Letter of Introduction

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.

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.