The Strawberry Blonde (1941) User Reviews

Brilliant, crisp film-making

[mik-19 · 8/10 · 29 December 2004]

I have a soft spot for this movie, it makes me cry and it challenges me. It hovers eagle-like over other pieces of quaint, nostalgic Americana in its brilliant mise-en-scène by overlooked film-maker Raoul Walsh, its crisp and very acute script, and its wonderful acting.

James Cagney is the small-town dentist, just out of jail, having been framed by his business partner and boyhood best friend, Jack Carson. Carson married the local beauty, Rita Hayworth of the film's title, and left Cagney with Hayworth's best friend, the free-thinking, no-nonsense Olivia De Havilland. And now, after all these years, Cagney learns that Carson is on his way to his dentist's practice with a bad tooth-ache. What to do ...?

There is such pain underlying all the ebullient humor of 'The Strawberry Blonde', and as usual Walsh gets away with superlative results from mixing genres. From the first frames of the bulldog chasing the cat and the two different social environments on each side of the garden wall, on one side throwing horse-shoes, on the other playing cricket, Walsh wastes no time and is always to the point, telling his story.

Everybody in this movie is perfect. Hayworth waltzes through it all by way of her radiant looks, but Cagney surpasses himself as this charming bigot, always with a black eye to show for the numerous scrapes he gets into.

Olivia De Havilland deserves a whole chapter to herself. I doubt if she was ever better than as the tough kooky, Amy, who never tires of preaching women's lib to Hayworth's Virginia ("I refuse to listen to advanced ideas!"). "What did we come for if not to be trifled with?", she asks, indignantly, of Virginia, seated as they are on the bench in the park, waiting for their beaus. She calls marriage "an institution started by the cavemen and endorsed by florists and jewelers" and insists on her right to pick up men by winking at them. De Havilland is hilarious, and you also notice the vulnerability beneath the feminist swagger.

Not everybody will care for 'The Strawberry Blonde'. If you only give it a superficial look, you will find it dated and cutesy, whereas it is everything but.

A departure from Cagney's earlier gangster roles

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 26 November 2009]

Almost all of Cagney's early roles were that of a gangster or a fast-talking con-man. Starting in the 40's as the major studios ramped up their production of patriotic films in anticipation of war, Cagney starred in some military roles such as "The Fighting 69th" and "Captains of the Clouds". However, it was still the same old wise-cracking gangster or con-man - he was just in uniform. Don't get me wrong, I never get tired watching Cagney play these kinds of parts, but I've read that the typecasting was a source of friction between himself and Warner Brothers.

This film is a real departure from the kind of role that Cagney had grown tired of by 1934. In it he plays Biff Grimes, a dentist at the beginning of the 20th century. Biff has had a series of misfortunes heaped upon him throughout his life. To begin with his Dad (Alan Hale) is a ne'er-do-well, and he has a "friend" Hugo F. Barnstead (Jack Carson) who is always managing to get the best of him and then some. Hugo works up from small slights such as not paying back money or leaving Biff with the tab to stealing and marrying Biff's ideal girl and finally setting Biff up to take the fall in some substandard work Hugo's company has done for the city. After Biff gets out of prison after serving time for a crime he didn't commit, he has a chance to get even with Hugo -as in killing him - and make it look like an accident. Since most of the movie is told in flashback, and Cagney is playing a likable if somewhat gullible fellow who has been deeply wronged, you don't know how it will end or what he will do. The supporting cast is great in this one. Jack Carson was always playing the slippery type in Warner films around this time, and he does the job of playing Hugo with believable gusto, always making excuses for his part in Biff's predicaments. Rita Hayworth is cast as "the strawberry blonde" that Biff loses to Hugo, and Olivia De Havilland plays the girl Biff ultimately marries. She turns out to the one piece of good luck that Biff has as she is tough and loyal in a crisis.

A bittersweet romantic comedy, this is one of my favorite post-code Cagney films.

A witty comedy that stands the test of time

[Drewy · 8/10 · 12 June 2003]

Julius Epstein (the man who gave us Arsenic and Old Lace) excels with his adaptation of James Hagan's play One Sunday Afternoon. (For those who think the credit belongs with the playwright not the scriptwriter, I refer you to the 1948 remake One Sunday Afternoon.) The script is crisp and witty, one liners abound, and I found myself laughing out loud often.

The film gains its strength from the morals of a bygone era, as men and women struggle to find love without overstepping the bounds of decency. Yet it holds up well more than 60 years after it was made. The themes of love and happiness are timeless.

Cagney is excellent as jailbird-turned-dentist Biff Grimes. His famed tough guy persona bubbles not very far below the surface but we are reminded that this actor is much more multi-faceted than history sometimes remembers him.

