A Lei e a Mulher

"The Law and the Lady" is a surprisingly good movie that doesn't get shown a lot for some reason. Greer Garson, Michael Wilding, Marjorie Main, and Fernando Lamas all shine in their roles. Wilding's character convinces Garson's to team with him as globetrotting con artists who wind up in California trying to cheat a disarmingly candid (and as always, tough minded) Main. Their plans are further complicated when Garson starts to fall for Lamas and starts to rethink her relationship with Wilding.

The comedy is light-hearted and avoids taking itself too seriously. Knopf, brother of the famous publisher, only directed a few films, and this was his only effort after the early 1930's. He was able to get good performances from his excellent cast.

1960's TV fans will recognize Natalie Schafer (Gilligan's Island) and Hayden Rorke (I Dream of Jeannie) playing small but noticeable roles.

MGM made its third sound version of The Last Of Mrs. Cheyney now entitled The Law And The Lady and the very British Greer Garson starred in the the last of the last. Retitiled The Law And The Lady her co- stars are the equally British Michael Wilding and the very Argentine Fernando Lamas. I was always amazed how many properties MGM found for both Lamas and Ricardo Montalban during their time at the studio that were not necessarily Hispanic per se.

Unlike the other two versions The Law And The Lady give the origin of the partnership of the two society crooks. Greer is a maid accused of stealing Phyllis Stanley's earrings, but her scapegrace of a brother-in-law Michael Wilding saves her from Scotland Yard. Wilding is a twin brother younger by five minutes. The two team up and go into the fleecing and thieving business.

Which brings them to Marjorie Main in San Francisco where they board and attempt to fleece. But Marjorie's also hosting Fernando Lamas whose got a distant connection to Spanish royalty. So it's a choice between Wilding, Lamas, the con artist life, or jail if Inspector Rhys Williams of Scotland Yard ever catches up with them. Maybe some of more than one choice.

This English comedy of manners is a great example of how MGM fit Lamas into non-Hispanic subjects with a bit of rewriting. Wilding and Garson do their lines well, I can't imagine original author Frederic Lonsdale having any objections or even someone like Oscar Wilde if he ever heard it.

This version holds up well compared to the other two, perhaps we'll see more remakes yet.

This poor knock-off, starring a past-her-prime Greer Garson looks like what it is: a conflation of all the MGM contract players squeezed into roles they weren't necessarily congruent with. Garson, unfortunately, for the time, was not well accepted in coquettish female roles because of her age. Her heyday came and went with the stirring Mrs. Miniver when she was head of a family. Now, she needed a family to mother and MGM has thrown her out to be a jewel thief. MGM, in fact, did her much injustice during the 1950s as they miscast her over and over again in search for that second Mrs. Miniver, which was never to come.

Other actors, like Myrna Loy, got out of their contracts with the studio and negotiated independently for roles. Loy smartly chose motherly roles as she grew older and did not try to hold on to her youth: "The Best Years of Our Lives", "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House", the sixth and final "Thin Man" and "Cheaper by the Dozen" (a big box office hit in 1950 that is not owned by TCM and is subsequently never aired).

Garson remained with MGM and they kept the movies coming. Someone in management must have really liked her.

Greer Garson is a maid to Phyllis Stanley. When jewelry goes missing, Miss Stanley accuses Miss Garson. It turns out her scapegrace brother-in-law, Michael Wilding took them. Miss Garson is released with a character and two hundred pounds. She and Wilding go into partnership fleecing wealthy men from Monte Carlo to Hong Kong in a perfectly respectable way. Finally, having been asked to leave everyplace else, they land in San Francisco. While Miss Garson masquerades as member of the peerage, Wilding pretends to be a butler, and they wind up in Marjorie Main's menage.

MGM's third version of THE LAST OF MRS CHENEY suffers from excessive length and the Production Code, which insists that all lawbreakers must be punished. Miss Garson is, as always, very charming. Among her suitors, Fernando Lamas is quite dashing, and Hayden Rorke is a drip. Miss Main steals everything in sight. I was occasionally annoyed by William Gulick & James E. Newcom 's editing. Not only does Carmen Dragon's score tend to mickey-mouse the action, but so does the pace of the cutting!

In turn of the century London, Nigel Duxbury (Michael Wilding) steals a pair of earrings from his sister-in-law Lady Sybil Minden who immediately accuses her maid Jane Hoskins (Greer Garson). Nigel casually returns the earrings and Jane demands an apology. She quits and aspires to be a Lady herself. Nigel is completely taken with her. The two of them start coning the upper class. Eventually, she falls for Juan Dinas (Fernando Lamas) and abandons her partnership with Nigel.

I really like the start and the initial chemistry of the thieving duo. It should turn into a caper where they steal from some snotty rich folks. It would help if the high society people are actually evil. The con jobs are not that fun and the couple chemistry stagnates. I don't like the Juan detour and the return trip ending is oddly upbeat. It's a small loss after a promising start.