Roughly Speaking

A long but pleasantly sentimental journey. This delightfully odd-ball film is based on the real-life story of one Louise Randall Pierson, an eccentric free-spirited woman who was ahead of her time in her thinking and actions. This lady didn't need the assistance of women's liberation movement! The film opens in 1912 and ends during WWII. In between are many amusing episodes. Louise's first failed marriage, her daughter who suffered infantile paralysis and her introduction to her future second husband (Jack Carson) - in a fish pond while dressed up for a costume party linger in the memory. Rosalind Russell is superb as Ms Randall-Pierson, and although the film is a mite long at 117 minutes, it is expertly directed by Michael Curtiz, the dramatic and comical aspects being cleverly balanced. Highly recommended as a fine example of a forgotten fine movie to remember.

Rosalind Russell was just right for this movie. Bette was a great actress, but I cannot imagine her as Auntie Mame. Same with the heroin of Roughly Speaking. Russell played it just right, with a touch of laughter and a touch of pathos. It is about a woman who lives through: Divorce, polio, the Depression, one monetary failure after another, and finally seeing her sons off to fight in WWII. However, you see that it makes her family stronger, they learn to fight thru their problems and come out better for it. It is this movie that made me fall in love with Jack Carson. Jack Carson never really made it as a top, top star. In fact in most of his movies he played a buffoon or a jerk. But in Rougly Speaking he plays the kind of man most women wish we were married to. It is my opinion that he pretty much played himself. I recommend it: It comes on TCM regularly, if you have not seen it you are in for a real treat. Watch out for Roughly Speaking you will love it.

This was a real surprise. I found it hard to switch channels once I started watching the movie. The dialogue was witting and the whole movie charming. The movements between segments of the movie were abrupt but everything else I liked a lot.

A wonderful Rosalind Russell vehicle with Jack Carson in fine form as her 2nd husband.

It tells us of a woman's determination to survive this world-despite deaths in the family, a heel of a husband, (Donald Woods),illness, and the Great Depression.

Russell throws her usual zest for this type of commanding woman in the film and succeeds. Though out of his league as the usual grade B actor, Woods succeeds here in the part of the first husband, who walks out on Russell after 10 years of marriage, 4 children and a life of hard times.

The film is definitely a slice of Americana and the idea of hard work and accomplishment. It also very well deals with adversity just as things are going so well. Isn't that so true of life itself? That's why the film succeeds and is quite memorable.

Having lived throughout the depression and the Presidency of F D R, I was pleasantly surprised when I happened upon Roughly Speaking on T C M last week. Somehow,in all these years of movie going and viewing,I never had a clue about this moving film.

The author expertly weaves into the plot glimpses of those bygone days.. The early airplanes,the the struggle to ride out the lean times.

The staid mother's daughter having fought the same crippling disease as had the President,the stock market crash the early war years.

Her heart wrenching scene watching all three sons go off to war.

Although the movie depicted the triumph over adversity women of the thirties/forties achieved, the young women of today are the daughters and grand daughters of the multi taskers of my mother's day

I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to all American women. Edouarto.