Swing Your Lady (1938) User Reviews

Funny if Obvious Moves

[arieliondotcom · 6/10 · 2 January 2009]

Quite a few reviewers used the word "cute" and that's the first word that came to my mind, too. The Turner folks on TV only gave it 1 1/2 stars and I think that's unfair. It definitely deserves more than that. There are some snappy songs from Penny Singleton of Blondie fame, there is some acting from Humphrey Bogart in a very unusual role (and that's the humor, seeing him out of character and saying silly stuff when thrown on the ground by a female Blacksmith). and the rest of the cast hold their own. No, it's not the funniest movie you'll ever see. But this isn't brain surgery we're talking about here (though some of the characters seem to have had brain surgery or to be in need of it!)

The leads manage to actually make you interested in what happens to them, even though you know it will all come out right in the end. You're still rooting for the good guys and for love to conquer all, perhaps in a half-nelson.

A fast, funny film with some snappy though dated tunes and even some "rug cutting" here and there. It's not an Oscar contender, but for what it is, it's funny and, well...cute.

Swing Your Lady

[majnttl · 5/10 · 10 September 2005]

Yes, of COURSE this is a hokey movie, but that's what makes it so funny. Louise Fazenda steals the show. Bogey is uncomfortable in his role, to be sure, but who cares? It's entertaining and wasn't meant to be anything other than that. In my opinion, it is NOT a Bogey movie - it's Louise Fazenda all the way! The music is entertaining as well and, as usual, Frank McHugh and Allen Jenkins do their part well. My favorite scene?.....Bogey asking Fazenda if she wants to "wrassle" (not meaning to wrestle him). She throws him to the ground in one fell swoop and says, "Now, say 'Hootie Owl'." I think it loses in translation...but I laughed out loud.

Bogart considered this his worst movie.

[paparay · 5/10 · 26 July 2003]

There are a few laughs here and some nice old-time country music. The wrestling match is great, thanks to Daniel Boone Savage. Ronald Reagan has a short part. For Bogart fans, this film is a must because he didn't act in very many comedies.

Ricochet Romance

[lugonian · 2/10 · 3 January 2009]

SWING YOUR LADY (Warner Brothers, 1938), directed by Ray Enright, suggested from the play by Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson, is not really a college musical of dancing co-eds doing the jitterbug to swing music, but actually a one-of-a-kind hillbilly comedy starring non-other than the legendary Humphrey Bogart. Bogey, who had made his mark on stage and screen playing gangster Duke Mantee in "The Petrified Forest," followed by other notable roles of promise as 1937's THE BLACK LEGION and DEAD END, up until now had not established himself to the popular leading man he was to become after 1941. In spite of active support working opposite the studio's own resident tough guys as James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson in its major productions, along with some leading roles in others, Bogey here plays it straight, leaving whatever laughs take place for the supporting players. With SWING YOUR LADY and THE RETURN OF DOCTOR X (1939) categorized as Bogey's worst films, regardless of their reputations, they are each on a watchable level. SWING YOUR LADY on the other hand, contains musical numbers with dance direction by Bobby Connelly and fine vocalization by a young brunette named Penny Singleton, formerly Dorothy McNulty, shortly before achieving fame as Chic Young's blonde comic strip character, Blondie, in a long series of successful films for Columbia (1938-1950). For now, SWING YOUR LADY, which looks more like a predate of the "Ma and Pa Kettle" comedies of the 1950s, is both Bogey and Singleton before their prime of life.

The plot revolves around Ed Hatch (Humphrey Bogart), a fight promoter, along with his associates Popeye Bronson (Frank McHugh), "Shiner" Ward (Allen Jenkins) and their dim-witted Greek wrestler, Joe "Hercules" Skapapoulos (Nat Pendleton) driving through Mussel City, Missouri, from New York City. Just about out of money and ideas, they come to Plunkett City, Kentucky (population 749), where Ed hopes to find a man to wrestle Joe. Ed later encounters Sadie Horn (Louise Fazenda), a mountain woman whose husband had gone possum hunting 11 years ago and never returned, now supporting herself and three kids (Tommy and Sonny Bupp, Jean Howard) as a lady blacksmith. After witnessing Sadie lifting his car stuck in a morass of mud with one hand (taking a can of spinach had nothing to do with this), Ed stumbles upon an idea of Joe wrestling Sadie, which would draw crowds and money, but once he meets her, Joe falls to dumb love in spite of complications after-wards with her jealous suitor, Noah Webster (Daniel Boone Savage). With the help of his girlfriend, Cookie Shannon (Penny Singleton), Hatch schemes up on other ideas to get his wrestling match to take place, with middling results.

