Customer Reviews

June Bride [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a delightful, breezy, romantic comedy. Bette Davis plays the part of Linda GIlman, a sophisticated and successful magazine editor. Robert Montgomery plays the part of her love interest, Carey Jackson, a foreign correspondent out of a job, who has been assigned to work with her. Having previously been romantically involved, they must now work together.

They travel to Indiana with their entourage where they will do a story on a June bride, having picked a middle class, average, small town family upon which to focus. While there, they get involved in the family's affairs, with a few delightful, though predictable, twists and turns. While getting to know the family, they make some personal discoveries about their own lives. It seems that embers of their own long ago romance, have merely laid dormant. With the flames being fanned, it looks like there may be more than one June bride.

Bette Davis is very soignee as Ms. Gilman, and Robert Montgomery provides a light hearted touch as the cavalier Mr. Jackson. Both contribute some comedic deftness, as does the supporting cast, to make this an entertaining film. The only wrong note struck during the entire film is in the last scene. It was almost embarrassing. I thought about deducting one star because of it, but then decided against it, as it was just reflective of the era in which the film was made. Actually, the whole movie was reflective of the era in which it was made, but that last scene was just too sexist for words. When you see it, you will know what I mean.

Fans of Bette Davis will surely enjoy this movie, as will those who love classic films.

I love this movie. It stars Davis in a romantic-comedy, which was rare. But the movie is quite funny, and Davis gives her usual terrific performance.

Oh what can be said for Bette except that she was one of the best stars of all time.... I have about 11 movies of hers and my collection is growing rapidly.....This was a very good movie a must see.....

"June Bride" tells the story of a magazine editor (Bette Davis) who goes to Indiana with her staffers and a fellow journalist -- and ex-boyfriend (Robert Montgomery) -- to cover a small-town wedding.I found this movie very enjoyable. It's nice to see Bette Davis in a comedy role. And Robert Montgomery gives an enjoyably hammy performance (always somehow making me think of Bob Hope). The two of them are very good together. Yes, the catch is the ending. As in two other Bette Davis films of the era -- "All About Eve" and "The Star" -- the career woman chucks her career at the end to be with a man. Up until this point, I couldn't help feeling how nice it was for a Forties film to depict an intelligent, successful career woman. But this was the sensibility of the time. The film is still well-written, and knowing Bette Davis, she won't be carrying those suitcases for too long! (If you see the movie, you'll understand.)

Witty dialogue, a fantastic supporting cast, and Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery spitting fire at each other, make "June Bride" a hilarious spoof of women's magazines. The art direction creates a great "McKinley Stinker" and wonderful midwest winter setting. Mary Wickes is terrific as a rum-guzzling food editor whose comments send Tom Tully looking for his wife's "bust." A great light comedy, well worth watching.

Although some production notes reflect tension between liberal Davis and conservative Montgomery, their political differences work to the viewer's advantage as the two have great chemistry together. Their comedic timing is remarkable. The film shows what happens when two old showmen get together with a great script and set the celluloid on fire.

This is a good little movie. Cute story line. Good for Bette Davis fans

Not an important picture per se, but a pleasurable one. Davis and Montgomery can do it all, and their acting in these ridiculous roles is outstanding. All of their years of training and perfecting their screen timing pay off here, as with effortless elegance and wit they parry back and forth the bright lines handed them by the screenwriting team. It's a pyrotechnic display of sparks and lightning, particularly at the opening scenes, when Montgomery attempts to seduce Davis in her own apartment. When the "HOME LIFE" crew arrives in Indiana it's almost as if a different movie was starting, less Noel Coward than Ma Kettle.

