredith - but they can only do so much with a dull script. So, while there are occasional funny moments here, the movie as a whole is pretty much a dud. More's the shame, since, as I said, there was so much talent here.

A tale of the seven year itch, except the marriage has only lasted six years, and it's the wife (Merle Oberon) instead of the husband (Melvyn Douglas) who is starting to get bored. In a word, this one is dreadfully dull, and that despite legendary director Ernst Lubitsch and the radiant Oberon. It doesn't work as a romance - Douglas and Merle Oberon have no chemistry, and the pianist she takes up with (Burgess Meredith, the only one who breathes life into his part) is abrasive and unlikeable. It doesn't work as a comedy - the script is flat and unfunny, and I honestly can't think of a single moment of real cleverness. As for the Lubitsch touch, there are no signs of lightness or any kind of crackle here, just blandness and everyone involved just going through the motions. I'm the first to despise the Production Code, but I don't think we can assign the blame to it - the film the very next year from Lubitsch, 'To Be or Not to Be' was fantastic, as was 'Ninotchka' from 1939. Regardless, this is one to skip.

Luke warm comedy of manners. The storyline's done with style, but needed verve gives way to too much talk. The results are more sophistication than set-ups, more occasional chuckles than laughs. Larry (Douglas) is a married insurance executive. Trouble is he's neglecting wife Jill (Oberon) who's having hiccup bouts, probably because his main communication is poking her playfully in the stomach. So she takes up with squirrelly Sebastian (Meredith) who's an egotistical man of the arts. Now Larry's unhappy with the results, but what's he to do. Oberon and Douglas both low-key their parts. Add that to a talky script and we get some good lines and situations, but mild results overall. Looks like Meredith's sour artiste was intended to supply needed verve. However, his character is too obnoxious to generate much comedy. Too bad, as other reviewers point out, that Eve Arden's comedic potential goes untapped. Some caustic exchanges between her and Meredith would have livened things up. However, two comedic set-ups do stand out: the office scene where divorce plans keep misfiring, plus the climax where Larry pretends to have a girl in his bedroom to make Jill jealous. In fact, that last scene has the vivacious earmarks of a better total comedy than what we have otherwise. Anyway, it's New York sophistication done Lubitsch style, even if second rank.

It has some clever dialogue, but the plot you can see coming at you from a mile away, as it is a take on "the grass is greener". Plus there is only one really likable main character - Melvyn Douglas as Larry Baker. After six years of marriage socialite Jill Baker is feeling quite bored. She is convinced by her equally bored Park Avenue socialite friends that she must simply go see Dr. Venguard, a psychoanalyst. Between Dr. Venguard, Jill's friends, and a complete narcissist she meets in Venguard's waiting room - Burgess Meredith as Sebastian, a pianist, she becomes convinced her marriage is on the rocks. This is all news to Larry who, although he does seem to eat and sleep the insurance business, is trying to build a better life for himself and his wife. Before Larry knows what has happened, he is out and Jill wants to divorce him and marry the extremely tiresome Sebastian, whom she is convinced is a genius. He tells her so every day! Eve Arden as a legal secretary steals the show when she is asked about what is going on and her opinion. She says she sees it every day. Women taken care of in high style with no worries and nothing to think about but how unhappy they think that they are. I wish I could make this review more inspiring, but the film itself is pleasant but uninspiring. No new ground is covered here, and the parts of it are greater than the whole. I can give kudos to Melvyn Douglas as the husband who thinks he is more clever at getting his wife back than he is, and to Burgess Meredith as somebody who thinks a great deal of himself as a musical genius but seems to have no visible means of support. Merle Oberon is lovely here and seems to have "that uncertain feeling" every step of the way. Events more than her own will seem to be propelling her forward in every instance. A few great memorable lines, what could be heavy melodrama turned into a very light romantic comedy Lubitsch style, and probably worth your time if you run across it, but nothing to deliberately seek out.