The female cast members are outstanding. The beautiful Susan Hayworth plays the title character Virginia Brush superbly, showing every nuance of the shallow yet ultimately dissatisfied wannabe socialite. Her best friend, Ann Lind, provides a great showcase for Olivia de Havilland's talent, moving from the brash, forward suffragette to the devoted wife, showing her vulnerability as well as her strength along the way.

Some of Hollwood's fine character actors get a chance to impress too. The hard-working Jack Carson impresses as Hugo Barnstead, the charming womanizer turned sleazy tycoon. George Tobias has plenty of scene-stealing moments as Grimes' good friend, Nick the barber. (Look closely and you may recognize him as Bewitched's Abner Kravitz.) Alan Hale is at his best as Grimes' irrepressible Irish father. Keep your eye out for TV's Superman George Reeves as Harold, the Yale student neighbour.

This film provides an amusing reminder that beauty and wealth do not always bring happiness.

Enjoy Strawberry Blonde. I did.

Sparkling comedy with top-notch Cagney-De Havilland-Hayworth performances...

[Doylenf · 1 April 2001]

Charming turn-of-the-century romantic comedy gives Rita Hayworth her breakthrough role as the flirtatious town siren who gets her comeuppance when she ditches James Cagney for Jack Carson. Her best friend Amy (Olivia de Havilland) marries dentist Biff (Cagney) after an unusual courtship which provides some amusing scenes between the outspoken miss and her boyfriend. The plot thickens when Cagney's best friend Hugo (Jack Carson) uses him in a shady business scheme that leaves Cagney taking the blame and serving time in prison. He resolves to get even with Hugo one day--and gets his chance when Hayworth brings Hugo to his dental office to have a tooth pulled. It's all done with a light touch and played to the hilt by an engaging cast. Rita shines in the title role but it is Olivia de Havilland who really walks off with the film as Cagney's sweetheart. Time magazine reported that she stole the film from both of them with her "electric winks". Only flaw is the occasional emphasis on comedy scenes with Alan Hale (as Cagney's father) that tend to drag. George Tobias has a good supporting role, as does George Reeves ("Superman") who appears at the beginning and end of the story as Cagney's belligerent neighbor. Cagney is his usual blustery self but shows a nice flair for comedy. Entertaining and a great film to watch on a rainy afternoon.

Trivia note: Compare this with the musical remake Raoul Walsh directed in '48 called ONE Sunday AFTERNOON with Dennis Morgan, Dorothy Malone and Janis Paige in the three central roles. Painfully bad and painfully dull with terrible songs and lackluster work by Morgan as Biff Grimes.

Cagney Carries The Day Again

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 29 September 2006]

Here's another film in which James Cagney carries it. Even here, with other "stars" like Olivia de Havvilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale, George Tobias and Jack Carson, it's Cagney who is the heart-and-soul of the picture, and the actor that makes this film click. Few other actors could have made this film as interesting.

Hayworth, of course, is easy on the eyes and Tobias was fun as Cagney's Greek friend. Hale was a little annoying as Cagney's father and I don't think that a man who does nothing but chase married women should have been treated so kindly as he was by the filmmakers in this movie.

That was the only bad message of the film. A good message was that marrying someone just for their looks can quickly lead to disaster. That was what was pictured here as "Hugo Barstead" (Carson) got the "prize" girl in "Virginia Brush" (Hayworth), and suffered for it while Cagney - unhappy at first - was happy in the end for getting the less pretty but much nicer woman "Amy Lind" (de Havilland).

Of course, for most of us, settling for Olivia de Havilland would NOT be exactly a losing proposition to begin with! Anyway, the movie is nothing super but it's an entertaining film, for the most part, thanks to Jimmy.

Nostalgic, Bittersweet Fun

[louis-king · 10/10 · 7 April 2007]

Cagney departs from his tough, street smart persona to play the gullible, not so tough Biff Grimes. Notice how he loses fight after fight; in one scene he's a barroom bouncer tossing his drunken father out asking his father not to put up too much of a fight "I'm supposed to be a tough guy".

He gets suckered time after time by Hugo and Virginia. That wouldn't have happened to other Cagney characters! His best scenes are with Olivia DeHavilland. What chemistry. Sometimes no dialog, just glances.

The main characters play off each other phenomenally. Even the minor characters are superb. Who was that fat German who blew beer foam into Cagney's face? He was great! The period music is so woven into the story that the movie almost becomes a musical. The lovely theme that's played whenever Olivia DeHavilland come into the scene is "When You Were Sweet Sixteen". Unlike the title song "Strawberry Blonde", it's never sung in the movie but it was popular at the turn of the century. Perry Como made it one of his hits in the early 1940's.

The movie is such a nostalgic, funny, (sad at times) look back at the turn of the century that you wish you could go back there with them.

It's amazing that director Raoul Walsh also made the brilliant, violent, cynical "White Heat" with nary a sentimental, lovable character.

