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Irene Dunne breaks out of small town conventions in "Theodora Goes Wild," a 1936 comedy also starring Melvyn Douglas, Thomas Mitchell and Spring Byington. Dunne plays Theodora, who lives a sterile life with her two aunts in a small, Puritan, judgmental town. However, she's got them all beat because she's living a double life - in New York City, she's Caroline Adams, a hot romance novelist who put the capital L in LOVE. Her scandalous best-seller is in the process of being banned by the town literary society. While in New York visiting her disapproved of uncle, she meets a friend of her publisher's, the flirtatious, irreverent Michael (Douglas). He doesn't know her real name or her literary alter ego so to prove to him she's no prude, she gets drunk and goes to his apartment - of course, she leaves screaming - but in doing so, drops a few papers that tell him who she is and where she lives. He soon shows up in her home town as a down on his luck man seeking work and she's more or less blackmailed into giving him a job as the family gardener.

This is a delightful comedy buoyed by the marvelous acting of Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas. The points are hit a little too hard, however, so that both characters come off as very annoying and exasperating at times. The fault lies in the script, because I don't think those two actors ever made a wrong move. Douglas, who in later life would prove himself one of the great actors of all time, sails through this film as he sailed through so many others in roles that gave no hint of his enormous abilities. Here he's charming, smooth and attractive, inspiring Theodora to take some risks - though he's got a few skeletons he fails to mention to her. Dunne is great as the staid spinster who becomes the talk of New York with her wild outfits, saucy attitude, and smart remarks.

Underneath it all, of course, it's a love story some innuendo you don't find in a lot of '30s comedies, which adds to the fun. Highly recommended.

Irene Dunne plays Theodora Lynn, a proper New England girl. She also happens to go by the name of Caroline Adams. Secluded all her life with her two prudish aunts and the other puritans of the "highly regarded" Lynn Literary Circle, she sublimates her revolt as the secret author of a tantalizing best-selling novel. This is her sublimation of revolt. The movie illustrates the makeover of an allegedly homely and introverted girl into the most wild and high-spirited lady. And it marks a difference between wild and silly, as Uncle John says, "A Lynn may go wild, but never silly." See title for more info on how Theodora goes.

She lives in Lynnfield, named after the Lynn family, whose only legacy are Theodora and her two aunts, Elsie and Mary. "The two oracles," says Thomas Mitchell, editor of The Lynnfield Bugle, the "pulse" of the town. It's an enticing note for the movie to start on, a brassy Thomas Mitchell carving out the lovable, spirited personality he'd bring to Stagecoach, fending off puritanical spinsters protesting that the titillating novel he's featuring is not fit to print. Indeed, the members are single-minded not to allow "sexy trash like this come right into our homes and corrupt the morals of our youth." When Mitchell gets to have a word, he blames the community for denying social progress. But the group deems it their obligation to keep Lynnfield the one pure, God-fearing place left in the world.

We chuckle knowingly when the action then cuts to New York, where a publisher reads an irate wire from Lynnfield. Theodora is so frantic she thinks Caroline Adams is depraved. Was he raised in a small town by two maiden aunts? Has he lectured Sunday School or played church organ for years? Categorically not. Undaunted, he knows that nobody dumps an audience this big, a career this sensational, due to scruples. That's the reality, one curtailed by Hollywood soon after. But the censors were new and hadn't yet learned to keep its right up, so here we have a forgotten early-sound keepsake of silver-screen censure of moral censorship, frivolous and wacky, but by god not silly.

It's this uncensored rebellious energy that I think lends itself to a creative stylishness rare to early American cinema. Short-lived Russian immigrant director Richard Boleslawski brings a particularly effective and stylishly economical editing and visual direction to this appropriately fast-paced early rom-com. Like all the "early rom-coms," its time played a big role in not just its plot but its attitudes, which on the one hand make Theodora Goes Wild refreshingly irreverent but on the other still outmoded in certain varying personal ways. Theodora meets her dapper illustrator, in the form of Melvyn Douglas. Here's a persona who bursts into the movie mugging, blustering and making a domineering nuisance of himself. Theodora opposes his idea of a writer who ought to live life, and so he enlists himself to liberate her. And yet judging this behavior as extraordinarily narcissistic, overbearing and cocky against the alpha male fantasy in romantic comedies of the era would be judging one against a homogeneous crowd.

