So This Is New York

Filmed in B&W. I saw this movie while I was still in my teens in 1948. It remains in my memory as one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It used some clever techniques for the time, such as "stop action" with voice-over commentary. The movie chronicles the mis-adventures of a man who is dragged to NY, unwillingly, by his wife and her sister, who have delusions of grandeur. It is set in the late 1920s or early 1930s. They are taken advantage of by three broadly-drawn characters, played by Jerome Cowan (a con man), Leo Gorcey (a jockey), and Rudy Vallee (a rich, but flawed, man). I laugh again just thinking about it. I don't know that it has ever been shown on television, but it should be.

Radio humorist Henry Morgan probably best known today as one of the panelists from I've Got A Secret produced and starred in this independent film released from United Artists, So This Is New York. For a film about Ne York it sure looked like Morgan didn't do much shooting there i any.

Based on a Ring Lardner story the plot takes place post World War I as the returning doughboy Morgan has found he's got a windfall. The wife has always wanted to go to New York so Morgan, Virginia Grey, and Dona Drake their daughter head for the Big Apple.

Where in this episodic film they encounter all sorts of New York type folks. And the supporting cast is loaded with familiar character players. Can you get more New York than Leo Gorcey, a jockey not so on the up and up?

My favorite was Bill Goodwin playing a vaudeville comedian who rooks these country folks out of their money to produce a bad play. The scenes with Goodwin and Drake in this bad play with Drake's fake bad acting are the best.

Morgan was never quite able to translate his radio popularity to the screen. The film has some good moments, but they're in fits and starts.

Still it's an interesting view of New York circa 1919 as seen from 1948.

When sisters Virginia Grey and Dona Drake inherit $60,000, they drag Virginia's husband Henry Morgan from his comfortable life in South Bend, Indiana to Manhattan to find Dona a wealthy husband.

Set during the 1920s, this seems a bit heavy-handed satire, with Henry Morgan's constant ironic commentary inappropriate for a movie -- although given his popularity on radio, that was undoubtedly thought an asset. The movie is based on a novel by Ring Lardner, produced by Stanley Kramer, and Carl Foreman did the screenplay. Richard Fleischer directed; this might seem an odd choice, considering he was about to make his reputation with a series of film noir. However, he was coming off the FLICKER FLASHBACK series, in which they took a silent short, projected it at the wrong speed, and made funny comments. The fourth segment, in which the sisters sink all their money into a play, looks like one of those with Morgan's voice over.

This was undoubtedly conceived as one of the nostalgic movies that were popular in the era. With its sardonic viewpoint and heavy-handed humor, it didn't do the talent any good. Morgan's screen career never took off, although he continued to do well on radio and would move comfortably into television. Kramer, Foreman and Fleischer would also eschew comedy, to their profit.

Mr. And Mrs Finch (Henry Morgan* and Virginia Grey) live in small South Bend, Indiana and Mr. Finch thinks life is grand. After all, the wife recently received a modest inheritance and WWI just ended. However, the missus and her sister are NOT happy and shethe wife announces that they are moving to New York City...and poor Mr. Finch doesn't seem to have any choice! However, he hates the notion of moving and the film is shown from his viewpoint...and nearly everything in the big city annoys or disappoints him. Are the Finches destined to remain in New York or will Mr. Finch be right...it's NOT a great place for anyone to live...especially the Finches.

In many ways, this comedy's plot is like the very serious drama "Dodsworth". Both are about men who are reluctant to leave home but despite this agree to a move in order to make the pretentious family happy....and with unintended consequences. Of course, "Dodsworth" is a classic and "So This is New York" isn't...it's more a low-budget comedy.

So is this film any good? Well, it flopped at the box office...so at least folks back in 1948 didn't think so. When seen today, the story isn't bad but it suffers from being overlong (I think it would have been better at B-movie length...about 60-65 minutes) and a few of the laughs were tired and annoying...especially Rudy Vallee's howling at the race track as well as the many demands of Mrs. Finch. As a result, it's a watchable film but certainly not one to rush to see.

*It's easy to mix up this Henry Morgan with Harry Morgan (of "MASH" and "Dragnet" fame). This is because Harry's real first name was Henry and he changed it because folks kept mixing him up with the other Henry Morgan.

A funny funny film! Definitely a "missing" gem. The play performed within the film ("Bridget Sees a Ghost") makes "Springtime for Hitler" look like Shakespeare! Morgan's voice overs are marvelous and the use of Rossini's "Barber of Seville Overture" to punctuate the closing moments of each act is masterful. Clever and innovative in its photography with outstanding performances by Henry Morgan and Leo Gorcey. The rest of the cast certainly holds its own in this lunatic story about a family's visit to New York City. This should definitely be released on DVD. It was shown on television years ago, but seems to have vanished from the airwaves. Definitely worth watching - if it ever reappears.