A romantic and sensitive comedy set in the 1890s , with a splendid James Cagney as a would-be dentist

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 13 May 2022]

It's the turn of the nineteenth into twentieth century. Dentist Biff Grimes blames whatever problems he has in life on his childhood friend Hugo Barnstead , assured go-getting Hugo who Biff aspired to be like until they had their falling out. Biff Grimes (James Cagney) is pugnacious but likable young man during the Gay 90's living with his ne'er-do-well father (Alan Hale) , noted for their scrappy personalities and quick tempers. Like every other young man in town, Biff is infatuated with money-grubbing 'strawberry blonde' Virginia Brush (Rita Hayworth) , who gets cat calls every time she walks past the all-male clientele of the neighborhood barber shop. But he is not the only young man in the neighborhood who is smitten with her . Biff is joined in his admiration by his friends, Nick Pappalis (George Tobias) , an immigrant Greek barber, and Hugo Barnsfeld (Jack Carson) who doesn't let anything stand in the way of what he wants, including Virginia. When he falls for the gorgeous Virginia Brush, but things go wrong . As Biff was in love with beautiful but self-absorbed Virginia Brush, who he was planning on asking to marry him, but she ended up marrying Hugo who knew that Biff was interested in her. Subsequently Biff meets an offbeat young girl (Olivia De Havilland) . It's that good old two-fisted Cagney..at his very, very best! .Stroll down memory lane with ..the mug who tames the 20s !

This is an enjoyable and attractive piece period remade from 1933's ¨One Saturday afternoon¨ and revived yet again in 1948 by Raoul Walsh with Dennis Morgan , Janis Paige , Don DeFore , Dorothy Malone . Raoul Walsh demonstrates a special talent for making the densest comedy sequences seem uncomplicated and uncluttered and his characters , like the scenes distinguished , often have an unfettered , comical power . Developed in untroubled-gusto and hardly seems to matter that many scenes are inexplicable . In The Strawberry Blonde(1941) James Ganey gives a stunning acting as the quick-tempered yet sympathetic Biff Grimes who has a crush on gorgeous and flirtatious Rita Hayworth who wonders years later whether he married the right woman , chesnut brunete Olivia de Havilland as a free-thinking, emancipated nurse and stealing the show wih her likable faces and gestures. They're very well accompanied with a great support cast with plenty of familar faces , notorious secondaries as Alan Hale as his father , Jack Carson as the unscrupulously ambitious young man Hugo Barnstead , George Tobias as Nicholas Pappalas , Una O'Connor as Mrs. Mulcahey , George Reeves as Harold , Helen Lynd as Josephine, among others.

The motion picture produced by William Cagney and Hal B Wallis , was well directed by Raoul Walsh . From his starts in the silent cinema he achieved successful films until the 50s and forward , early 60s , when he was less dominant , but is still stayed lots of lusty adventure , stories of comradeship and friendship , and Raoul makes the most of plentiful action scenes . Walsh was an expert director of all kind genres but with penchant in Western as ¨Colorado territory¨ , ¨They died with their boots on¨, ¨Along the great divide¨, ¨Saskatchewan¨, ¨King and four queens¨ , ¨The sheriff of fractured jaw¨, ¨A distant trumpet¨ ; Adventure as ¨Thief of Bagdad¨, ¨Captain Horatio Hornblower¨, ¨World in his hands¨, ¨Blackbeard the pirate¨ ; Warlike as ¨Objetive Burma¨ , ¨Northern pursuit¨, ¨Marines let's go¨ ; and Noir film as ¨White heat¨, ¨High Sierra¨, ¨They drive by night¨, ¨The roaring twenties¨. Rating : Fairly straightforward movie and acceptable flick . This briskly-realized comedy film makes it of the various of Raoul Walsh genre entries being worthwhile watching . Rating : 6.5/10 The flick will appeal to James Cagney , Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth fans.

See a charming, romantic side of Cagney you never knew!

[prfrmr · 10/10 · 20 October 2006]

I remember the first time I watched this film, was on my father's VHS copy. The title did not really take me at first because it wasn't one of those recognizable blockbuster films from the early 40's. However, when I saw Cagney and DeHavilland's names on the cover, I KNEW this movie HAD to be good. My father already owned most of the Cagney film collection anyway. The first thing that struck me about this film was the opening fanfare, "And the Band Played On...". Wow, talk about taking you back into an era we not fortunate enough to have been born in, Turn of the Century (1900). For the most part, the cinematography is awesome. This film was not produced in Technicolor, but it really didn't need to be, for the brilliant photography really brings out the authenticity of the whole setting, especially the costumes. The vibrancy of the camera photography focused on Rita Hayworth's costuming is almost breathtaking. At times you almost feel like you are watching parts of Gone With The Wind, that's how vibrant and masterful the cinematography is. And older audiences who appreciated Cagneys' later works will most certainly appreciate this movie well. Here's a still-cocky, arrogant angle of the Cagney we remember and loved---however, this film allowed the actor to bring out his vulnerable, charming, romantic side as well. And he does it so smoothly and brilliantly, being well cast opposite the loveliness of legendary Olivia DeHavilland (remember, MISS MELANIE "Gone With The Wind"). DeHavilland shines brightly in one of her better, finer roles, not too soon after GWTW wrapped up, allowing her to really expand not only the soft sweetness we remembered from her Miss Melanie of GWTW, but also take a sharp turn with front boldness as well. So we get a little bit of Scarlett O'Hara in the mix. The best of both world's with DeHavilland's character.

