What makes it different from others?

Good concept, poorly executed.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I mostly enjoyed this golden-era Hollywood comedy, directed by George Stevens and starring Ginger Rogers and James Stewart. They play the star-crossed lovers, she the sassy street-smart singer, he the wealthy aspiring university don, who marry almost the night they meet but who have to then break the news to his crusty old college principal father and apparently meek, ailing mother.That's pretty much the whole plot folks but for 90 entertaining minutes, we get to see Stewart and Rogers play out a series of scenes as they seek to consummate their marriage, bat away a snobbish old girl-friend of Stewart's and of course win over ma and pa in the process.There are several amusing scenes, including one where Stewart tries to encourage down a folding bed from its wall in Rogers' sorority-room, a doozy of a cat-fight between Rogers and her rival, played by Frances Mercer and when Rogers and her free-spirited former boyfriend, Stewart's cousin, played by James Ellison entertainingly win the old mother (Beulah Bondi) round and incidentally discover the truth about her supposed heart condition.At the climax, both Rogers and Bondi surprisingly seem to strike a feminist note by leaving their men, but of course this is 30's Hollywood and they're both brought to heel rather easily by their men for the expected happy ending. It also seems that Rogers can't walk past any man without attracting leery wolf-whistles. I especially didn't enjoy either the stereotypical treatment of the two black characters, naturally all subservient and cringing, one a housemaid, the other a train porter, with poor Hattie McDaniels having to roll her eyes to the heavens for comic-effect in time-dishonoured "Mammy" fashion.Both the main stars are in good form, Rogers a winning combination of love-struck and feisty, Stewart bookish but amorous. Charles Coburn as the domineering dad seems too old to be Stewart's father but Bondi, Mercer and Ellison are all better in their supporting roles. I've read that Rogers and Stewart were actually dating at the time of the shoot and the frisson between them certainly appears to show.So, with some caveats on the treatment of certain of the characters this was a rollicking, fast-moving comedy, if not quite in the top-tier of those of this era I've seen.

The brightest comedienne of the 1930's and the greatest actor who ever worked in any genre working together at the top of their game in a film directed by one of Hollywood's finest directors, at least until he started to take himself seriously as 'an artist'. Yes it's Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart in George Steven's comedy "Vivacious Lady". It should be a classic but actually it's not that well-known, more's the pity. He's the professor and she's the showgirl he marries after just meeting her, (the way they do in the movies). The fun starts when he brings her home to the small college town where he works, all the while finding himself unable to tell his folks they're married. Beulah Bondi is the mother, Charles Coburn is the father and James Ellison is the cousin whose girl she was until she married Stewart. If it's not quite great screwball it is still very funny and is ripe for rediscovery. Check this one out.

This is the only film that James Stewart and Ginger Rogers made together. They seemed to be having fun in the making of the picture. However, their plight in the plot of "Vivacious Lady" isn't much fun to them. But, what isn't funny for their characters is quite funny for those of us watching the film. The comedy in this love-at-first-sight romance is mostly in the situations with some funny dialog. It's a 1938 film, so Rogers even got billing ahead of Stewart. She plays Francey, a New York nightclub singer and dancer. He plays Peter Morgan, Jr., who expects to follow in his father's footsteps and one day be president of Old Sharon College. For the time being, he's an associate professor of botany. Peter was sent to New York to find and bring back his party-loving cousin, Keith (played by James Ellison).Peter and Francey get hitched. It was love at first sight and they have one night and morning on the town. But, Peter wants to break their marriage to his parents gently. So, he passes Francey off as Keith's girlfriend when the parents and his fiancé come to the train to meet them on their return from New York. Modern audiences get a picture of what travel was like in America in the first half of the 20th century. Of course, Peter has a hard time trying to find the right time to tell his parents, so we have the comedy set up in a number of scenarios. This soon resembles a game of cat and mouse until, finally frustrated at being unable to get a word in with his dad, Peter breaks the news. That leads to some more fun before it's over. Before that happens, though, one very funny scene has Francey and Helen (Peter's fiancé, played by Frances Mercer) in physical combat. Peter has brought his dad to meet Francey as his wife, and instead they come upon the female version of fisticuffs. The look on Francey's face and her words are riotously funny as she grips Helen by the hair and then flips her over her shoulder. This is one of those rare films when the divide between the leads and the supporting cast is not so clear. That's because the next three or four roles have so much to do with making the plot what it is. They all shine in their roles. Charles Coburn is Peter's dad and president of the college, and Beulah Bondi is wonderful as Peter's mother, Martha. Cousin Keith's occasional partying ways lead Peter senior to threaten parting of their ways – as in Keith being fired from the college staff. Supporting actors in lesser roles often get passed over, but this is a good film in which to note the comedic contributions of some others. Franklin Pangborn is the women's apartment building manager here, and plays the usual uppity, arrogant, stuffy character for which he was well known. Jack Carson has an almost cameo shot as the maître d' in the nightclub. And, the funniest scene in the entire film is owned by Willie Best who plays the train porter. Toward the end, as Martha and Francey each leave on the same train, unbeknownst to the other, the porter serves them in their compartments that are adjoining. The ladies go from tears, to happy reunion, back to tears, and from hungry to not hungry to hungry again. The porter's mood and expressions change accordingly, and Willie Best provides a very hilarious scene. As an African- American actor in the 1930s, playing a part that many had in those days (Blacks were the entire service staff of the American railways), Willie Best raised a good comedy a notch to a very good comedy by his performance in "Vivacious Lady."Here are some of the best lines in the film. Women's lounge attendant, "If my husband wouldn't let me smoke, I'd find me a way to get me a husband that would." Francey, "It depends on which you enjoy the most."Francey, "I think she's wonderful." Keith, "She is. She was my favorite aunt before she married my uncle."Peter, "Oh, sweetheart. Here we are arguing in public and nobody even knows we're married."Francey, "If she gets any closer to him, she'll be behind him." Helen, "You know, Peter and I are engaged to be married." Francey, "Oh, is that so?" Helen, "Not that I think knowing that would make a big difference to you." Francey, "Well, no." Helen, "You see, Peter needs protection against a certain type of woman." Francey, "Oh, I could work on that." Helen, "Now, are you going to mind your own businesses, or must I really give you a piece of my mind?" Francey, "Oh, I couldn't take the last piece." (The female fisticuffs begin after this, with Helen slapping Francey.)

Director George Stevens put together a gem in this movie whose comedy still holds up well even though this movie was made in 1938. Ginger Rodgers is absolutely great in this movie. Jimmy Stewart is hitting his stride here too. The script is a little screw ball but holds together really well.The real secret here is how well Stewart & Rodgers play off a great support cast. Charles Coburn is great in this movie as Stewarts Father. A difficult role, it is his job to throw up all the road blocks that the plot centers around - Peter Morgan Jr.. being unable to tell his parents he has married Francey (Rogers). Coburn plays this role just perfect as he nearly destroys hi own marriage much less his sons. Franklin Pangborn and Grady Sutton are along for the ride in some great support. Phyllis Kennedy does a fine job as Jenny. This is one of the best RKO films of the year it came out. Everything nearly falls apart until a family reunion at the end of the movie gets things right.The ending is classic in that a sign stops the action at the end.