Fuga d'amore

Families feud over eloping offspring.

Mildly amusing comedy from TCF's "Clifton Webb period". Webb and Gardner (Roger) get to trade intellectual barbs in a little gem of an introductory scene. And catch the cutting-edge livingroom interior for 1951, including the push button recliner that swallows up poor Roger. Of course, Webb is Webb, amusing and annoying at the same time. Actually, his movie persona of high-falutin' palaver and distaste for children suggests a sleeker, stuffier version of WC Fields. Here, Webb gets to show off both in that packed car ride, which, to me, is amusing up until everyone starts getting reasonable.

The main trouble is the movie sags every time the narrative switches to the sappy young lovers. Well, actually, not so young since Lundigan is a highly mature 37 and darn near 20 years older than the winsome young Francis. Speaking of youth, Tommy Rettig makes a great little boy who even acts like a little boy, and makes for a lively addition to the warring tribes. And, near the end, be sure to catch Howard's (Webb) concise comparison of elopement with church weddings. It's a surprisingly sober and incisive look at weddings in general.

No, there's nothing memorable here. Just an average little comedy with its share of both on- moments and off-moments, 1950's style.