SWING YOUR LADY, containing typical hillbilly humor and stereotypes ranging from a cross-eyed character to bearded types with "shootin' irons" and jugs of moonshine with triple X labels. Along the way, there's time out for musical interludes to such songs as "Dig Me a Grave in Missouri" (Sung by the Leon, Frank and Elviry Weaver); "The Old Apple Tree" (sung by the Weavers, reprise by Penny Singleton); "The Hillbilly From Tenth Avenue" (sung by Singleton); "The Old Apple Tree" (reprise); "Swing Your Lady" (sung by Penny Singleton wearing overalls); "Mountain Swingaroo" (sung by Singleton and Sammy White) and "Swing Your Lady" (reprise) written by M.K. Jerome and Jack Scholl.

With the cycle of Warners musicals in decline by 1938, SWING YOUR LADY offers little to redeem it but plenty of surprises to honor it. How many movies can one find Humphrey Bogart surrounded hillbillies instead of New York City thugs? How many hillbilly comedies can one find a future U.S. President (Ronald Reagan) appearing briefly as a sports reporter? Louise Fazenda, padded up a bit to appear broad-shouldered and strong-armed, is quite satisfactory as Sadie while Nat Pendleton, who, early in his career played convincing tough guys, to now be playing dumb clucks. McHugh and Jenkins offer nothing new in their familiar sidekick roles, while Penny Singleton, in her Warners debut, brings life to the story with her fast talking character and song and dance. Shortly after the release of SWING YOUR LADY, the Weavers would turn out a series of hillbilly comedies of their own over at Republic Studios before fading to obscurity. Had SWING YOUR LADY been remade in the 1940s, what great material this would have been for the comedy team of Bud Abbott (fight promoter), Lou Costello (wrestler) and Marjorie Main (Sadie) in the cast.

While SWING YOUR LADY has never been distributed on home video, it's been broadcast over the years on the Ted Turner cable channels starting with Turner Network Television (1988-1992) and presently on Turner Classic Movies. With the film containing some swinging, either on the dance floor or the wrestling mat, it remains a real curio and delight for the "Ma and Pa Kettle" or "The Beverly Hillbillies" crowd. (**)

A FUNNY CUTE MOVIE

[lupe_mojo13 · 22 March 2002]

I will just start by saying this was a funny and cute movie.

It stars Humphery Bogart as a Wrestling promoter who was come to the Ozarks with his wrestler Joe. Joe,a loveable dim-wit, has been entered into an exhibition match with the local Amazon,and black smith. Miss Sadie Horn, to whom Ed (Bogart) has instructed him not to meet untill the day of the match.

All things change when one evening Joe is out running and stumbles over Miss Horn working. He falls hopelessly in love with her and she is quite smitten by him. Much to the dis-may of her Beau,Noah.

The comedy insues,with this very odd triangle, and witty dialogue. a must see by all classic movie viewers.

My favorite line from this movie is:

(Joe is holding a horseshoe that Sadie gave him for luck)

Joe: (rubbing the horseshoe and looking very sad)

Man: what is he doing?

Ed: I don't know...maybe he saving up for a horse.

Has curiosity value, but that's about all!

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 1 January 2016]

Ray Enright could be described as a 1938 equivalent of the director of a TV variety show. In fact, when I tuned in, this excuse for a movie had already started and that was precisely what I thought I was watching – thanks to the heavy humor, the inexpert dubbing, the exaggerated reaction shots, the routine and/or uninspired camera-work with its distinctly TV-oriented dependence on close-ups, and last, but not least, the nondescript music score (plus the fact that the music played on the soundtrack by a band with a heavy brass section has about as much relationship to the hillbilly jugs and washboards actually seen on the screen as a pumpkin to pumpernickel bread). In all, a most disappointing effort all around and one that will have Humphrey Bogart's legion of fans scratching their heads in either righteous anger or at least total wonderment!

