Letter of Introduction

Watching Adolph Menjou, Andrea Leeds, and Eve Arden you might have thought you came in on some restored scenes from Stage Door. All three were in that classic and all three star in Letter Of Introduction.

Adolph Menjou is a John Barrymore type actor, once a great stage actor, but who lately has been doing a lot of mediocre films has returned to New York with an unknown future. Andrea Leeds has a Letter Of Introduction from her mother for him and Menjou discovers that despite being married our times and about to go for number five it's with the author of the letter with whom he has a daughter.

Who wants to be an actress. The rather arrogant Menjou discovers a tender side when he discovers fatherhood. His scenes with Leeds have some real poignancy to them. Menjou who could ham it up outrageously when called for is most subdued and effective here. The two keep the relationship a secret and it's rumored that Menjou snagged himself some new young quail. All rather disconcerting to George Murphy who Leeds has been seeing.

Both Murphy and Leeds live in a boardinghouse not unlike the one in Stage Door. Among the other residents are Eve Arden in an Eve Arden type part, Ann Sheridan, and Edgar Bergen&Charlie McCarthy&Mortimer Snerd. Bergen and his wooden alter egos supply the comedy.

No doubt John and Diana Barrymore saw Letter Of Introduction. Wonder what they thought? No matter what they thought the film is a good one.

An actor from a family with long and illustrious tradition of theaters (Shakespearean? it is mentioned his parents played Romeo and Juliet to packed houses for ages) has left theater and migrated to Hollywood. Now, in his fifties, trying desperately to hide his age, suddenly is introduced to his daughter, a struggling actress, in her twenties., around the age his latest fiancee, about to become his fourth wife.

The daughter wants his help in starting her career on stage, and he has to struggle to do it, without divulging the relationship, lest the Casanova's real age is known to public. Without the clarifications, gossip magazines have a field day, destroying the romances of both father and daughter.

This has too interesting to be a mere coincidence similarity with the great but equally tragic (alcohol curse) actor John Barrymore - of the revered Barrymore family (here the name is changed to Mannering family), and the daughter Diana (here Kay martin) is from first wife, instead of real-life second wife. This movie (1938) precedes what happened in real life - and the difference isn't too far. Diana, also beset with tragedy as her father, was estranged from John, and landed up in Broadway one year later, in 1939. John was married four times, here Mannering's just missed the fourth. The fourth wife, Elaine was 21, and he was 54 (in this movie, it was 22 and 52, not too far away). Even the last stage appearance of John has remarkable similarity with this - only that happened four years after this movie was released. One of the comments here talks of what Diana and John thought about it - it should be in fact other way - they didn't learn from it - and in fact followed what was depicted here.

As her New York apartment building burns, pretty Andrea Leeds (as Katherine "Kay" Martin) retrieves the important "Letter of Introduction" which confirms her parentage. Fellow resident ventriloquist Edgar Bergen (as Edgar Bergen) rescues companion Charlie McCarthy from a future as firewood. Neighborly George Murphy (as Barry Paige) helps Ms. Leeds out of the fire, and reveals he enjoyed peeping at her toil over her frying pan, with a watering mouth. Leeds enjoys kissing Mr. Murphy, but wants to concentrate on her aspiring stage career. Leeds brings her "Letter of Introduction" to Barrymore-like acting Adolphe Menjou (as John Mannering), who is her long-lost father. As his curtain closes, Mr. Menjou helps Leeds to Broadway. Not essential, but fun in its way.

****** Letter of Introduction (8/5/38) John M. Stahl ~ Adolphe Menjou, Andrea Leeds, Edgar Bergen, George Murphy

One of the oddest mixtures of drama and comedy ever to come out of Universal Pictures. Back in 1939, director John Stahl did his usual reliable job of trying to keep all the mismatched elements of the improbable plot together and almost succeeds. An aspiring young actress (Andrea Leeds) rooming at a theatrical boarding house, mysteriously becomes the protégée of old flamboyant drunken actor (Adolphe Menjou) returning to Broadway after many years in Hollywood. (Both actors appeared the year before in "Stage Door.") Throughout the film, Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Sneed appear and reappear at the most unlikely moments and provide many amusing moments that have nothing whatsoever to do with the main story. (It's as if Bergen was under contract to the studio and someone had to figure out a way to shoehorn him and his dummies into a picture.) The ever dependable Eve Arden wisecracks in her best manner and George Murphy is the jealous boy friend in love with the actress. None of it makes much sense if you think about it--don't!--but it's all undoubtedly entertaining.

The fine cast and the interesting story in "Letter of Introduction" go together well, making it an enjoyable and sometimes thoughtful movie. The characters are interestingly quirky while remaining believable, and the story gets quite a bit out of a relatively simple setup.

Adolphe Menjou and Andrea Leeds are both well cast in the leading roles, as a father and daughter who try to keep their relationship hidden as they work together on the stage. Menjou is always enjoyable to watch in this kind of role, as something of a scamp who nevertheless has a caring heart. Leeds makes good use of her innocence and earnestness. As the central relationship in the story, their two characters also make a nice change of pace from the more conventional setups in comedies of this kind.

The supporting cast likewise features plenty of talent. In particular, Edgar Bergen and Charlie get some of the best lines, Eve Arden is well-suited to her role, and Ernest Cossart seems right at home as Menjou's butler.

Everything fits together well, and in addition to providing some entertaining moments, it includes the kind of drama that makes you think along with the characters and ask yourself what you might do in the same situation.