The Perfect Specimen

Gerald Wicks is being groomed by his dictatorial millionaire grandmother to be a responsible pater familias in total seclusion from the world, "a lily in a hothouse", he calls it. Then one day Mona, a tough-as-nails female reporter, comes crashing through the gates and before long Gerald takes off on his own to seek out his newfound friend and they set out to explore life together.

Admittedly, this is a very small film, and one that doesn't quite know how to hold itself together. The script is filled with loose ends and blind alleys, and a lot of the dialogue must have seemed dated even in 1937. Having said that, this movie boasts Joan Blondell and a very young Errol Flynn, and their easy banter is delightful. She never photographed this well ever again, and Flynn ... well, suffice it to say that the director makes the most of all his chances to have his strapping young star-to-be stripped to the waist, beefcake galore!

AND the movie has a handful of wonderfully quirky bit parts, not many of them exactly organically interwoven in the whole, but they are never less than entertaining.

I find most of Errol Flynn's minor films, well...minor. But this one is an exception. The premise seems one-joke gimmicky: Flynn has been raised by his grandmother to be perfect in every way, except that he lacks any experience of life, being kept a prisoner on her estate until Joan Blondell breaks through the fence surrounding the estate with her car, (a recurring, unsubtle motif). She convinces him to escape and see what life is like and he eventually does so, leading to a series of amusing misadventures reminiscent of 'It Happened One Night'. As reviewer 'SimonJack' points out, both films are based on magazine article by the same author, Samuel Hopkins Adams. If felt this to be as good but the I've always felt that 'it Happened' was a little over-rated, at least by the Oscars. Both films are amiable and fun and worth watching.

Flynn does a good job of playing the good-natured innocent. The flimsy premise comes not to even matter that much as he becomes just a guy trying to become independent from his grandmother and who has fallen for Blondell. This is one of Joan's best roles. In other films I've seen, she's the wise-cracking girlfriend of the hero or heroine. Here she's a romantic lead not at all dependent on zingers. The emotions of a woman falling in love but unsure she wants to join that family play well over her face. The film is full of Warner's wonderful character actors who, as a group, probably contributed as much to their films as their stars did.

The Perfect Specimen marked Errol Flynn's first foray into comedy and while amusing in spots does not work as well as Four's A Crowd or Footsteps In The Dark. In fact the film almost borders on the weird.

This film is a strange combination of Mr. Deeds Goes To Town and Being There. Errol Flynn has been raised by his tyrannical old grandmother May Robson on the confines of their vast estate which bears some resemblance to stately Wayne Manor. He's been raised like a hot house geranium, given the best education the world could offer, but has not had any human contact.

The premise isn't as strange as it sounds because after the Lindbergh kidnapping there was concern in the ranks of the rich and famous throughout the land. May Robson seems to have anticipated this because she's raised the 20 something Flynn like this away from the world for years before.

Flynn like Sellers in Being There has stayed on the grounds all his life, but he's not autistic. Still certain facts of life have been omitted from his education and given Flynn's reputation which he hadn't achieved when The Perfect Specimen they make viewing of the film a bit strange. Not the fault of Warner Brothers, who knew in 1937 that Errol Flynn would become synonymous with sexual prowess.

Anyway the same way Jean Arthur another reporter came crashing in on Gary Cooper's life, so does reporter Joan Blondell on the estate where her brother happens to be a gardener. Tyrannical old May Robson has even got a suitable wife picked out in Beverly Roberts whose a cousin, but Beverly likes the gardener Dick Foran.

When Flynn decides to go out in the world he borrows Foran's car who tells no one. His absence causes a panic in Robson who launches a nationwide manhunt for Flynn. Meanwhile he and Blondell are having a great old time on the road where his education about nearly everything else but social relations comes in handy.

The Perfect Specimen also boasts such folks as Edward Everett Horton, Allen Jenkins, Hugh Herbert, and Harry Davenport all in roles that are suitable to their type. Just their mention conjures up certain images and they perform right to image. The Flynn and Blondell team however was never asked for a repeat performance, they never really quite mesh.

The Perfect Specimen is amusing in a few places, but Flynn and Blondell were better showcased in a lot better films.

This film might have its critics, but for me it's always a delight to see good-natured humour given a chance to shine in the hands of great actors. Errol Flynn was one of the most underrated comedians of any age. He was always prepared to send himself up as easily as anyone else and few others could have carried this film off especially playing opposite the crackerjack Joan Blondell. Add May Robson, Allen Jenkins and Edward Everett Horton and you've got a great little film that would make anyone forget about the world's woes for a hour or three. Not to be missed by any joker with a heart and most people without one. Give in to a bit of fun now and again and remember that life is all meat and potatoes.

Fortunately for us, Carole Lombard, Marion Hopkins, Miriam Hopkins and Olivia de Havilland all turned down this role opposite Errol Flynn. None of those could possibly be a tenth as endearing, as funny, as utterly lovely or as perfect as Joan Blondell. She indeed is the perfect specimen.

Comedy was neither Errol Flynn's or Michael Curtiz's natural home but Joan Blondell could make the silliest story come to life. This is indeed the silliest story but Joan's magic makes this work and almost believable. It doesn't need to be completely believable because for that hour and a half all these characters seem like people you can believe in. It's got such a cosy, cuddly warmth about it, you can't help but enjoy it. And apart from the heretics who don't accept that Joan Blondell was the world's sexiest, loveliest woman whose smile could turn your legs to jelly, you'll love the fact that she'd never been more sweet and gorgeous than in this.

Half way through however your heart sinks as Hugh Herbert shows up. For once however you needn't hurl your dinner at the screen or rip your eyes out in despair - he's actually quite amusing (yes, seriously!) You don't often see him alongside Warner's other irritant, Edward Everett Horton but this unlikely, unholy combination actually works.

Despite my peculiarly weird obsession with Joan Blondell, this is actually a pretty decent thirties comedy. There were an awful lot of awful ones - some, I have to admit starring my beloved herself - she certainly did some rubbish so I didn't just like this because of it's a Joan Blondell film. It's real charming, escapist fun. Errol Flynn, despite some reviews isn't too bad and is as likeable as always. It's not especially funny but it will make you happy.