Women were to be rescued, shown the way, wisened up to the real world. And consistent with that role, Theodora is finally inspired by this dashing leader-of-the-pack type to run amok, even exceeding him in mischief and cheek. She now exhibits what he's urged on her so winningly. She relates with dignity how she told the town off: It's a free country, she's an adult and phooey to anyone who judges her for what she does. Indeed, Theodora woos infamy, summoning one outrage after another. But, to her disappointment, beneath his supposedly freethinking facade, Michael is as soft and repressed as she was. Michael is ensnared in a hateful marriage on behalf of his father's political livelihood, and Theodora guarantees to return his favor with a taste of his own juice. Usurping into Michael's apartment, she dresses in feathers and gives shocking interviews to the tabloids. They rotate. Now it's Theodora's task to free him from his bourgeois sense of decorum.

Regardless, all that good stuff is just decoration. Actually, it's foundation, but there is a definite, sublime enchantment in its star, Irene Dunne. She played more kinds of roles in more kinds of movies than most of her female peers, and yet is arguably more natural, spontaneous and memorable than any of them. In fact, Theodora Goes Wild is her first comedy. She walks right into it, fully and effortlessly possessed of herself and manages to both be better than all of her female comedy contemporaries and completely different from all of them as well. I'll even go as far as to say that the movies owe more to Dunne than Claudette Colbert, Carole Lombard and Myrna Loy put together. Her Theodora became the forerunner of copious romantic comedies like The Awful Truth and Ninotchka, all anchored in similar principles: the enchanting transformation of their female protagonists. The Awful Truth made a star out of Cary Grant. And in his later co-stars, were looking for Dunne-like qualities. This is her show, and like it always is in such cases, absolutely no one else could've compared.

I'm not sure how Theodora Goes Wild would be viewed today because of changing demographics. Some of those small New England towns like Lynnfield are not bastions of conservatism any longer. Today the home of a well known author like Irene Dunne would be a tourist attraction.

But back in the Thirties, this still was the New England of Calvin Coolidge and descendants of the town founder just don't go writing romance novels. But that's what Irene Dunne is doing only its under a pseudonym, lest the good people of Lynnfield make life uncomfortable for herself and her two maiden aunts.

Irene's cover will be blown though when she meets her illustrator at her publisher. Melvyn Douglas is quite smitten with her and he follows her back to Lynnfield from New York and persuades her that she ought to live life a little and not just vicariously through her novels.

Dunne takes his advice with a vengeance after he's thoroughly embarrassed her. But when Theodora Lynn does go wild she takes no prisoners. Coming out in public under her pseudonym of Caroline Adams, Dunne gets fame and notoriety confused. Today she would be big time tabloid fodder and pays Douglas back in a way he can only blame on himself.

It's charming pair of leads with a delightful supporting cast that play their roles to perfection. A particular favorite of mine is publisher Thurston Hall who gets to do a drunk scene with Dunne, something the very proper Mr. Hall didn't often do.

Irene Dunne got one of her five Oscar nominations for playing Theodora Lynn aka Caroline Adams, but lost in the big sweepstakes to Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld.

I'm not sure how you could do Theodora Goes Wild today though. I can see the town billboard on the Massachusetts Turnpike: Welcome to Lynnfield, Home of Caroline Adams.

This is one of my favorite screwball comedies -- a very smart movie with a sharp screenplay that never lags. In the same subversive spirit as Miracle of Morgan's Creek (another favorite film) - and builds to a similar stunning, hilarious, code-breaking climax. The script is beautifully structured and the performances are all terrific -- it's Irene Dunne's best film, and Elizabeth Risdon is wonderful in a smaller role as the aunt. Very underrated, don't miss it (check out James Harvey's insights on the film in his marvelous book, "Romantic Comedy").

