The Amazing Adventure

This is an obviously low-budget film from Cary Grant. It seems that most of the stars of the 1940s did a few cheap-o independent films during the 1930s (Bogart and Cagney did a few that I recently reviewed). However, what sets this film apart is that despite its poor quality at times, it's a surprisingly watchable. So, if you ignore one or two flat performances by supporting cast members and sets that are not exactly MGM quality, you'll be rewarded with a decent film. Yes, I'll admit that the plot is just a little bit silly, but because of its charm and brisk pace, it satisfies. Cary plays a rich and lazy guy who finds himself bored with life. When he goes to the doctor, the doc tells him to stop sniveling about his life and DO something productive--get a job and stop being a self-indulgent jerk. Cary takes this as a challenge and decides to make himself over--all for the better. About the only strong negative I felt is that the girl that Cary is destined to marry in the film just seems awfully immature and stupid at the end of the film--I wanted him to find someone better!

Cary Grant had a tough young life in Bristol so maybe some of this films story reminded him. Pity the version I saw was not the full 80 minutes it would have been better to judge rather than this 61 minute version which seems a bit rushed at the end when regrettably Mary Brian forgot her English accent and it became a bit 'stagy' - a pity because the supporting actors did a good job I thought. Cary Grant was capable of good dramatic rolls though rarely got them and in this film he wasn't able to show his ability enough. I'm glad; however this film was made in England rather than America as it did add something to the authenticity of the few exteriors and general atmosphere of the story.

This has a worthwhile story idea, plus Cary Grant in one of his earlier starring roles, and it has some good scenes. There are a number of other, better movies made in the 1930s that were based on similar ideas, but this one is a solid feature. The main thing that keeps it from being better is that the story and script do not always make the best use of their opportunities. As a result, there are some sequences that take up screen time that could have been used for something better, while some potentially fine moments are under-emphasized.

Grant plays a wealthy young man who has become jaded and spoiled by the company of other well-to-do idlers, and who sets out on a challenge to learn how to work for a living. This setup lends itself to a lot of good material, and the best moments are Grant's interactions with other everyday persons who don't know who he is.

Within a very short time after this was filmed, Grant became one of the best actors around at handling this kind of material, and he was then able to make this kind of story work even when it wasn't particularly well-written. Here, there are a number of times when his developing flair shows through, but he wasn't quite experienced enough yet to carry the whole load, so there are some sequences that lack the spark that they needed in order to keep moving. It makes the movie somewhat uneven, still worth seeing if you like the era and genre, but otherwise unremarkable.

It's no "North by Northwest", that's for sure. However, it's a sweet enough little movie, which plays out just as you expect it to from the very beginning. And it's interesting to watch Grant in a sort of larval state. I read a quote of his that said something to the effect that he eventually became Cary Grant after playing him in the movies, and you can see a little of these later roles in his performance here.

The Amazing Adventure (1936)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Ernest Bliss (Cary Grant) is a millionaire whose doctor says any ill-health would be because he's a spoiled person who doesn't know what hard work is. The doctor then makes a bet with Bliss that he wouldn't be able to live without his inheritance, which Bliss disagrees with. Soon the once millionaire is starting from scratch and trying to live like an average man for one year.

After several years in Hollywood, Grant returned to Britian where he made this film, which was originally released under the title of THE AMAZING QUEST OF ERNEST BLISS. Grant would return to Hollywood where he's start some of the most famous films of his career. However, when this film finally hit America, it did so under the title THE AMAZING ADVENTURE and its original 81-minute running time was cut down to just 61-minutes, which is the version reviewed here.

During this era there were quite a few movies that were about rich brats who took bets to live like your average poor man. The story certainly wasn't anything fresh or original and overall the quality of this movie isn't the greatest but if you're a fan of Grant then it's certainly worth watching especially since he turns in such a good and fun performance.

I thought he was extremely believable int he role of this rich man who finally and quickly sees how hard the working man has it. Grant brought the class to the role that you'd expect and he also handles the more charming moments perfectly and especially at the end. Mary Brian plays the love interest and she too is good in her role, although it certainly wasn't the best written in the film.

I'm not sure what's missing or whether or not it improved the film or not. With that said, the direction isn't the greatest and the film doesn't have much style going for it. What it does have is a charming story and the wonderful performance by Grant, which makes it worth watching to his fans.