Bogey in the Ozarks

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 9 September 2005]

Wrestling manager Humphrey Bogart is stranded with his wrestler, Nat Pendleton, and the rest of the entourage, Frank McHugh and Allen Jenkins in some Hooterville like town in the Ozarks. The boys are down and out and Bogey wants to scare up a match for some traveling money.

He meets up with Amazonian blacksmith Louise Fazenda and arranges a match, but Pendleton and Fazenda fall in love and that plan goes awry. Not to worry because Fazenda has some gargantuan guy who's been a-courtin' her and he's out of joint. So the match is Pendleton and Daniel Boone Savage.

Bogart said it to all who'd listen that he thought this was his worst feature film. I can certainly see why he thought so. He really looks so uncomfortable even in a set supposed to resemble hillbilly heaven.

My guess is that the Warner Brothers were trying to get to a different audience. They were known as the urban studio in the Thirties and concentrated on a product geared to that audience. Other than Dick Foran B westerns a whole market was being untapped.

I'm sure this must have been offered to Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney before Bogey. He wasn't a big star then so this kind of material could be fluffed off on him.

So we've got Sam Spade in Hooterville along with a lot of hillbilly music and even a brief role by the 40th President of the United States as a reporter.

For die hard Bogey fans only.

Goofy, yes. Lowbrow, yes. Funny, absolutely!

[David Spalding · 7/10 · 2 January 2006]

Sometimes actors are displeased with films for purely personal reasons. Harrison Ford positively hates Blade Runner (1982). Bogart disliked this one for his own reasons. But consider how few comedy films Bogart was cast in. His talent there was ignored in favor of the money-reaping tough guy roles, but his performance here is just cracking. Nat Pendleton (usually cast as the lunkhead tough guy cop) gets a deserved near-star turn as the lovesick wrestler with a childlike innocence. Penny Singleton (sometimes billed as Dorothy McNulty) gets to show a variety of talents that she only got to hint at in After The Thin Man (1936). With comedy, musical numbers, and character roles galore, this film is a great treat.

Bogie was right!

[dougandwin · 2/10 · 24 March 2005]

When some of these old films bob up on Late night TV, there is often a great sense of nostalgia as you get to see stars in their very early days, mostly serving their apprenticeships in B movies - well I am here to tell you this one was not a B, more likely an X or a Z. It is hard to understand how Warners would be throwing someone like Bogart into this rubbish when they have already seen him perform in movies as outstanding as "The Petrified Forest". He was certainly made to do lots of poor stuff playing second fiddle to James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson in his early days, but this must have really hurt (even more than "The Return of Dr.X). It is hard to find anything redeeming in this, but I gave it a 2 just for Penny Singleton, who was not quite as bad as the rest of the cast.

Bogie really did this?

[bronxite-1 · 6/10 · 16 January 2008]

The main reason for my enjoying this flick is the ending. I was feeling a bit emotional today and was happy with the outcome of the film. I actually sat through all those songs that were performed throughout the film (and I detest most musical stuff). I think the best facet of this film was Louise Fazenda. She just tickled me with the way she presented herself and she was big in Mack Sennet films of yore. She just did everything asked of her without any problems. Bogie seemed totally our of school here, being pushed around physically and really over acting some of his situations. One the whole, for 1938, it could see why some people would see this to escape their every day drudge. I just finished reading a bio of Bogart and felt that he was just thrown in because Warner Bros. could do so. He showed up, did his shtick and went home.

"Well listen, I'd match him with an ape if the customers could tell them apart."

[classicsoncall · 4/10 · 16 November 2004]

"Swing Your Lady" may not offer Humphrey Bogart his strangest role (for that, try 1939's "The Return of Doctor X"), but it sure is his goofiest. Bogey is wrestling promoter Ed Hatch, heading up an entourage that includes his protégé Joe Skopapoulos (Nat Pendleton), trainers Popeye Bronson (Frank McHugh) and Shiner Ward (Allen Jenkins), and patient fiancée Cookie Shannon (Penny Singleton). The wrestling circuit brings the team to the Ozark Mountains, where Ed attempts to find a suitable opponent for his boy so he can build his reputation on a climb to the world championship. When Ed's car gets stuck in a ditch, female blacksmith Sadie Horn (Louise Fazenda) singlehandedly gets him free, and a match made in heaven is born. Only trouble is, when Joe sets his eyes on Sadie, it's love at first sight and the match is over before it's begun.

