Love Is a Headache

In the late 1930s, MGM turned out some high-concept programmers that are fun to watch. None of these, to my knowledge, cause migraines-- just fits of laughter. Love Is a Headache is one of these charming films.

The story, which is rather simplistic, is about a fading actress (Gladys George) who adopts two street urchins as a publicity stunt. The urchins are portrayed by Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler, who convey a realistic and believable sibling relationship. (The studio would re-team Rooney and Weidler in a few other films, notably in an installment of the Andy Hardy series.)

The picture also benefits from the presence of MGM contract player Franchot Tone (who was Mr. Joan Crawford at this time). Tone plays Miss George's love interest and is in all likelihood going to become a daddy to the two urchins. It's nice to see him in more of a 'family'-type comedy.

LOVE IS A HEADACHE (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938) directed by Richard Thorpe, stars Gladys George in a welcome change of pace, COMEDY. After a couple of serious dramas (STRAIGHT IS THE WAY (1934) and THEY GAVE HIM A GUN (1937) both with Franchot Tone, and notable tearjerkers (VALIANT IS THE WORD FOR CARRIE (1936) and MADAME X (1937)), George gets her chance to make her audience laugh. Though the title isn't as impressive as the story, this is George in rare form. Cast opposite Franchot Tone for the third and final time, working opposite a couple of kids again (Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler) as she did in VALIANT IS THE WORD FOR CARRIE, George shows she can be just as amusing as she can be sentimental.

Carlotta Lee (Gladys George) is a stage actress whose recent play, "A Lady of Experience" has closed after two days. With four consecutive flops in a row, Carlotta goes after the upcoming production of "Carolina" by Sam Ellinger. Peter Lawrence (Franchot Tone), a columnist of the New York Chronicle, having known Carlotta most of her life, keeps advising her not to assume roles in plays that would hurt her career but prefers to listen to her own conscience in play selections instead. Assisted by Jimmy Slattery (Ted Healy), her press agent, Carlotta is acquainted with Reginald Odell (Ralph Morgan) who has inherited $40 million and wants to marry her. After Joe Cannon gives the news to Peter that their former classmate from the old neighborhood, Francis X. "Buck Teeth" O'Tool, a window cleaner having plunged to his death from a twelve-story building leaving his two kids orphans, Fred decides to help the O'Toole children, Mike (Mickey Rooney) and his kid sister, Jake (Virginia Weidler) from being sent separately to an orphanage by finding them a permanent home. Following Fred's broadcast over the radio, Jimmy arranges for the kids to live in the luxurious home of Carlotta Lee without her knowledge. Not only is Carlotta angry about having a couple of street wise kids upsetting her daily routine but is equally upset with Fred accusing her of taking in these kids for publicity reasons with intentions of taking them away from her. Co-starring Fay Holden (Mary, Peter's Secretary); and Barnett Parker (Hutchkiss, the Butler). Character actress Jessie Ralph is quite amusing as both sheriff and justice of the peace of a small Connecticut town.

LOVE IS A HEADACHE is a likable story that plays fast for its 73-minutes. Aside from Gladys George gathering enough attention as a temperamental actress who only plays polite in front of the press and showing her true self behind closed doors, Ted Healy (in his final movie role) and Frank Jenks do an amusing byplay reminiscent to comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen pertaining to "Reincarnation." With other amusing bits by Gladys George, it's a pity she didn't get to do more comedies like this. She and Tone give the impression they were enjoying themselves during production, and it shows.

Seldom broadcast on commercial television since the 1960s, LOVE IS A HEADACHE began to surface regularly on cable television's Turner Classic Movies since 1994. For anybody who knows Gladys George solely as a character actress in secondary or minor parts of the 1940s should get to watch her in a rare leading performance that indicates love is a headache but also a whole lot of fun, too. (***)

After her latest Broadway play bombs, stage star Gladys George (as Carlotta "Charlie" Lee) is concerned. It's been four flops in a row for Ms. George and she needs a hit. George decides to play the lead in "Carolina" - but radio and newspaper celebrity reporter Franchot Tone (as Peter "Pete" Lawrence) thinks it will ruin her career. He hopes his "New York Chronicle" column will queer the deal. The bickering pair have been an item since their youth - or so we're led to believe. George is listening to Mr. Tone's "Broadway Chatter" radio show when he reports on the death of a window washer. Tone wants his audience to find parents for newly orphaned Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler (as Mike and Jake O'Toole). This turns into a convoluted publicity stunt, with George getting the kids...

George and Tone are game, but their coupling sends off no sparks. However, this film won't give you a headache - in spite of its unappealing title. Director Richard Thorpe and the MGM crew move the cast around skillfully, with George walking up toward the camera for an exit and her co-star deftly handling physical comedy. The supporting cast is not only strong, but also given opportunities to shine. Most obviously on his mark is Mr. Rooney, although he is miscast as a 13-year-old. It is surprising to see Frank Jenks (as Joe Cannon) hold his own in a film with Rooney and the adorable little Miss Weidler. After he is offered advice on reincarnation, Mr. Jenks is on a roll which lasts throughout his screen time. Also notable, this was the last film for Ted Healy; the man who gave us his "Three Stooges" died shortly before its release.

****** Love Is a Headache (1/14/38) Richard Thorpe ~ Gladys George, Franchot Tone, Mickey Rooney, Frank Jenks

Gladys George is a fine leading lady of the stage. She's been in a string of flops recently. Franchot Tone is a Broadway columnist for a newspaper. Personally they like each other a lot. Professionally they fight like cats and dogs. He gets her fired from her latest show. Her idiot publicity man, Ted Healy (in his last role) has her adopt Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler.

And so on and so on. There are a couple of subplots, like ridiculously wealthy Ralph Morgan wanting to marry her. This movie looks like they started with the bare bones and kept adding stuff in a desperate attempt to bring it up to a length they could use. A lot of it doesn't work, especially the ending, Barnett Parker as Miss George's dull butler, and Tone's inconsistent performance.

Yet a lot of the details do work, enough to keep this working throughout. There are lots of excellent wisecracks, most of which, oddly enough, wind up in Virginia Weidler's mouth, and she delivers them well. It's a case.

TCM to the rescue again with another little gem from the "You Won't See This Anywhere Else" vault. From 1938, this is one of those films that has nothing to really recommend it, but is not offensive either. It can only be shown on TCM because no advertiser is going to pay money to put commercials on during its showing.

Mickey Rooney plays one of the adopted poor kids of a rich actress who only wants them for the good PR it will give her. (Will she come around for a happy ending? Hey, it was the Depression, what do you think?) This is some early Mickey from about the time he started his Andy Hardy phase. He's charming enough, as are the other actors. The writing is OK, as is the direction, but while everyone tries, the movie just plods along trying to make everyone feel good.

From late in the Depression, everyone in the film is depicted as either extremely rich, or extremely poor. But everyone has a hat! It was like the law in the 30's that everyone had to wear a hat when outdoors. Men, women, kids, cops, chauffeurs, milkmen, dockworkers, it didn't matter, they had to wear a hat. One line in the film has the rich adoptive Mom asking her new poor kids, "Are those the only clothes you kids have?" And Rooney answers, "No, we have hats!"

If you appreciate the old potboiler films of less than 90 minutes duration, you'll certainly be able to sit through this one, as it is better than many of its type. If you were raised on Star Wars films, you'll probably hate it.

Well, I have to go. Where's my hat?