The 1935 version of "Enchanted April" manages to be simultaneously tedious
and perfunctory. It is difficult to show the transformative magic of Italy shooting in a studio with only stereotypical Italian behavior to belabor. The transformation of the four strangers fleeing London is instantaneous in the cut from the first day to a week later. Rather than develop, the screenplay flips a switch and the
characters are different.
The husbands are boring enough in flashbacks without turning up, even if their presence does not drive the four women back into their shells and/or hostilities.
Jessie Ralph has the most fun (moving instead of entirely chewing up the
scenery) and Katharine Alexander has some poignant charm out of her
husband's shadow (and away from his hideous droning). Ann Harding is
unremarkable here (with the Production Code being enforced). She had an
appropriate line in an earlier (pre-Code) movie, "When Ladies Meet": "You're
not worth a minute of one anxious hour that either one of us has given you," but in "Enchanted April" can only look hurt, rush out, and proclaim fealty to her errant husband.
and perfunctory. It is difficult to show the transformative magic of Italy shooting in a studio with only stereotypical Italian behavior to belabor. The transformation of the four strangers fleeing London is instantaneous in the cut from the first day to a week later. Rather than develop, the screenplay flips a switch and the
characters are different.
The husbands are boring enough in flashbacks without turning up, even if their presence does not drive the four women back into their shells and/or hostilities.
Jessie Ralph has the most fun (moving instead of entirely chewing up the
scenery) and Katharine Alexander has some poignant charm out of her
husband's shadow (and away from his hideous droning). Ann Harding is
unremarkable here (with the Production Code being enforced). She had an
appropriate line in an earlier (pre-Code) movie, "When Ladies Meet": "You're
not worth a minute of one anxious hour that either one of us has given you," but in "Enchanted April" can only look hurt, rush out, and proclaim fealty to her errant husband.