Not to worry though, Sadie's suitor for the past ten years (Sadie's husband went 'possum hunting eleven years ago and never came back), is hillbilly Noah (Daniel Boone Savage), and he's not about to give up Sadie without a fight. The match is signed, and Plunkett City is about to get a show.

Ronald Reagan makes an unlikely appearance in the film as a newspaper sports reporter, which he actually was early in his career. It's a minor part with only a bit of screen time.

The wrestling match itself between Joe and Noah goes for quite a while, and is fairly well staged. With the incentive to headline a card at Madison Square Garden for the winner, Ed encourages his boy to win after a series of head stomps and an airplane spin. But Joe turns the tables when he decides to stay behind and marry his blacksmith sweetheart Sadie.

"Swing Your Lady" defies genre classification, although musical comedy comes close. There are four or five tunes sprinkled throughout the film, all done in a hoe down hillbilly style including a square dance number. For his part, Bogey does a credible job, given the offbeat nature of his role. But he's a lot more comfortable in a comedy role as the convict Joseph in one of his last film appearances - "We're No Angels".

Best of Its Type!

[bexa · 8/10 · 2 January 2006]

I loved it...awesome! Nice example of "hillbilly" films, never condescending. The music is excellent and Ms Fazenda is great! Did others not like Bogart in this movie? I thought he was well-cast as the conniving city-slicker "wrasslin" promoter.

Nat Pendleton as the Greek "wrassler" in love with the local "big gal" blacksmith is adorable (I think this is a "spoiler" but it was obvious from the beginning). He always plays the dim, yet big-hearted guy in movies (as an orderly in "Harvey" particularly memorable). Lots of other Warner's character players: Allen Jenkins and Frank McHugh, two of my favorites.

Lots of good-natured laughs.

Altogether a great 78 minutes...I'll watch it again!

this film is wonderful entertainment

[leforte · 7/10 · 2 January 2006]

This film is just wonderful entertainment. All good actors from yesteryear. Bogart like you never seen him. Then there is the future President of the United States when he was young and could not possibly know what kind of a future was in store for him. Some of my favorite actors that are gone but not forgotten. Just good old fashion corny light hearted entertainment. The acting is very good. The dancing and singing are lots of fun. The storyline is just pure smiles. That is really true. You just watch this film with a smile on your face the entire time. They could never make a film like this today. It is a real family entertainment picture. The only embarrassment that a person could feel while watching this film is enjoying it so thoroughly. It's great.

Howdy Bogart

[wes-connors · 2/10 · 4 May 2011]

New York fight manager Humphrey Bogart (as Ed Hatch) goes to the Ozarks with his dim-witted wrestler Nat Pendleton (as Joe "Hercules" Skopapolous). Joining Mr. Bogart down South are his squeaky-voiced girlfriend Penny Singleton (as Cookie Shannon) plus wrestling trainers Frank McHugh (as Popeye) and Allen Jenkins (as Shiner). Bogart meets tough lady blacksmith Louise Fazenda (as Sadie Horn) and decides to promote a battle of the sexes for the local hillbillies, pitting Ms. Fazenda against Mr. Pendleton.

When the proposed opponents fall in love, Bogart has trouble starting a fight...

Fazenda and Pendleton grow on you, while top-billed Bogart oddly becomes an unwelcome presence in his own film; this doesn't happen very often. A few of the hillbilly-flavored soundtrack singers are downright annoying. Looking happy to be acting with the cast, young Ronald Reagan (as Jack Miller) plays a small role. The wrestling match closing puts it over the top as an all-time worst.

** Swing Your Lady (1/8/38) Ray Enright ~ Humphrey Bogart, Louise Fazenda, Nat Pendleton, Penny Singleton

lesser Bogie

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 9 September 2022]

Ed Hatch (Humphrey Bogart) manages dim-witted wrestler Joe Skopapoulos. He discovers local strong hick Sadie Horn and comes up with an unusual match. Joe falls for her and refuses to fight. Ed uses all his underhanded lies to gin up another fight.

This is not necessarily for Bogie fans unless you're a completist. It's a musical comedy about rural wrestling with a strong woman. I don't find it that funny although I like most of the characters. Bogie is fine but it's not enough. I like the idea of wrestling Sadie but the movie turns away from that. I don't think it's as bad as advertised but that's not high praise.

