In Person

This simple rom-com has to do with a popular actress, Carol Corliss (Ginger Rogers), who has been traumatized by overworking and an unruly mob, and so goes out in public in disguise. Her psychiatrist is trying to overcome her agoraphobia by gradually exposing her to the outside world. When she meets Emory Muir (George Brent) by happenstance, and overhears that he is taking a vacation at a remote cabin, she asks him to take her along. He agrees, not knowing of her stardom.

When they get to the cabin, he treats her indifferently, even when he discovers her true identity. Though she resists at first, she falls into a domesticity, obviously concerned about his feelings toward her. The romance hinges on believing that there is a spark between them, but there is little heat on the screen. Later, when they return to "civilization", they are forced to confront their feelings.

Ginger sings three songs and dances within the context of her stardom, but the core of the film is her portrayal of the non-star, when she uses the pseudonym Clara Colfax. There is a wackiness to the storyline that suggests screwball, but it never really rises to that level.

For my money, the best part of the film is her final song and dance, which is part of a film within the film. And it's not even a great song. There is the glamour that she exudes with virtually every film with Astaire.

As for George Brent, his character deprives him of any real chance to be adorable or dashing. He does a fine job, but one wonders how much difference it would make if the role were in the hands of someone like Astaire or even Jack Carson.

George Brent is imported from Warner Brothers to co-star with Ginger Rogers in In Person. Ginger is a movie star who is craving a little peace and quiet away from her adoring public. She gets that, but she also gets psychologist Brent along for the ride. All without her knowing of course. She just thinks of Brent as a he man outdoors type and he pretends he doesn't know she's a big movie star.

Ginger has some good scenes learning how to rough it in the woods, but the film overall is rather silly. The best thing it has going for it are some musical numbers for her in it without Fred Astaire. Alan Mowbray as her leading man and a stuffed shirt to boot stands out in the supporting cast.

Ginger's legion of fans should like this.

The film is just a great escape for the viewer. I love watching Ginger act the part of a spoiled rich movie star-considering she seemed to be very down to earth in her every day life. The costume was so un-movie star like but Ginger shows that she is just more than a pretty face by pulling off that stunt ! She has just a divine comedic touch and this early film of hers illustrates that.

Brent is so-so...he wasn't bad he wasn't fantastic either.

Ginger's co-star and supposed love interest in the film is funny and brings some more hijinks to her vacation.

There is a scene where he is to be involved in an altercation with Brent's character--it's priceless.

I have three fave moments in this film. The first is when Ginger wakes up in the cottage the morning after she gets there ... she sees a bird and decides to take a swim . Something about that scene is so relaxing and carefree.

The second is when she is doing her solo dance scene towards the end of the film. You finally get to see this woman get the limelight doing her own routine instead of sharing it with Astaire ( who was wonderful by the way ).

I can't leave out the third scene which has her dancing to a song on the radio in the cottage living room.

This is a really nice early Ginger movie which all Ginger fans should watch. It is quite a treat.

Thanks Ginger xoxo

Made between TOP HAT and FOLLOW THE FLEET, Ginger Rogers gives a performance far superior to the material of IN PERSON, a comedy/musical with a lame script and three fine songs composed by Oscar Levant and Dorothy Fields, two of them featuring sprightly dances from Ginger. Rogers plays a famous movie actress trying to recover from an attack of agoraphobia. Somehow she winds up at a cabin retreat with George Brent, himself more animated than usual, as he pretends not to know who she is, which apparently is meant to be some sort of a treatment for her mental problem. Most notable is Ginger's disguise, which features the inevitable glasses along with a dark wig and fake teeth. I, at least, found her quite unrecognizable thanks to those teeth, and Ginger does act like an entirely other person in posture and mannerism and even with a subtly different voice. It's a very fine performance.

Unfortunately there's nothing very funny about these scenes. Indeed, other characters treat her quite rudely, reacting to her looks as if she were the Elephant Man or something. Once up at the cabin the plot progresses like a mild I LOVE LUCY episode with the exception of the three musical interludes: 'A New Lease On Life' is a clever, light song accompanied by a clever, cute tap dance, one that might be easily compared with Astaire's 'Needle in a Haystack' routine from THE GAY DIVORCEE. Later Ginger sings 'Don't Mention Love To Me' in a 'movie within a movie' scene, not the sort of number that suited her voice. Finally we get 'Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind' complete with a full male chorus. This one is shot as a film being made on the RKO lot, and the movie will end in Ginger Roger's actual dressing room. The song, dance and setting are much more interesting than the plot twists, silly even by screwball standards and not nearly so funny as the good screwball efforts of the era.

IN PERSON turned a decent profit, probably due to Ginger Rogers' popularity more than anything. It was her first solo billing above the title, and if she wasn't already RKO's most popular star, she soon would be.

The funniest thing about this movie is Ginger Rogers' disguise: buck teeth and glasses, reminding me of Jerry Lewis in The Nutty Professor (1963). She's a famous actress who got a bad case of agoraphobia when she was mobbed by adoring fans. To get away, she practically invites herself to go with George Brent to a mountain cabin retreat after she overhears that he was going there. Once there the comedy is predictable and routine. You do get to hear Rogers sing three songs and do a neat tap dance, all very enjoyable, but not enough to make up for the flat script.