I never even heard of Jack Carson before this film. But I must say, I was widely impressed how he handled his character against Cagney's screen presence. Carson was beautifully convincing as the crude, conniving-yet-vulnerable, conning Hugo Barnstead. And his character ability alongside Hayworth's 'strawberry blonde' is Killer at best. The way their character's are allowed full march to play off each other is the big comic-relief in this movie -- almost stealing the comical cuteness from Cagney's character. This film was also Rita Hayworth's big screen debut. When she originally auditioned for the role, she was ecstatic about the possibility of playing alongside Cagney, for he was her favorite screen villain. She considered Cagney a genius, almost more talented than counterpart Humphrey Bogart. When she was ultimately (and convincingly) cast as Virginia Brush, she about went through the floor (information, courtesy of Warner Bros.). Being in her very first major screen film, and alongside Cagney was a dream come true for Hayworth. She didn't think she would be good enough, however, the rest of the cast (most especially Cagney), worked diligently with her to perfect her character performance, alongside Carson. Overall, the film critics rated her performance as "exceptional". I absolutely LOVED Hayworth in this film. I have always liked Rita Hayworth. But outside this movie, and a few other juicy roles she had, I did not know that she lived in constant insecurity throughout much of her Hollywood career that she didn't feel she 'measured up' to the star-status of the other actresses (poor girl!). Well, she did beautifully in this role of the 'Strawberry Blonde'.

I fell so much in love with this movie classic, that I also modified a personal copy of the script.

PEANUT

Entertaining remake of "One Sunday Afternoon" with a great cast

[jacobs-greenwood · 6/10 · 11 October 2016]

Directed by Raoul Walsh, starring James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth (in the title role), and Jack Carson, and set in a simpler time (around the turn of the 20th Century), this slightly above average romantic comedy drama contains some unusual elements (Cagney's character is a budding dentist!) but is basically a story about appreciating what you have.

Carson as Hugo Barnstead marries Virginia Brush (Hayworth), "stealing" her away from Biff Grimes (Cagney) who later marries Amy Lind (de Havilland), on the rebound. Years later, Biff gets to see the reality of what it would have been like to have been married to shallow Virginia (when he's asked to pull Hugo's tooth), and hence better appreciates his own wife.

Alan Hale plays Cagney's "bar rat" old man; George Tobias plays a friend, Nicholas Pappalas; George Reeves plays a strapping young lad who scraps with the older Biff, and Una O'Connor also appears.

Heinz Roemheld's Score was Oscar nominated. Twin brothers Julius and Philip Epstein adapted James Hagan's play "One Sunday Afternoon" (which had been filmed once before by Paramount with Gary Cooper) for Warner Bros., who had Walsh remake it as a musical in 1948 with Dennis Morgan, Dorothy Malone, Janis Page, and Don DeFore respectively (ironically, Alan Hale Jr. also appears).

Great Comedy triumph for Cagney & de Havilland

[dougandwin · 9/10 · 15 August 2004]

What an enjoyable movie with the three stars making it so! James Cagney as Biff Grimes, the local dentist, is a joy and shows how well suited he was to this type of serio-comedy, and what a pity he did not get the opportunity to play this type more in his early days at Warners. I think Olivia de Havilland is the real surprise as Biff's wife and she also showed a wonderful gift for comedy mixed with minor drama - her very special "wink" added so much - she was just great! As the Strawberry Blonde, Rita Hayworth in one of her earliest roles was excellent, and was well supported by Jack Carson, while "Superman" George Reeves had a cameo role early & late in the movie. If you see this, make sure you watch the very end for the sing-a-long, it certainly leaves you with a very good feeling. Alan Hale as Biff's father was a bit over the top, and his scenes dragged a little, but that is irrelevant in the total package.

strawberry blonde

[mossgrymk · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

Not as gaga about this film as the Wes Anderson crowd but it's an engaging rom com. First half tries too hard to appease the Hays Office, with tired tropes about turn of the century suffragette types being lonely, phony, plain Janes, to mention nothing of the even tireder trope of asking the viewer to believe that the beautiful, sexy Olivia DeHavilland is unattractive to men. (Basically, this gal spent most of her acting life trying to de-Melanize herself). Second half redeems the first, however, with The Epsteins' screenplay offering some sharp, realistic looks at unhappy married life as well as a nice combination of light and dark, with Cagney's unjust incarceration for his father's death being used as a springboard for his wacky dental ambitions. And the performances of the four leads are spot on. However, by film's end I was just as glad that director Raoul Walsh decided to concentrate on westerns, war pics and gangster films instead. Give it a B minus.