Irene Dunne plays Theodora, a straight-laced young woman living with her two spinster aunts in a prudish small town, who just happens to be the secret author of a scandalous and best-selling series of romance novels. When the illustrator for her books, played by the always engaging Melvyn Douglas, figures out her secret, he blackmails her into giving him a job as gardener just so he can be close to her. When the town's gossip mongers become too much to bear, and Douglas takes off after her declaration of love, Theodora decides she's tired of being straight-laced and goes wild.

Dunne and Douglas have a lot of chemistry in this, and even if the movie overall doesn't make much sense (what screwball romance ever did?), the two of them keep it fun and energetic. I'm not sure Dunne's performance warranted the Oscar nomination she received, and I don't know what in the world the Academy was thinking to nominate the movie for its editing, but it's a solid comedy from the old days.

Grade: B+

Theodora Goes Wild is perhaps the greatest sleeper in film history. When other comedies such as Midnight, Lady Eve, It Happened One Night, and especially the over-rated Bringing Up Baby are touted with 4 star ratings, this relatively unknown gem sweeps them all away in its irresistible path. One of the finest comedies ever filmed, this is a masterpiece in every way. The direction is superb, the writing sparkles with a wit that time has not dimmed. But the frosting on its cake is the comic genius of Irene Dunne, one of Hollywood's most underrated actresses. This, her first real comedy, is an object lesson to any aspiring comedienne, so perfect is her timing and delivery of virtually every line. This film should be studied by every student in the field of film and enjoyed by countless others who have never even heard of it. It's too bad that Irene Dunne is not given the credit she truly deserves. My bet is that in 50 years she will be considered perhaps the finest Hollywood actress of her time. If you think I'm joking, just watch her in Back Street, Love Affair (much better in my opinion than its more popular remake Affair To Remember), Show Boat, I Remember Mama, this film, The Awful Truth, A Guy Named Joe, Anna and The King of Siam, Life With Father, Ann Vickers........

As a fan of Irene Dunne's, and not having managed to catch up with Theodora Goes Wild, I was looking forward to finally getting to see this movie after having read the lavish praise heaped on it on this site. Having said that, I have to admit that while, yes, it was amusing, it was very much of a one-note idea that was stretched very thin. Dunne, as always, was at the top of her form and her talents in all departments were very much on display. What did let the movie down was a weak script and an irritatingly hammy performance by the usually reliable Melvyn Douglas. One only has to look at Ninotchka to see how good he can be when his comedy acting has a serious side to it. His character in Theodora Goes Wild was just too silly to be believable. The smalltown sequences were charming in their way but after a while became tedious with repetition. Thomas Mitchell's scenes (as editor of the local newspaper) were rip-roaring first class, which made one want for more. Would I recommend this movie? Yes, if you're a fan of Irene Dunne's and want to watch her comedic talents at work. Several postings on this site have recommended The Awful Truth as a must-see. Well, yes, if you're a Dunne fan but here again there are moments when the script sags and both Dunne and Cary Grant, both consummate professionals, are skating on very thin ice, pulling the movie onward through sheer force of personality. If you really want to see Irene Dunne at her very, very best then you should catch her in the much better written My Favorite Wife, or Love Affair, both infinitely superior to their later remakes. In these two movies her talents REALLY soar!

The first time I ever saw this was my introduction to Irene Dunne. She is one of the greatest actresses in the history of American movies and never better than she is here. ("The Awful Truth" is virtually flawless and she may be more polished in it. But she is a true revelation here.) The story involves hypocrisy, puncturing it, overcoming inhibitions, being decent in a true sense rather than according to a pre-prepared code.

Dunne is a rather frumpy woman from a small town who has written a scandalous novel under a pseudonym. She sneaks off to her publisher in Manhattan, with a visit to her reprobate uncle, now and again. And this time she is swept off her feet by Melvyn Douglas (a little too madcap initially.) She sheds her alias after he's come to her town to woo her. She returns to New York, only to find him as stuffy as her elderly aunts and their friends. (These ladies are portrayed delightfully by actresses including Spring Byington and Elizabeth Risdon.) She really does go wild -- not just dumping her modest clothes for feathers and chic hats but turning up at all the best parties. And embarrassing people who have presented themselves as liberated.