Well, it's not quite THAT bad....

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 28 October 2011]

This is Humphrey Bogart's one movie that he tried to forget but couldn't. It was such a notoriously bad film, in fact, that it was featured in the book "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time" by by Harry Medved. While adore the book, I am not sure if the film really is bad enough to merit inclusion--though it is a very bad film. However, I cut the film a bit of slack because Bogart was not yet a star and the studio didn't quite know what to do with him--other than feature him as a heavy in gangster flicks. Because of this, Bogart had no power--no ability to say no to any project. He was a contract player and simply had to take what they gave him. So, I don't put this film in the same category as "The Conqueror" (John Wayne), "Parnell" (Clark Gable) or "Once Upon a Time" (Cary Grant)--all terrible films featuring actors at the top of their careers and who SHOULD have and COULD have said no!

The film is set in the Ozarks and is full of lots of very broad country humor and music. A wrestling promoter (Bogart) is taking his client (Nat Pendleton) on a cross-country tour to show off his talents. But, when a countrified Amazon is able to stand up successfully to Pendleton, this makes Bogart's sensation seem a lot less sensational. And, incidentally, Pendleton is smitten with this lady and wants her for his own.

The bottom line is that this is an embarrassing film. The writing is very bad, the dialog is very bad and the music is no treat either. The film is only for the very curious or those who could use a good laugh.

SWING YOUR LADY (Ray Enright, 1938) **

[Bunuel1976 · 4/10 · 8 March 2007]

This odd little comedy is perhaps best-known for star Humphrey Bogart's personal put-down as his worst film – and is, therefore, essential viewing for fans! In the same vein, having once suggested that only the 'phonies' liked BEAT THE DEVIL (1953), another film Bogie was disappointed by, I'd venture to say that only Ozarks and yokels will enjoy SWING YOUR LADY...

In any case, it's hard to reconcile the fact that the film emerged from Warner Bros., who made such classic 'social conscience' dramas as THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937) and ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938) around this same time! It's certainly embarrassing to watch – containing a lethal combination of interminable musical numbers and equally unbearable cornball folksiness – but the supporting characters (Nat Pendleton, Frank McHugh and Allen Jenkins) and especially the climactic wrestling bout (although the film doesn't go through with its novelty idea of a male/female confrontation!) provide some undeniably amusing moments along the way. Clearly a "B" effort, made quickly and on the cheap (in fact, 6 Bogart films were released in 1938!), the film is one of only a handful of comedies he appeared in – none of them very successful

Bogey at the Warner factory gets caught up in a B-film...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 2 January 2009]

Like every actor who's had a career spanning several decades, HUMPHREY BOGART had his share of poor films along with the great ones. This feeble attempt at comedy is typical of the Warner Bros. brand of humor in the '30s and '40s, slammed home without any subtlety or grace.

My main interest in this film was due to seeing the bloopers from "Breakdowns of 1938" featured on THE ADV. OF ROBIN HOOD CD. Let's put it this way--the bloopers were funnier than most of the material in this comedy which manages to be mildly amusing.

HUMPHREY BOGART is saddled with the lead, supported by Warner's favorite contract supporting players--NAT PENDLETON as a dumb wrestler, FRANK McHUGH as his manager and ALLEN JENKINS as the standup comic who makes with all the usual dry wisecracks on the sidelines.

PENNY SINGLETON is Bogart's fast talking, dumb girlfriend who sounds a lot like the "Blondie" character she would play shortly thereafter. LOUISE FAZENDA has a comic role as a lady blacksmith with a rural accent. In a rather amusing scene she wrestles Bogey to the ground and tells him to say, "Hootie Owl." It looks as though the Warner backlot was used with leftovers from their westerns to simulate the small town look. The hillbilly musical numbers are nothing to shout about and much the same comment can be made about the film itself.

Louise Fazenda and Penny Singleton (who gets a chance to sing) seem to be enjoying themselves, but the overall results are decidedly mixed.

No wonder Bogey achieved stardom in a different genre. One of his better lines: "Which one of us is daffy?" You have to be daffy yourself to really enjoy this one.