PS...Superman as a Yalie? Works for me.

Raoul Walsh at his peak

[svenerik-palmbring · 10/10 · 10 December 2005]

It is always a great thrill to watch this classical comedy drama made by one of greatest directors of the bygone Hollywood golden era, Raoul Walsh. You may also point out that The Strawberry Blonde in many ways reflect his own boyhood and youth memories of New York and in some ways that is also the case for the vibrant, arrogant and cocky James Cagney. The film has a wonderful turn of the century atmosphere and it is so highly professional made in all aspects of film-making, that is to tell a story with pictures.The actors are superb and of course you notice that Walsh was a no nonsense director. Someone said about him that Walsh's idea of a great love scene was to "burn down a brothel". But in The Strawberry Blonde you can see that he had many sides and abilities. All together a masterpiece of it's time and a tribute to American culture and the real golden era of film-making.

Not all that glitters is gold!

[estherwalker-34710 · 7/10 · 10 July 2021]

My unoriginal title sums up the overall message of this film, as it relates to women. Rita, as Virginia, serves as the presumed high maintenance strawberry blond, who turns out to be a stinker, near the end of the film. Cagney, as Biff, initially pined for her, as she walked down the street. But after his friend-enemy Hugo, played by the handsome, personable, Jack Carson, sweeps her off her feet, Biff settles for Virginia's less glamourous (but far from plain) friend Amy(Olivia), who sounded less than ideal at first, but proved more loyal after Biff and Hugo spend 5 years in prison.......... I just wonder why the film was named for the role played by the second lead woman? Unfortunately, being filmed in B&W, Rita's presumably reddish hair photographs as if it were her natural brunet hair...........Virginia and Hugo appear to be spoiled people from wealthy families, thus facilitating their attraction to each other. In contrast, Biff and Amy appear to be from working class families, Amy working as a nurse, which facilitates their eventual bonding. Amy seems an intelligent, independent, good looking girl, with no desire to marry anytime soon. She tries to discourage romantic overtures by Biff, by emphasizing that she is a progressive freethinker, who doesn't believe in marriage and smokes cigarettes, and initially bolts when this doesn't discourage him. Why would she be interested in a ne'er do well bulldog like Biff?? It may seem to make no sense to her, but marry him she does. Even when he returned from prison, she was very nice to him. Yep. She had a heart of gold, if not golden hair!........... In contrast, Rita plays the haughty femme fatale, as she would in "My Gal Sal", and "Blood and Sand", for instance. But, when Hugo returned from prison, she treated him like dirt................ Hugo could be nice to Biff. Knowing that he had a crush on Virginia, presumably, he told Virginia to show Biff a good time around the town(NYC). Biff thought she had changed her mind about him. But, imagine his shock when he was waiting for her to meet him in a park the next evening, and was informed that she had married Hugo!!..........Some years later, a demented Hugo offered the struggling Biff a job as an executive in his construction company. He should have known better, as Biff had no aptitude for the job. As a result, the wall his father(played by the charismatic Alan Hale) was helping build collapsed, killing his father. There was an investigation, and it was determined that the company had been using substandard materials to save a few bucks. Biff didn't know anything about this(he should have). As a result, Biff and Hugo were sent to prison for 5 years...........At times, Biff tried to present himself as a dentist(mostly a tooth puller). Apparently, he had no schooling or license, hoping for a diploma to arrive from a diploma mill(which arrived while he was prison). Amusing incidents with Hale or Carson in the dentist chair punctuate our impression of him as a dentist! He also did various other odd jobs...........Quite a few classic turn of the century songs are sung or played, especially in the beginning, which helps us get in the mood of the scripted time period. Of course, the most emphasized of these is "The Band Played On", which includes the phrase 'strawberry blonde'. Others include "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis", "Bill Bailey ...........", "Wait 'til the Sun Shines, Nellie", "In the Good Old Summertime", "In my Merry Oldsmobile", "When You Were Sweet Sixteen", among others. Yep, this film certainly has enough music to rate it was a musical, among other things, even if none of the music is original. Overall, the skill and charisma of the stars, along with the music, make up for the several screenplay problems, and we have a seemingly happy ending for Cagney and Olivia, if not for Carson and Rita.........Give it a 7. If it had been in color, so we could see the colorful outfits of the period and Rita's appropriate colored hair, I would have given it an 8!.......If you want to see a color version of nearly the same story, but with different(mostly new) songs, check out 1948's, "One Sunday Afternoon". As a plus, talented singer Dennis Morgan plays Biff, while Janis Paige plays Virginia, with the reddish hair.