Dunne was not a beautiful woman. Sometimes she looked pretty and sometimes not really even too pretty, though she wore clothes well. But she was an extraordinary film actress. Her range was broad and her hits included many women's pictures, several comedies (including "Joy of Living," dismal through no fault of her own.) And she played Magnolia in my favorite of all movie musicals: "Showboat," which came out this same year.

With this movie, Irene Dunne stepped out as a more than capable screen comedienne which persona bore further fruit for her in ensuing years, particularly when she was paired with Cary Grant in two rollicking screwball comedies "My Favourite Wife" and "The Awful Truth". Here, you can see her loosening up for these parts as the staid small town niece living with her two spinster aunts who dutifully does the tea-making duties for the town's literary society and plays the piano at Sunday school. What the townsfolk don't know is that Dunne, under a pseudonym, has penned a racy "Fifty Shades"-type novel which has become a scandalous best-seller and drummed up media interest in its mysterious author's identity and background.

Then along comes romantic interest Melvyn Douglas, the well-connected lieutenant-governor's son, who photobombs Dunne's little world, unconventionally romancing and eventually scandalising her into declaring her love for him, only for him to promptly desert her as skeletons reveal themselves in his own closet. That's when Theodora promptly goes wild as she turns the tables on Douglas by going public with her identity, courting publicity everywhere she goes as she attempts to shame Douglas out into the open and into her arms.

It's nicely played and capably directed if lacking a little of the fire that makes for the very best screwball classics. The clash of the censorious women of the town's literary society, headed by the waspish but hypocritical Spring Byington and the rebellious editor of the local newspaper, Thomas Mitchell, is entertainingly played out and Dunne's later gate-crashing of the State Governor's ball to box Douglas into a corner as he did her makes for an entertaining "turnabout is fair play" conclusion. You do wonder at times though if Douglas's character, an irritatingly persistent whistler who then refuses to break up his own loveless marriage just to protect his father's political reputation, is actually worthy of Dunne's attention.

A nice, fun movie which probably just needed an infusion of Sturges or Hawks-type fire, Hecht or Wilder-esque rapid-fire dialogue and maybe a more likeable rogue like say Grant or William Powell than Douglas to really make it fly but Dunne is well worth watching in the lead and the film mostly delivers on it its scatty, carefree brief, if it could only have been a little wilder.

I didn't care for the first 1/3 of the film. To me the bright spot in the beginning was the newspaper publisher who gave the film needed energy. Then Melvyn Douglas' pursuit of Irene Dunne might have seemed charming in a different era, but it rankled me.

The picture picked up steam as it went along. The banter and screwball table turning was fun. Weaknesses of both small town and big city life were touched on, but the picture was never mean-spirited.

As one writer noted, it's very much like Miracle at Morgan Creek. Both have appealing, enthusiastic performances. Thomas Mitchell, Irene Dunne, and Melvyn Douglas all do a great job. It may not rank up there with 20th Century or the best of Preston Sturges, but it is definitely above average.

This film surprised me with how well produced it was and what a great comedy it turned out to be. Irene Dunne, (Theodora Lynn) played the role of a small town gal living in Lynnfield where everyone was very religious and lived life straight as an arrow. One day the newspaper man in Lynnfield, Jed Waterbury, (Thomas Mitchell) posted a notice of a new book that he was going to feature in his daily newspaper called, "Sinner" by Adams. The people in town were outraged, however, they liked reading the articles in the paper and soon the people decided to tell Jed Waterbury to remove the book and the feature in his paper. It just so happens that the author of this book comes from Lynnfield and no one would ever expect just who it could be. Melvyn Douglas plays the role as Michael Grant who is linked romantically with Theodora and he gave a great supporting role. This is lots of fun to watch and enjoy this great classic from 1936.

Witty? Hardly. Hilarious? Never. Perhaps with a director like Preston Sturges this would have worked.

Phrases like "dull as dishwater" or "Is this fine mess supposed to be a rip-roaring screwball comedy?" would be more apt.

