Snowed Under

Playwright George Brent is having trouble with his new play. He's got two good acts written but the third act refuses to come. He retires to a quiet house in the country to really concentrate…but his peace and quiet are quickly and completely overrun by wives, lawyers, sheriff's deputies and a big snowstorm.

A lively cast makes this one fun—everyone on the screen is hilarious in one way or another. Genevieve Tobin is charming and clever as Brent's first ex-wife, recruited by Brent's producers as the one person capable of helping break his writer's block. Tobin and Brent are the closest to sane of any characters in this movie.

Glenda Farrell is at her rowdiest as Brent's second ex-wife, showing up with milkman/deputy sheriff Frank McHugh in tow, hoping to collect some alimony. Glenda's initial entrance is just a riot: McHugh has preceded her into the house by a couple of minutes when she bursts in shouting, "Fine way to treat a lady! You gonna let me sit out there in the car all night?" McHugh doesn't miss a beat: "Have you been nipping at my applejack?" Farrell: "All right, so sue me!"

Patricia Ellis is also following Brent around, apparently imagining that she can capture his affections by showing up unexpectedly in his bedroom. Among all of these distractions, it's no wonder Brent isn't getting any work done.

It's not exactly sophisticated but sure has some laughs—lots of fun for fans of silly 30s comedies.

Porter Hall wants George Brent to write the third act for his play due to open next week. Brent is at his cabin. Hall sends Genevieve Tobin, Brent's first wife, to crack the whip. Second wife Glenda Farrell shows up with deputy Frank McHugh and her lawyer demanding alimony. Patricia Ellis is already in residence, trying to make herself the third wife.

My first reaction was this was an expertly open-up play, but it was written for the screen. It's certainly cast well; Brent, Warner's choice for a leading man who wouldn't distract the audience from the leading lady, is fine as the hectored yet stolid playwright, and the ladies are nicely differentiated, particularly the speed at which they deliver their lines. Miss Tobin is ladylike, Miss Ellis is twittery, and Miss Farrell continues her reign as Warners' resident motormouth. McHugh sometimes sounds like he's attempting a Down East accent. It's perfectly composed, you know how it's going to turn out, and it's a pleasant series of bumps getting there.

A nice cast, consisting of George Brent, Gladys George, Frank McHugh, Genevieve Tobin, and John Eldredge star in "Snowed Under," a 1936 Warner Brothers film.

Alan Tanner (Brent) has new play opening in a week, but the play has no acceptable third act.

In order to get it done, Tanner goes to a cottage, which at the moment is snowed under to work in peace. Not happening. His blonde neighbor (Patricia Ellis) is crazy about him and shows up.

The play's producer, Arthur Layton (Porter Hall), dispatches Alan's first wife Alice (Tobin) to keep him on task. Unfortunately Alan's second wife, Daisy (Farrell), shows up and demands her alimony.

Soon the women are screaming at one another and fighting over who can help Alan more. And the neighbor wants to know where she stands. Meanwhile Alan can't get any work done.

This is a madcap comedy, and for some reason I found it incredibly loud and a little too crazy, a fun premise, but forced. Despite going over the top, it has a sophistication to it.

Frank McHugh is a scream as a deputy sent to arrest Alan, who just may find some peace if he can only get to jail. With a little more attention, this film would have been much better.

Snowed Under (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Surprisingly entertaining comedy about a writer (George Brent) who flees to a cabin in Conneticut to try and finish up a play that is due in a week. The show's producer gets worried so he sends the writer's first wife (Genevieve Tobin) to try and help him and before long his second wife (Glenda Farrell) shows up demanding that he be thrown in jail over back alimony. SNOWED UNDER is a pretty far-fetched little comedy but the terrific cast and its fast-pace makes it a real winner and it's really too bad that the film isn't better known because it's a pretty good little gem. I think the strongest thing the film has going in its favor is the terrific cast with Brent, Tobin and Farrell leading the way with their top-notch performances. You've also got Patricia Ellis playing a young woman also in love with the writer, Frank McHugh as a deputy sent to arrest him and John Eldredge and Helen Lowell are also good in their supporting bits. The entire cast works so well together and the dialogue they're having to spill is flying out a mile a minute. The dialogue is delivered in an extremely fast way and the entire cast does well to really push it and make it funny. Some of the best moments deal with the three women constantly fighting amongst each other trying to see why one wants to be with the writer or why they were ever with him. The sequence where the writer decides he wants to go to jail instead of staying in the house was pretty good. The location, a small house in the woods, is the perfect setting and you really do feel as if you're in this place with all these characters as things start to go crazy. Fans of the 30s comedies should really enjoy this and it certainly deserves to be better known.

Snowed Under casts George Brent as a playwright who is working to get a third act right for producer Porter Hall. To get away from it all he's taken a mountain cabin up in snow country to get some privacy and the creative juices flowing.

Privacy is about the last things he gets in this somewhat claustrophobic comedy where all three women in his life come for a visit. Ex-wife Genevieve Tobin arrives first, current estranged wife Glenda Farrell is second who brings along lawyer John Eldredge and Deputy Sheriff Frank McHugh to get either her back alimony or Brent in the pokey. Finally there's current girlfriend Patricia Ellis who kind of sneaks in when no one is looking.

Snowed Under is short and fast paced comedy in which Glenda Farrell stands out in this cast. Brent learns that old adage of it's cheaper to keep her.

We kind of know right away who Brent winds up with, still Snowed Under is a lot of fun with an impeccably cast ensemble.