Letter of Introduction

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

I'm sooooooo glad that it's finally available on DVD (from Alpha...mediocre quality, but absolutely worthwhile buying).

This is a John Stahl directed Universal film starring Adolphe Menjou, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, George Murphy, the young Ann Sheridan, as well as two great actresses fresh from starring in "Stage Door", Andrea Leeds and Eve Arden.

Andrea Leeds is really the star of this film....and she's really good. It's a shame her career didn't really pan out.

There's a good dramatic story and plenty of comedy from Bergen and Arden.

If you love good movies from the 1930's, this one's for you.

Sorry. Anyways, I just saw this, it was pretty good-pretty serious plotline of aging actor Adolphe Menjou, his estranged daughter Leeds and his trying to make it back onto Broadway while hiding her existence from the press-gets undermined somewhat by the oddly large roles of Snerd and McCarthy. They are funny-but it's kinda like sticking Fozzie Bear and Grover into the middle of a 'A Brilliant Mind'...maybe not something you would see now but then? It was par for the chorus.

Fine character actors-George Murphy, young Anne Sheriden, etc all add to the mix. I liked it, it's an interesting period piece if nothing else.

**1/2 outta ****

Struggling actress Andrea Leeds (Kay) has a letter of introduction to hand to successful actor Adolphe Mange-Tout (Mannering) to help her with her career. The letter of introduction has more significance than just a letter of introduction. It's confirmation that they are father and daughter. We anticipate a happy and helpful relationship and we get it. However, other relationships seem to fall by the wayside.

Given the cast, the film should have been better. It loses its way and just becomes boring. There is also too much screen time given to a tedious ventriloquist. Leeds, Mange-Tout and Eve Arden (Cora) all starred in the much better film in a similar setting - Stage Door - the year before. Rita Johnson (Honey) is treated unfairly in this film and her future is unresolved. It is sad to read about her real-life story - death by hairdryer accident! More like assault with hairdryer. I don't use a hairdryer preferring to just dry naturally with a towel. Wash and go.

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.