No, I'm decidedly not interested in seeing this one more than once. Even Spring Byington is not her usual chipper self in an annoying role as a town gossip. Thomas Mitchell manages to infuse some life in the opening half of the film, but even Mitchell, talented as he is, is stuck with a dull script that goes nowhere fast.

And as for IRENE DUNNE and MELVYN DOUGLAS, while I agree that they both have credentials galore in smart screwball comedies, this is not one of them. Neither one is at their best here, plodding through a limp comedy that has not worn well at all. A few smart witticisms would have helped but the script is a painfully dull affair about a novelist smothered by the hypocrisy of living in a small town where the latest best-seller is causing a stir--and happens to have been written by her. It may have sounded good on paper, but as executed here, it doesn't work.

Nothing can save this from sinking not long after the painful opening depicting the town gossips and then hammering home the point that they are all well overdue for a comeuppance from somebody! At least the ending gets some credit for showing a bit of daring in its comic twist, but other than that, it is hard to recommend this as a screwball comedy to anyone familiar with the genre. Somewhere, something went very wrong.

And how Irene Dunne got an Oscar nomination for this bit of trivia is a puzzlement. She is nowhere as smooth and proficient at comedy here as she was in MY FAVORITE WIFE.

I've seen this movie many times, and it just keeps getting funnier every time I see it. It reminds me a lot of myself, growing up in a small town like "Lynnfield", and being brought up to think and act the way Theodora was. Then when I moved away from home, some people thought I went "wild!" This has all the qualities for people who can relate to small towns, even with the "worst town gossip" to make you wonder what's going to be spread next... For a fact, this movie is a lot like Irene Dunne's life, actually her friends said they liked her best in this movie, because it is most like her in character. If you come from a small town, it's a classic film you can kinda relate to...and just have to see!

All hell breaks loose when a woman in a small, conservative New England town writes a steamy best-seller under a pseudonym. Although described as such, it is not really a screwball comedy. The comic potential of the premise is never fully mined, but it is entertaining enough, thanks to the appeal and chemistry of the two stars. Although she had previously eschewed comedies, Dunne shows herself to be a deft comedienne and would go on to have more success in the genre. Douglas is charming as usual as a book illustrator who threatens to expose her secret while harboring a secret of his own. Sadly, Boleslawski directed only one more film after this before his untimely death at 47.

I'm not a fan of Irene Dunne because - much like with Katharine Hepburn - she has these affectations in her acting style that you either love or can't stand. To me, she usually seems like she's hoity-toitily overacting.

As this movie began, I was pleasantly surprised by Dunne because she was playing a repressed small-town woman and thus didn't produce any of the grand gestures that are typical of her. Those come later (unfortunately), when she "Goes Wild," so to speak. I suppose the flashy role is why she got an Oscar nomination.

It's a unique story that plays out unpredictably, and that made it watchable, even if I didn't quite buy the relationship between Dunne and Melvyn Douglas, and found their characters kinda off-putting.

Starts slow and looks predictable: a repressed girl is trapped in her dreary life in a starchy WASPy small town surrounded by small-minded bigots and a big city playboy is going to romance her and melt her and liberate her etc etc and there will some good laughts along the way.

Ho hum.

But wait! It's not that simple!

And we'll leave it there so as not to spoil it.

Dunne and Douglas have great chemistry and the supporting cast is excellent.

(Actually, this starts out feeling a whole lot like _Ninotchka_, where you have stone-faced heroine being courted by Douglas the smart-aleck Parisian playboy.)

This movie is a hidden gem.

Probably because only true movie lovers even recognize the names of the two stars and the writers and directors. That is just the way it goes today.

I had heard about this movie for years, but only saw it tonight. The wait was my loss.

To begin with, it stars two of the undeservedly forgotten luminaries of the movie industry: Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas.

But more important is the content of this movie. It is all about small-minded bigotry in small-minded Americans. Given its time - the 1930s - that small-mindedness is linked to living in a small town. Unfortunately, today location has nothing to do with it: there are small-minded Americans in our biggest cities and our suburbs. But the movie has lost none of its relevance. It is very definitely a movie that calls out for a modern remake. Hollywood doesn't make movies like this anymore, and in this case, that is a loss for all of us.

