Customer Reviews

Molly and Me

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

 

 

Not just a delightful comedy, but a movie with real heart, "Molly and Me" gives us the chance to see both Gracie Fields and Monty Wooley at something like the top of their form. Fields is really a welcome treat, since she made all-too few movies in Hollywood. We can see why this ordinary-looking woman, who looked less like one's common notion of a "film star" than anyone I can think of, holds such a special place in the affection of Britons that they always referred to her as "Our Gracie." She could really bring a picture to life! Her rapport with co-star Monty Wooley is quite noticeable. The little song they break into at the end of the picture, ending with the line "Don't stop breathing 'til you're dead," is so catchy I found myself singing it at odd moments for days afterwards. The supporting cast - especially Reginald Gardiner, Edith Barrett, and Natalie Schafer - are first-rate. Picture and sound quality are both good enough that we don't lament the absence of subtitles. (By the way, we are overdue for a home video release of the other comedy in which Fields and Wooley co-starred, "Holy Matrimony." Hey TCF, don't be sluggards!)

This is one of my favorite movies! I just happened to copy it on video from public TV years ago and have been looking for it ever since as my tape is wearing out. Charming, entertaining, feel-good, and well acted, it's the story of Molly (Gracie Fields), an out-of-work vaudeville actress who applies for a housekeeping job with a Mr.John Graham (Monty Woolley), who is running for parliament. After altercations with the other dishonest servants,whom she fires, her former vaudevillian colleagues come to the rescue as cooks, butler, and housemaids to stage a successful dinner party. Mr. Graham's budding political career is almost ruined by the return, after many years absence, of his philandering wife. She is presumed to have died in a saintly glow by Graham's son who is played by a young Roddy McDowall. Her attempt at blackmail is thwarted by the actors/servants all coming together and staging a clever denoument. Pacing is excellent-the story really moves along. Look for the actress who plays Mrs. Howell in TV's Gilligan's Island. If you like old B+W British movies, this is a good blend of comedy and drama - it is truly a pleasure. Enjoy!

I own this movie on VHS. I have enjoyed it many times and used it to initiated many hesitant people into the world of older B+W movies.
However, the company who released this DVD version, Reel Enterprises, is incredible. By far, this is the single worst "professional" DVD copy I have ever seen. Absolutely horrible!! First is the media which is burnable DVD-R, a media reserved for only the lowest of professional outfits. It does not last nearly as long as real DVD media. Second is the quality. It looks as though this was a badly compressed rip of an actual DVD. That means there are digital "artifacts" all over the image, which also has horrible contrast making the image almost unviewable. Then the there is the sound which is muffled and difficult to hear, unlike the movie itself which has high quality sound due to the fact that Gracie Fields was a singer and the dialogue is snappy. This is almost unlistenable. Lastly is the company's watermark which is embedded in the lower right hand corner and is quite distracting. I have never bought a real DVD and ever had such a watermark. All I can say is that I love this movie but will never ever buy another DVD from this company, Reel Enterprises. Apparently, their only concern is taking your money, not distributing a quality product.

An engaging story of a woman, you would like to be friends with, who finagles a job when there are none. In order to keep it she must outwit her boss and her employer, and help her friends while maintaining dignity, poise, elegance and find a way for the classes to share a changing culture.

This is a great sentimental old movie that features a very young Roddy McDowell. It is classic Monty Woolley as the grumpy rich man who is dissatisfied with everyone around him.