Trivia note: A very young RONALD REAGAN has a bit part and gets no billing at all on the opening credits. Lucky for him.

hillybilly moosic and hoomer

[froberts73 · 9/10 · 26 April 2011]

Certainly not a typical WB offering. Jack L must have been vacationing on the moon when this was being filmed. And, I am damn glad it was filmed.

Some of the reviews were, as happens so often, pretentious as all get out, and they should get out.

Bogie wanted out. Doesn't matter. He was the least in "Swing Your Lady." This flick belonged to everyone else appearing, particularly Louise Fazenda and Penny Singleton who, later, was so typecast as Blondie.

She is a brunett-ie here and shows stuff she never had the opportunity to display elsewhere. Her dancing is pure fun, her near-operatic voice blending perfectly with The Weaver Brothers and Elviry - another plus for this crazy, fun piece.

Usually, in films like these, such guests do a number, often short, but this time their wild talents were given free rein.

The Maddox Brothers and Rose had a similar act, and they are, equally, my favorite hillbilly acts.

A fat plus was the character who portrayed the bearded wrestler. He was a straight hoot and, last but far from least, Nat Pendleton as a not too bright wrassler was fabulous. After TCM showed this movie they showed "6,000 Enemies," again featuring Pendleton, this time as we usually see him - as a heavy.

"Swing Your Lady" had some of the best hillybilly music, the cast provided lotsa laughs with a damn clever/funny script.

Gee - we used to get the funny stuff without the liberal use of the 'f' word, and all the accompanying sleaze.

Hey, I'm not against sleaze if it's dun tastefully. EEE-haaa.

A cute film worth watching.

[cnevel · 9/10 · 10 September 2005]

This film is cute and humorous.

There are two reasons that this film is derided by the comments and the ratings.

The first is that people believe that Bogart should not have been in it.

The second is that it is a hillbilly film.

If Bogart had not been in this film the rating would be 3 or 4 points higher.

In most cases, an actor who looks out of place when out of his genre is considered to be a bad actor.

In this case, since it is Bogart, the film is blamed instead.

It is suggested that the acting is poor. It is not.

Most of these actors are experienced and their acting is just as good as always.

The same actors in other Bogart films are always considered to have give good performances, as they did in this film.

The Weavers were not actors but did their hillbilly act for many years.

They were in quite a few films and were very popular.

My mother saw them in 1951 in Washington D.C. on a class trip.

Most people today just believe that they are above hillbilly humor.

It is called political correctness.

Give this film a shot.

Ignore the fact that Bogart is in it and enjoy.

"Say Hootie Owl" from Swing Your Lady

[dashelamet · 8/10 · 17 June 2006]

I've been trying to find the name of this movie for about 20 years (I saw it when I was in college). The only thing I remember from it was the scene a previous commenter described about a girl throwing a guy to the ground and challenging him to "say hootie owl" (meaning, "I give up"; it made me laugh out loud, too, and I've used the "say hootie owl" bit ever since.

I've asked every film buff I know, I searched on line again and again. Nothing. Until this evening when I searched once again.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I just need to see it again.

Laurie McCabe

Poor Bogart

[Michael_Elliott · 7 January 2009]

Swing Your Lady (1938)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Poor Warner comedy has a promoter (Humphrey Bogart) arriving in a small town to try and set up a match for his prized wrestler (Nat Pendleton). The promoter eventually finds him a match in a female blacksmith (Louise Fazenda) but the two fall in love before any wrestling can be done. This film blends romance with comedy and even throws in several musical numbers but when Bogart called this his worst film he wasn't lying. I usually enjoy these "B" movies from Warner but I found this one to be quite poor, which is rather strange considering the talent involved. Yes, Bogart is horribly miscasted but this wasn't the only time in his career that happened. He comes off looking good and I say that because you can tell he's giving it his all even though the material isn't suited for him. Frank McGugh and Allen Jenkins co-star as members of Bogart's troop and these two funnymen can't add any laughs either. Pendleton and Fazenda actually steal the film with their tough romance, which gains a few laughs but not nearly enough to keep the film moving. Director Enright doesn't do a very good job handling the subject matter as the film runs out of steam within the first ten minutes and never picks itself up. By the forty-minute mark I was yawning and the following thirty-two minutes didn't get any better. The whole concept of a man and woman wrestling was something that could have made for a good story but it's just a cheap trick here that doesn't pay off. Look fast for a young Ronald Reagan.