The Strawberry Blonde

1941

Comedy / Romance

6
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 74% · 11 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 74% · 500 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 4621 4.6K

remake revenge barbershop graft beer garden 19th century

Plot summary

Biff Grimes is desperately in love with Virginia, but his best friend Hugo marries her and manipulates Biff into becoming involved in his somewhat nefarious businesses. Hugo appears to have stolen Biff's dreams, and Biff has to deal with the realisation that having what he wants and wanting what another has can be very different things.

Director

Raoul Walsh Photo
Raoul Walsh

Top cast

Addison Richards Photo
Addison Richards as Official
Jack Carson Photo
Jack Carson as Hugo Barnstead
Ben Welden Photo
Ben Welden as Reluctant Convict Dental Patient
Carl Harbaugh Photo
Carl Harbaugh as Workman
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
910.54 MB
1280*934
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds 2
1.65 GB
1480*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds 7

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by atlasmb 8 / 10

Charming, Charming, Charming

Biff Grimes (James Cagney) struts around like a pugnacious, vainglorious banty rooster in this piece of wartime escapism that harkens back to Victorian America. He has his eye on Virginia Brush (Rita Hayworth), but so does his buddy Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson). One of them weds Virginia and the other "settles" for her girlfriend Amy Lind (Olivia de Havilland).The story follows the two couples through good times and bad in an absolutely charming recreation of turn-of-the-century society. The music includes all of the classics of that earlier time, including the enchanting "When You Were Sweet Sixteen." Costumes by Orry-Kelly help revive the formality and stiffness of Victorian manners, but also accent the beauty of Hayworth and de Havilland. If only they had been shot in color!Miss de Havilland is a revelation as an unconventional young woman who challenges the headstrong Biff. Her role might not have been extremely challenging, but she rises above the script and creates a persona that viewers could fall in love with.This is not a spoiler, but the end of the film includes an audience sing-along that would have allowed viewers to fully indulge in memories of better times. One can easily imagine their voices rising as one in the darkened theaters of 1941.
Reviewed by Drewy 8 / 10

A witty comedy that stands the test of time

Julius Epstein (the man who gave us Arsenic and Old Lace) excels with his adaptation of James Hagan's play One Sunday Afternoon. (For those who think the credit belongs with the playwright not the scriptwriter, I refer you to the 1948 remake One Sunday Afternoon.) The script is crisp and witty, one liners abound, and I found myself laughing out loud often.The film gains its strength from the morals of a bygone era, as men and women struggle to find love without overstepping the bounds of decency. Yet it holds up well more than 60 years after it was made. The themes of love and happiness are timeless. Cagney is excellent as jailbird-turned-dentist Biff Grimes. His famed tough guy persona bubbles not very far below the surface but we are reminded that this actor is much more multi-faceted than history sometimes remembers him. The female cast members are outstanding. The beautiful Susan Hayworth plays the title character Virginia Brush superbly, showing every nuance of the shallow yet ultimately dissatisfied wannabe socialite. Her best friend, Ann Lind, provides a great showcase for Olivia de Havilland's talent, moving from the brash, forward suffragette to the devoted wife, showing her vulnerability as well as her strength along the way.Some of Hollwood's fine character actors get a chance to impress too. The hard-working Jack Carson impresses as Hugo Barnstead, the charming womanizer turned sleazy tycoon. George Tobias has plenty of scene-stealing moments as Grimes' good friend, Nick the barber. (Look closely and you may recognize him as Bewitched's Abner Kravitz.) Alan Hale is at his best as Grimes' irrepressible Irish father. Keep your eye out for TV's Superman George Reeves as Harold, the Yale student neighbour.This film provides an amusing reminder that beauty and wealth do not always bring happiness.Enjoy Strawberry Blonde. I did.
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