The Perfect Specimen

The Perfect Specimen (Michael Curtiz, 1937) is a fun Warner Bros comedy, with Errol Flynn cast against type as the eponymous figure: a sheltered heir to a small fortune, imprisoned within the ivory towers of his grandmother's estate. One day sassy chick Joan Blondell smashes through the fence and drives off with his heart. Not literally, of course, that wouldn't play so well to a mainstream audience. The film is episodic and slight, but unapologetically so, with some amusing set pieces that include Flynn's roadside punch up with hopeless pugilist Allen Jenkins. The ever-likable Jenkins (later the voice of Top Cat's Officer Dibble) is just one of a heap of well-known character actors turning up here, along with Hugh Herbert, May Robson, Harry Davenport and Edward Everett Horton – stealing the film hands down as a pathetically subservient, nervy personal secretary. There's the odd concession to high culture, with a recurring reference to Cervantes' Don Quixote, but mostly this is standard screwball stuff, utilising the considerable charm of its impressive cast.

From director Michael Curtiz that uses the Warner Brothers stock company of contract players to great effect.

Wealthy and domineering Leona Wicks (May Robson) runs a tyrannical household, and nothing is more important to her than her grandson and heir Gerald (Errol Flynn). He's been raised in seclusion on her palatial estate and tutored in every subject imaginable since infancy in order to make him into "the perfect specimen", a man more than capable of taking over the family's interest when the time comes. However, his sheltered upbringing has made him bored and restless, and when the beautiful Mona Carter (Joan Blondell) comes literally crashing through the gate, he takes her advice to journey out into the world and see what's out there, an odyssey they take together which leads to love, naturally.

Flynn and Blondell make a great couple, with his easy physical grace and put-on naivete meshing well with Blondell's earthy sense and beauty. I also liked Jenkins and Moore as another that they literally bump into and form an unlikely friendship with. The movie lost a point or two from me, though, as soon as Hugh Herbert showed up and started to be "funny". Robson is good at playing cantankerous old ladies, but she nearly crosses the line from humorous to insufferable. Still, this was a very fun comedy, one that should be better known, and one that could easily be remade to some success in any era.

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.

A very light hearted fun movie . I enjoyed Flynn's performance . He should have done more comedy , ala Cary Grant , he was very good at it . I really think that someone should put it on video for other's enjoyment . There are a lot of Errol Flynn fans out there and I know many of them would like to be able to see this comedy again .

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.