The Strawberry Blonde

1941

Comedy / Romance

6
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 100% · 11 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 74% · 500 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 4690 4.7K

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Plot summary

Biff Grimes is desperately in love with Virginia, but his best friend Hugo marries her and manipulates Biff into becoming involved in his somewhat nefarious businesses. Hugo appears to have stolen Biff's dreams, and Biff has to deal with the realisation that having what he wants and wanting what another has can be very different things.

Director

Raoul Walsh Photo
Raoul Walsh

Top cast

Harrison Greene Photo
Harrison Greene as Hanger-on
Addison Richards Photo
Addison Richards as Official
James Cagney Photo
James Cagney as Biff Grimes
Ben Welden Photo
Ben Welden as Reluctant Convict Dental Patient
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
910.54 MB
1280*934
English 2.0
Passed
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds 2
1.65 GB
1480*1080
English 2.0
Passed
Subtitles
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds 6

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Blobbo X 10 / 10

Cagney much fun. Hayworth and other girl very

Cagney much fun. Hayworth and other girl very pretty. Good cast, plot, direction and nostalgia for the simpler times of 135 years ago.
Reviewed by Matthew D 10 / 10

A magnificent rom-com with a fiercely likable James

A magnificent rom-com with a fiercely likable James Cagney and lovable Olivia de Havilland! Director Raoul Walsh's romantic comedy The Strawberry Blonde (1941) is a sheer pleasure with charismatic acting and dynamic direction. Walsh gives us a barnburner of an opening to immediately endear us to James Cagney's tough guy dentist and romantic hero Biff Grimes, then proceeds backwards into a dreamy flashback, before unveiling his final sweet reveal in the ending. I loved how upbeat and sympathetic Walsh's direction feels towards Biff Grimes always getting the short end of the stick as well as the unappreciated beauty and mind of Olivia de Havilland's charming Amy Lind. Biff and Amy are easy to root for as they're hard working class people just trying to find loyal and considerate love. Writers Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein crafts a brilliant script from original writer James Hagan's story. I love how hilariously funny The Strawberry Blonde is as it derives humor out of gender norms and expectations. Their swift humor, complex dramatic feeling, and sincere romantic kindness gives endlessly dreamy gestures. Every quiet moment shows off Cagney's dramatic skills and Olivia de Havillan's nuanced abilities in portraying Amy's sweetness and intelligence. I was quite taken aback by how clever and funny The Strawberry Blonde still feels, besides the wonderfully affectionate romance of Biff and Amy. From an annoyed pair to loyal life partners, Biff and Amy's tale of love and patience is a testament to the fact that you should seek out a smart and loyal girl to marry, not just for beauty. James Cagney is amazing as the charismatic Biff Grimes. His dentist is surprisingly charming and relatable as he's always down on his luck until his dental career takes off. Cagney shines opposite Havilland in a cute relationship. He gets to be the tough guy, but more mature as Biff learns and grows as a man. Olivia de Havilland is lovely and charming as the graceful, loyal, intelligent, and independent thinking nurse Amy Lind. Her adoration for Cagney's Biff is clear in her soft eyes. It's such a pleasure watching Cagney and Havilland fall in love on screen. Rita Hayworth gets to be a pretty femme fatale and unbearable gold digger named Virginia Brush. Her shallow love interest is always looking for the next wallet and date with constant complaints and expectations of lavish dates. Hayworth is excellent in The Strawberry Blonde because you'll know quickly that Virginia is no Amy. Jack Carson is heinous as the lecherous traitor Hugo Barnstead. I like that he gets his comeuppance in the end. I realized how evil and casual this rich CEO Hugo is as he betrays his friend numerous times and ultimately gets cast into the hell of Virginia's constant companionship and complaints. Alan Hale is funny as Biff's Irish drinker father William 'Old Man' Grimes. George Tobias is a riot as Greek barber Nicholas Pappalas. He's a kind and funny friend to Cagney's Biff. Una O'Connor is quite amusing as the Irish lady Mrs. Timothy Mulcahey. Edward McNamara is rugged as the stout bar owner Big Joe. Editor William Holmes keeps The Strawberry Blonde moving with a fast pace and at a tight 97 minutes. It's all romance and humor with the hardened drama to ground the characters. Holmes' plucky cutting is as clever as the writing. Cinematographer James Wong Howe has an innovative moving camera panning style that lets Cagney run around, but lets us see their faces close-up for the emotional scenes. Robert M. Haas' art direction uses shadows and striking lighting to create a slightly moody atmosphere. Things are generally lighthearted, but visually The Strawberry Blonde has a film noir aesthetic. Composer Heinz Roemheld's triumphant big band music plays jazz and classical pieces with ease. I like that Roemheld creates notable songs that come back with deeper emotional significance. Orry-Kelly's gowns for Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth are masterful and fashionable. Makeup artist Perc Westmore puts black eyes on Cagney and does Havilland up in a mesmerizingly cute dreamy blush, lipstick, and combed hair. Rita Hayworth gets more flair, but I could not take my eyes off of Olivia. In all, The Strawberry Blonde has James Cagney teach us the value of a real woman like Olivia de Havilland.
Reviewed by R T 6 / 10

A pleasant enough movie about turn-of-the-century New York

A pleasant enough movie about turn-of-the-century New York. The movie clearly has a great deal of nostalgia for this time period, but to me it seems a fair bit outmoded in its social mores. The suffragette character is played for laughs and turns out to be faking it all anyway. It's all a bit boring, to be honest, especially the first hour.
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