Change Your Image
saps48
Reviews
The Flying Nun: The Return of Father Lundigan (1968)
Enough plot for two episodes
The two plot lines would have each made a better episode if developed on their own: the sisters switching personalities under hypnosis is rich with possibilities, and the return of the neurotic Father Lundigan nearly writes itself. But here, both stories are underwritten and neither reaches its comic potential. (Weird to critique a 50-year-old episode, but oh well...)
The Flying Nun: The Convent Is Condemned (1968)
Weak
Agree, this is the weakest episode so far. Poorly plotted and paced, and the murmuring crowd voices in the casino scene were amateurish.
You Can't Fool Your Wife (1940)
A dreary mess
This recently popped up on TCM and since it starred Lucille Ball I decided to give it a look, but it turned out to be an interminable slog, one tedious situation after another at an over-long 68 minutes. All the plot contrivances could have been cleared up if the characters took one minute to actually speak to each other, but then it would have been too short even for the bottom of a double bill.
Inexplicably, Bosley Crowther in the Times found it mildly palatable, but I found it indigestible. Ball is a mouse but does come alive a bit in her dual role, the male lead is instantly forgettable, and Emma Dunn's one-note performance as the meddling mother-in-law is without a shred of wit or charm. I'm always glad to see a new Lucy movie but this one strained my patience.
Bernardine (1957)
I love Ronnie Burns
He is so handsome and adorable on his parents' TV show now running on Antenna TV, that I'd really like to see this movie. He mentions this picture in the episode entitled Ronnie Gets A Movie Role and it lead me to this site to see what I could learn about it. Ronnie is so affable and good-natured, I was sorry to learn that he passed away in 2007. But I can still see his movie Bernadine, which is based on a successful stage play by Mary Chase. The guy in the NY Times liked it a lot, stating "The original cutting edge of "Bernardine" is gone, but on the whole, you still couldn't find a nicer bunch of people." I can't wait to see it, and when I do I'll revise this review and post my actual opinion.