Uneven is the key word to describe the overall effect of this anthology about the effect a dress tail coat has on the fate of its various owners. The film is overloaded with well-known film personalities but lacking in the sort of wit and sophistication that would have turned it into the sort of clever short story anthology that writers like Somerset Maugham, Guy de Maupassant or Edgar Allen Poe churned out.
A standout among the stories is the one featuring EDWARD G. ROBINSON who needs the tail coat to attend the 25th Class Reunion with poignant and ironic results; and almost equally effective is a sequence involving CHARLES BOYER, RITA HAYWORTH and THOMAS MITCHELL. But most of the stories (there are five) are of little consequence in the scheme of things and the film has a finale with the Hall Johnson Choir that is just short of ridiculous.
Interesting that GINGER ROGERS and HENRY FONDA share an episode, the first and only time these two major stars appeared together on screen.
But beware--it's a shame more attention wasn't given to creating some really good stories for all these talented stars and character actors. Julien Duvivier's direction lacks the pace to sustain interest throughout.
Trivia note: A section with W.C. FIELDS and MARGARET DUMONT has been restored and helps considerably in stirring up the flagging interest.
A standout among the stories is the one featuring EDWARD G. ROBINSON who needs the tail coat to attend the 25th Class Reunion with poignant and ironic results; and almost equally effective is a sequence involving CHARLES BOYER, RITA HAYWORTH and THOMAS MITCHELL. But most of the stories (there are five) are of little consequence in the scheme of things and the film has a finale with the Hall Johnson Choir that is just short of ridiculous.
Interesting that GINGER ROGERS and HENRY FONDA share an episode, the first and only time these two major stars appeared together on screen.
But beware--it's a shame more attention wasn't given to creating some really good stories for all these talented stars and character actors. Julien Duvivier's direction lacks the pace to sustain interest throughout.
Trivia note: A section with W.C. FIELDS and MARGARET DUMONT has been restored and helps considerably in stirring up the flagging interest.