A Very Mixed Bag

[reader4 · 4/10 · 6 June 2010]

This movie can't decide what it's trying to be. Or perhaps it's trying to be everything, sort of like a Bollywood (Mumbai) epic.

It starts out as a nostalgic period piece, and a musical at that, set in the Gay Nineties, or perhaps just after the turn of the 20th century. I thought at first that I had recorded it in error. Those who aren't old enough to remember "Sing Along With Mitch," much less "follow the bouncing ball," will probably not recognize most of the old standards that are performed here.

What we mostly see during this section, besides brass bands and barbershop quartets, is Jimmy Cagney engaging in fisticuffs with just about everyone he comes in contact with, because "that's just the sort of hairpin" he is. It is interesting to see a young George Reeves with a moustache.

Then, abandoning the songs, the movie turns into a comedy of the first water, a great deal better than I expected. If it had continued in this vein, I would have rated it at least a 7 and kept it. The dialog is clever and witty, with many unexpected lines, and Olivia de Havilland particularly shines as a Suffragette who's more talk than action when it comes to the pinch.

After the comedy portion, it becomes a fairly mundane love story for a while, with Cagney and Carson both chasing Hayworth and the loser ending up with de Havilland as the consolation prize.

Then suddenly the movie turns into a tear jerker! After this betrayal, I almost didn't finish it out.

But wait, we're not finished with our chameleon act yet! The final quarter of the movie is a didactic morality fable, with speeches and justice for all.

The acting is top notch throughout. De Havilland is head and shoulders above the others, but Cagney and Carson do a great job as well. Rita Hayworth crackles, several years before she even thought of putting the blame on Mame. George Tobias, who is probably most famous for portraying Abner Kravitz on "Bewitched," must have been at the peak of his career, as he gets fourth billing.

If you like pat, sappy Broadway musicals that are a bit on the heavyhanded side, you will like this film all the way through. Otherwise, if you were expecting a comedy, you will probably feel betrayed, as I did.

Charming, Charming, Charming

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 1 April 2020]

Biff Grimes (James Cagney) struts around like a pugnacious, vainglorious banty rooster in this piece of wartime escapism that harkens back to Victorian America. He has his eye on Virginia Brush (Rita Hayworth), but so does his buddy Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson). One of them weds Virginia and the other "settles" for her girlfriend Amy Lind (Olivia de Havilland).

The story follows the two couples through good times and bad in an absolutely charming recreation of turn-of-the-century society. The music includes all of the classics of that earlier time, including the enchanting "When You Were Sweet Sixteen." Costumes by Orry-Kelly help revive the formality and stiffness of Victorian manners, but also accent the beauty of Hayworth and de Havilland. If only they had been shot in color!

Miss de Havilland is a revelation as an unconventional young woman who challenges the headstrong Biff. Her role might not have been extremely challenging, but she rises above the script and creates a persona that viewers could fall in love with.

This is not a spoiler, but the end of the film includes an audience sing-along that would have allowed viewers to fully indulge in memories of better times. One can easily imagine their voices rising as one in the darkened theaters of 1941.

Cagney and company surpass themselves

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 10/10 · 1 September 2017]

"The Strawberry Blonde" is another film that showed what kind of an actor James Cagney is when given a different film to make. The film is based upon a successful play and was remade several years later with Gary Cooper. This "Warner Bros" film has a period setting, it is based during the 1890s. The sets, the costumes, the lighting, they all contribute to a great film. There is a well balanced combination of humour and of drama. Raoul Walsh's direction is very good as he was the right choice for this kind of film at "Warner Bros." The director knew how to produce the right performances from the main cast and they are outstanding. Originally, Ann Sheridan was supposed to be cast as the blonde in question but she had been suspended by Jack Warner. "M.G.M" loaned Rita Hayworth for this film instead. The plot unfolds via a flashback. This is initiated when Cagney learns that his old nemesis - played by Jack Carson - is on his way to Cagney's dental surgery with toothache. Then Cagney thinks back to all that has happened and the film begins properly. Olivia De Havilland plays Cagney's wife and the latter character has to decide whether he married the right woman or not. Alan Hale has some great scenes with James Cagney as his father, including a rather touching final scene. Olivia De Havilland surpassed herself in this film and was a great leading lady for James Cagney. Her performance is amongst the best of her career. Jack Carson scores as the devious and thoroughly dishonest chiseler. Rita Hayworth is good but I haven't seen any other of her films so I can't honestly say how good a performer she is. This is a masterpiece of drama and light comedy.

A Feel Good Movie

[lpersons-2 · 8/10 · 29 July 2006]

Music, Music music.....costumes...what a delightful old movie... Go back in time to an easier period. When you could take your best girl out on the town for $2.50. This movie just makes you long for the old, old days..when life was so much easier. Very little serious matter in the movie. Lot's of lessons to learn to. The beautiful package, the elusive girl, the importance of life. By todays standards this would be an extremely low budget film, yet it captures you and you leave the movie feeling better for watching it. Great cast with James Cagney, Olivia DeHavilland, Rita Haywood, Jack Carter who bring the movie to life. Not a great movie, but one worth seeing just to look back in time and enjoy.