Isn't that Barbara Bates playing the putative June Bride--the one who plays Phoebe at the end of ALL ABOUT EVE? It's chilling to see her here acting all phony with Bette Davis. She's supposed to be a down home girl, and she proves it with a strange Southern accent as though she'd been brought up in Mississippi instead of Indiana. Her younger sister, "Boo," is the real heart of the picture and as played by Betty Lynn she's not as adorable as she's supposed to be. Miss Lynn was much better as Loretta Young's daughter in MOTHER WAS A FRESHMAN, where the camera could really take a long look at the hard edges behind her round eager face. In contrast, Mary Wickes, so often a hapless clown in the movies, actually looks pretty nifty, even sexy, in her modified "New Look" sophisticated clothes. Fay Bainter, playing Paula, goes through the whole picture apparently believing she is the main character in the film, but she's tremendously warm and loveable.

And what happened to Raymond Roe, who plays "Bud," the young groom? He's like a cross between Farley Granger and Darryl Hickman, but blond. He had interesting parts in STRANGE BARGAIN and DEAR WIFE, but this is his biggest part by far (that I know of). By the time 1950 rolled around his career was all but over. Why? One of the great Hollywood mysteries is why some actors seem to have been given contracts, billing, the "buildup" and maybe they were let go for some reason, but today they look great. Raymond Roe should have been a big, big star!

Bette Davis stars as an editor of a lifestyles magazine who is underpressure to complete a feature about a typical midwestern girl's ideal wedding, complete with a makeover of the bride's house and family. To add to Davis' problems, the man hired to write the feature article is an old boyfriend who prefers writing about hard news instead of fluff pieces. Robert Montgomery stars as her former flame, and as he, Davis, and the rest of her team invade the family's house to prepare for the wedding, the problems really start - for the family and the former lovers. Montgomery gives a breezy, flip performance that adds much to the film. Davis does well enough as the straight lady amidst the chaos, although this is one of the least memorable roles you'll ever see her in. There aren't enough genuine laughs to make this a great comedy, and the potentially funny situations that could arise from Davis' magazine team making over the house aren't really explored. It's a pleasant movie to watch, but little else.

"June Bride" was made in 1948 and stars Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery. They play two reporters that work for a Women's Magazine, and were romantically involved in the past. Carey Jackson (Montgomery) just returned form Vienna to learn that his job has ended and is offered a job with Home Life Magazine Editor Linda Gilman (Bette Davis) whome he once almost married.l Linda is not too happy because he basically dumped her three years earlier, but will work with him if it is strictly professional.

The two of them, plus her staff head for the Brinker home in Crestville, Indiana to prepare a story about the eldest daughter, Jeanne's wedding. This is for the June issue of the magazine. Carey must write a simple story about the young couple but he wants another interesting angle. He finds that Jeanne's younger sister has always been in love with the groom to be, Bud Mitchell. The plot thickens as Jeanne's former beau returns home for the wedding.

Another twist is that the story must be done in March for the June issue of the magazine.

This is a light romantic comedy that shows how the cynical journalists rediscover each other, their love and answers to the working situation.

A comedy that is funny is hard to find, and a comedy that is both funny and self-conscious is almost impossible to find. I've seen two comedies last night : "The Lady Eve" and "June Bride" Which just can't be compared at all. The first one is in the second category I mentionned in the beginning, and "June Bride" isn't in neither of them. That's not it's fault basically, because it does contains some laughs. And to my surprise most of them came from Bette davis who showed some versatility at comedy. She was both though and harmless facing the love she felt for Robert Montgomery. It was interesting. But the problem is that it isn,t really about anything except to make you laugh. And if it would have succeeded in its goal then it would have been great, but it didn't. The characters were marginals but never really developped. Why didn't they think of using Cary's (Montgomery) alcohol addiction as a subject for great slapstick scenes instead of just one flat scene. For example, a scene where Montgomery gets drunk and has to confront Davis. With great writing, and direction, you just know both actors would have been able to pull some great laughs out of the audiences. Unfortunatly, there is no such scene like that in the picture, except for an early scene at Davis's place where she opens the light and he closes them continuously. That would have been a perfect start for a perfect comedy, but as the movie grows most of the suporting characters forget their personalities behind and becomes rusty tools for the two leading actors. Too Bad.