Hollywood Studios Year-by-Year RKO 1938: VIVACIOUS LADY & HAVING WONDERFUL TIME

Published: Feb. 4, 2022, 7:19 a.m.

For RKO 1938, a Ginger Rogers double feature:\xa0Having Wonderful Time\xa0(directed by Alfred Santell - and George Stevens?), based on the play by Arthur Kober (the ex-Mr. Lillian Hellman), and\xa0Vivacious Lady\xa0(definitely directed by George Stevens), one of the best Hollywood comedies of the 1930s, but not one of the best known. We discuss the consequences of the de-ethnicizing of Kober's play; Stevens' audacity as a comedic stylist; Rogers' all-around comic genius; Jimmy Stewart's particular brilliance in playing drunk scenes; how\xa0Vivacious Lady\xa0fits the "democratic" version of screwball comedy; and more.\xa0

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Time Codes:

0h 01m 00s:\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 HAVING WONDERFUL TIME [dir. Alfred Santell]

0h 32m 34s:\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 VIVACIOUS LADY [dir. George Stevens] \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0 \xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0\xa0

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Studio Film Capsules provided The RKO Story by Richard B. Jewell & Vernon Harbin

Additional studio information from: The Hollywood Story by Joel W. Finler

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* Marvel at our meticulously ridiculous Complete Viewing Schedule for the 2020s

* Intro Song: \u201cSunday\u201d by Jean Goldkette Orchestra with the Keller Sisters (courtesy of\xa0The Internet Archive)

* Read Elise\u2019s latest film piece on Preston Sturges, Unfaithfully Yours, and the Narrative role of comedic scapegoating.

* Check out Dave\u2019s new Robert Benchley blog \u2013 an attempt to annotate and reflect upon as many of the master humorist\u2019s 2000+ pieces as he can locate \u2013 Benchley Data: A Wayward Annotation Project!\xa0

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