A love triangle that all young lovers could relate to...but older/wiser lovers avoid

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 29 January 2018]

With film stars such as James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale, Jack Carson and George Tobias featured in this film you can expect a highly entertaining romance/drama. Yes, the storyline has been re-done more than a thousand times over and over where boy (James Cagney as Biff Grimes) meets stunning girl (Rita Hayworth as Virginia Brush) and falls blindly in love by the attractive but more cunning woman, and where the third string girl (Olivia de Havilland as Amy Lind) is ignored and insulted by Biff even though she outwardly shows how much she cares for Biff and does not want to see him get hurt by the vixen Virginia.

Biff's father old man Grimes (Alan Hale) is reluctant to find steady work and he would much rather foolishly try to win over a string of already married women that all live in Biff's neighborhood with his charm. Biff is a typical tough guy who is smitten with the out of his league Virginia who likes to play the field and take advantage of as many men as she possibly can date, dine then leave broken hearted at her front door step.

For Biff, there is always the registered nurse Amy Lind who seems to appear and interfere with Biff's attempts at wooing the beautiful Virginia, who was responsible in the first place for Biff and Amy's first few dates.

Yes this is a simple love triangle story seen many times before. the difference though is in the depth of star performances who signed on to make this particular film more than just a cut above its competitors. Although the film is now 77 years young at the time of my writing this review, and where horse and carriage was the preferred method of transportation, and gas lighting before electricity was more common, and the film is in black and white, it rates 4 **** out of 5***** stars in my review. I give the film a solid 8 out of 10 rating and I wish there were more films made like this today.

Hint: Look for a young 27 year old George Reeves as the neighbor's college tough guy Harold in his turtleneck lettered sweater, more than ten (10) years prior to taking on his most famous and popular role in the syndicated (1952-1958) TV series The Adventures of Superman.

A very enjoyable, different type role for Cagney

[oldwjljr · 20 February 2000]

Very entertaining, funny, and well acted movie. A great cast including a young George Reeves (Superman). It starts out as a comedy but has a lot of serious moments without being preachy. It is hard to believe that Cagney would come in second in anything in life but he plays the part perfectly.

Mediocre at best

[ThomasColquith · 4/10 · 13 February 2022]

I have to disagree with the majority on this one; I did not find "The Strawberry Blonde" to be charming or exceptional, it was merely mediocre entertainment in my mind. I went in with an open mind and wanted to like this film but it suffers from the protagonist (Cagney's character) being so negative and unlikeable and from the lack of chemistry between him and de Havilland's character. This is not a film that I would recommend except to those fans of these actors or time period. Olivia de Havilland was great here as usual but for a starring role she was hardly on screen and underutilized. The same could be said of Rita Hayworth perhaps as well. I don't love the title either as the strawberry blonde (Hayworth) is really tangential to the bulk of the story; she is perhaps the catalyst for the action, but has little substantive role. In the end, I mildly enjoyed the film, such as seeing them try spaghetti or de Havilland winking in the park, but not enough meat here for me to be invested and the characters never seemed very real. I rate it a 4/10 and would recommend it to Olivia de Havilland completionists, but have modest expectations.

Cagney and that Strawberry Blonde

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 23 August 2005]

The Strawberry Blonde was the second and best version of this film and gives James Cagney one of his best screen roles. This version was sandwiched in between a 1933 version and a 1948 musical version under its original title of One Sunday Afternoon.

Most people think of James Cagney as the sharp, know it all from the city streets. He's certainly played that part often enough especially in his early days at Warner Brothers. But there was a softer, more nostalgic side to Cagney and it comes out in films like this one, Johnny Come Lately, and The Time of Your Life. And of course his most famous piece of turn of the last century nostalgia, Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Part of Strawberry Blonde's charm is the nice musical background of turn of the last century popular music. Makes you feel that you really are back in the New York City of Tammany Hall. In fact some aside references to Tammany are in the script.

The plot is simple, Cagney and Jack Carson are after the same woman, the glamorous Strawberry Blonde played by Rita Hayworth. She's of course got a plain jane girlfriend in Olivia DeHavilland.

One unusual twist for Cagney is that normally he's the con man in films. Here he's the butt for all of Jack Carson's cons. Some of them have tragic results for Cagney.

The ending is sweet however for both Cagney and DeHavilland. Lots of truth in that old adage about being careful what you wish for.

James Cagney as you've never seen him before.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 13 December 2007]

Who would had ever known that Raoul Walsh was also capable of making, fun, sweet, charming movies such as this one.