A repressed young woman turns into a publicity-seeking wild child after falling for the illustrator who worked on the lurid best-seller she wrote. A fun little comedy that repeatedly goes in unexpected directions before arriving at a predictable conclusion. It was Dunne's first comedy, apparently, and she proves herself an adept comedienne with whom Melvyn Douglas struggles to compete.

Irene Dunne had been in Hollywood six years and made 20 feature films before this, her first crack at comedy. And what a success it was, and is. "Theodora Goes Wild" is a wacky comedy-romance that introduced the comedic talents of Irene Dunne to audiences. The super talented (wonderful musical voice, and dancer) Dunne continued to make a variety of films – drama, romance, musicals, mystery, war, Westerns, most of which were big hits. But none could top the comedies she would yet make. Dunne is one of the great actresses of Hollywood who never won an Oscar, though she was nominated four times.

Dunne was one of the three best comediennes from Hollywood's golden age. The other two were Jean Arthur and Carole Lombard. There were some other very good female comedy performers (Myrna Loy, Claudette Colbert, etc.) but the top three were in a level above all others. They were the masters of one-liners themselves, quick quips, snappy dialog, clever witticisms and above all else, tremendous facial expressions. By their knowing glances, pursing of the lips, biting a lip, looking askance, raising eyebrows, frowning, puzzling looks, and any number of faces they could clearly broadcast the humor of a scene. They were the best at it, where many other fine female comedians were in more serious or straight-faced or blasé comedic roles.

"Theodora Goes Wild" is a hilarious film of give and take. First, it's the male, Michael Grant, who is the purveyor and Theodora Lynn who is the victim. But she turns the tables and the comedy ratchets up a couple of notches. Dunne plays Theodora and Melvyn Douglas is Michael Grant. A wonderful supporting cast includes Spring Byington as Rebecca Perry, Thomas Mitchell as Jed Waterbury, Robert Greig as Uncle John, Thurston Hall as Arthur Stevenson, Nana Bryant as his wife Ethel, Elisabeth Risdon as Aunt Mary and Margaret McWade as Aunt Elsie.

This is a superb comedy to add to any film library. Here are some sample lines from the movie. For more funny dialog, see the Quotes section here on this film's IMDb Web page.

Michael, "Say, this place is crawling with aunts."

Ethel Stevenson, "That adorable young thing is an unholy terror on wheels. There's nothing in the world more deadly than innocence on the manhunt."

Jed, "I guess I know a righteous spanking when I get one."

Agnes, "You know, this woman's really out to break up our marriage, Michael. Maybe you and I will root for her."

Theodora Lynn (Irene Dunne) is a prim and proper Sunday school teacher raised by her two prim and proper aunts. All the ladies in town are up in arms when the local paper starts publishing excerpts from a scandalous book written by Caroline Adams. Nobody knows Theodora's secret. She's Caroline Adams. Only her publisher knows and she would like to keep it that way. Nosy cover artist Michael Grant (Melvyn Douglas) overhears them and starts pursuing her.

He's a little too pushy, a little too stalker. It's a different time and different sensibilities. A guy can get away with some caddish behavior back then. It's meant to be fun. The coupling works better with that in mind. It's a fun rom-com. Irene Dunne is terrific. Douglas is able to play it with lightness. All in all, this is a fun comedy and a nice pair.

I have tried to watch this film twice with the identical outcome: I turned it off before it ended. I should add I am a devoted fan of Irene Dunne and slightly less so of Melvyn Douglas but I can't see how these two professionals could have stomached this drivel. It's supposed to be a comedy but there's really nothing funny about it and nobody comes off well. The Lynnfield residents are portrayed as provincial and small-minded while the New Yorkers are portrayed as pushy and inconsiderate alcoholics. Melvyn Douglas is at his most annoying here. There's nothing to redeem him. His character throws himself at Irene Dunne's character and when she flees in terror his reaction is to grin, no leer, as he watches her flight. The only character I found likable was Thomas Mitchell's newspaperman whose attempt to open his fellow citizens' minds is the departure point for this exercise in aggravation. Watch at your own risk.