It's a real irresistible movie, with a solid great and also quite original love-story, supported and uplifted even more by its great cast. It's the sort of story that sort of has it all; romance, drama and comedy. What I like about the movie is that it has all of the generic required elements but yet is non-formulaic. For instance the lead doesn't get the girl he wanted most and the leading lady has her own very free mind and will, especially for those days of course. The movie has several dramatic themes in it, as well as a sort of message in the end but above all the movie is a really fun one to watch. It has some great subtle comedy and I'm sure you'll discover new little subtle comedy elements in the movie each time you'll see it.

James Cagney doesn't seem like the most likely choice for the leading role in a romantic movie. He was often type-casted as tough guys and he of course most certainly also did not had the right looks to play in a movie such as this one. But perhaps of that very same reason his character works out so well in the movie. It makes the story all the more believable and cuter, knowing that the main character isn't the prettiest or cutest boy on the block. On top of that, James Cagney was of course also a great actor, that could time well, which helps him in the more comical moments in the movie. The movie also has an impressive female cast with both Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth. Two of THE leading ladies of the '40's. But also Alan Hale, Jack Carson and George Reeves where no unknowns.

By todays standards the sets and background of the movie are all cheap and of course fake looking but this always has been sort of part of the charm of '40's movies. The musical score by Heinz Roemheld was surprisingly great (also Oscar nominated). I wish it was more present in the movie.

A really recommendable movie.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Cagney in Different Role

[whpratt1 · 8/10 · 30 July 2006]

After viewing this film, you will never forget the words or tune to "Casey Will Waltz with the Strawberry Blonde" This song is played over and over again and never seems to stop, except for maybe another unknown tune. However, this is a great drama and romance film, with James Cagney,(T.L. Biff Grimes),"Man of a Thousand Faces",'57, playing a Dentist and also married to Olivia De Havilland,(Amy Grimes)"Gone With the Wind",'39. Rita Hayworth,(Virginia Brush),"Blood & Sand",'41, is the hot chick in the neighborhood and most of the men have eyes for her and would like to marry her, even Biff Grimes. Jack Carson, plays a big heel in this film and is always stepping on peoples toes in town. Enjoyed the great supporting role of George Tobias,(Nicholas Pappolos), the local barber in town who seems to always loan money to Biff Grimes. This is one of those sweet and wholesome films from 1941 and it is quite enjoyable. I understand that James Cagney's mother was a Strawberry Blonde and loved this song, no wonder he starred in the film and the song never stop until the very END.

completely charming

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 3 August 2005]

This movie is a remake of an earlier picture starring Gary Cooper. In this version, Jimmy Cagney plays the lead and his love interests are Olivia de Havilland and Rita Hayworth. Cagney is perfect for this role and his "friend" is very ably played by Jack Carson.

The story is set in the Gay 90s and begins as Cagney is thinking back about the good old days when he and Carson were friends who were both interested in the same girl (Hayworth). Why they keep overlooking the almost equally beautiful de Havilland is beyond me--especially since she is a much nicer and less conceited lady. Anyway, this friendship is severely tested and Carson turns out to be quite the cad.

How the movie ends is delightful. The acting, pacing and direction are wonderful and this is a wonderful example of Warner Brothers at peak form.

FYI--This is a remake of the 1933 film starring Gary Cooper and Neil Hamilton. Usually I prefer the originals, but the Cagney version is a lot more polished and fun. There is also a 1948 remake of the remake, though I have not yet seen that one.

Personality Film

[dougdoepke · 18 May 2020]

For fans of Cagney, the flick's a showcase. Though not a gangster, Hollywood's favorite tommy-gunner is feistier than ever. Then too, the results amount to a real tribute to WB's professionalism as the cast, pacing, and humor come together in engaging fashion. And that's despite slim material and a plot that doesn't kick in until the last half-hour. Up to that point, it's strictly a personality storyline- a feisty Cagney, a demure De Havilland, a coquettish Hayward, a boisterous Hale, and finally, a slippery Carson. It looks like the production was hastily put together, perhaps to capitalize on the Cagney persona and promote a stable of rising stars.

Fortunately, the cast plays off Cagney and one another in effective fashion, a real reflection of thespic talents and director Walsh's skills. Note too how Biff's (Cagney) black-eyes and bruises are carried over to his subsequent scenes, an attentive touch that studios seldom bothered with. It also underscores Biff's combative personality. Too bad this belligerant trait makes it difficult to cease being his own worst enemy. And how about Bloomer Girl Amy (De Havilland). To hear her support of free love, women's equality, and counter-cultural values in 1941 seems strange, even if finessed in the story. It wouldn't surprise me if the screenwriters, the Epstein Bros., dropped in that exotica to spice up Amy's innocent demeanor and bait the censors.

Anyway, can the boy-girl pairing up and various relationships get straightened out despite the various mis-matches and conniving. Stay tuned. And, oh yes, catch TV's Superman, George Reeves, as a rough-tough Yale man of all things; that is, until Cagney decks him.