H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941)

Memorable, crazy movie

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

This film produced in 1941 contains a surprisingly modern story line of a career girl - Marvin Myles Ransome, played by Hedy Lamarr from a poor immigrant background, who works at an advertising agency in New York and there has a romance with Robert Young, playing a rich Boston heir - Harry Moulton Pulham who makes a hit with his boss on a soap campaign for a client. Harry's parents and family don't want him to work at the agency however.They want him to come back to Boston,join the family firm and marry a "nice" girl of their own choosing.What is intriguing is that for 1941 this film, directed and written by acclaimed director King Vidor, has a surprisingly modern theme.Hedy puts her career first before marriage because she realises, after visiting Harry's family home, that the stuffy atmosphere there with its restrictive ideas of what young ladies can and cannot do, would not be conducive to her long term personal happiness.Quite a mature decision considering that Harry comes from a rich family.They both then go their separate, reluctant, ways and are married to different partners for 20 years or so.Marvin contacts Harry after this time because we suspect they are still in love.After a later meeting in Marvins luxury New York flat at her instigation, they are obviously still very fond of each other.Harry kisses Marvin on the lips to prove his affection.We know of course that the morality code operating in films at the time could not condone an affair and that marriage - the status quo - must in the end triumph.Even here there is for the time an unusual twist.After quizzing his wife, Codelia, played by Ruth Hussey over the breakfast table whether they are truly happy and still in love, she changes her mind about her inability to leave her social engagements and surprises her husband at work as she has been thinking about what he said about taking off into the hills just the two of them and without their own family; to re-ignite their marriage.I found it surprisingly modern in its theme as I suspect royal marriages without love are still happening today!In 2013 I wrote a general amendment to this and other user comments which also applies to those actresses whose films I have already commented on IMDb.com in recent years.My love goddess/film actresses are Margaret Lockwood, Jennifer Jones, Vivien Leigh, Hedy Lamarr & Ava Gardner.Perhaps you will notice they were all dark brunette 1940s (& 50s) stars.It occurred to me that there should be one defining film which perfectly encapsulates for me their intrinsic personality, talent glamour & intellect.These are my choices after years of deliberation: Margaret Lockwood - "The Wicked Lady" (1945), Jennifer Jones - "Portrait Of Jennie" (1948), Vivien Leigh - "That Hamilton Woman" (1941), Hedy Lamarr - H.M.Pulman esq (1941), Ava Gardner "One Touch of Venus" (1948).

What a remarkable movie! It contains, as far as I've seen her, Hedy Lamarr's best performance ever...she's luminous here, human, warm, heart-wrenching, not the aloof goddess of other MGM films (which I like too, by the way). She gives a complex, multi-layered performance as a liberal, independent, unprejudiced, modern working woman who falls in love with a lad (grandly impersonated by Robert Young) who comes from an aristocratic, old fashioned, "blue-blood" family from Boston.They meet while working together in an advertising/publicity company, but their relationship is not an easy one, due to Marvin's (Hedy) unease with his family's morals, mores and ways...The movie is told in flashback, with Harry Pulham (Robert Young) remembering his childhood and younger days, when he's well into his forties and married to a woman of his same "Social Circle" (Ruth Hussey-what a good actress she was, giving a first-rate performance in a role so different from the one she played the previous year in "The Philadelphia Story").You can tell this movie was directed by a first rate director like King Vidor, who could handle so well "sociological" issues.Good performances too by Van Heflin as Young's pal, Bonita Granville as his sister, Charles Coburn as his father et al.An engrossing film, watch it on TCM, where it's scheduled regularly.

I watched this movie on TCM for one reason only, it was made in 1941 and from the few movies I've seen from that year, I feel, that's a good year in movies. And this movie didn't degrade that premise from my mind.Robert Young's character H.M. Pulham, mainly in the flashback era of the film, I felt was sort of a laidback William Powell. I felt, and not just because he was the main character of the film, but, I felt, without Robert Young as H.M. Pulham, this movie would have been less. He gave the character a conservative attitude about things with a slight pinch of the opposite.The film did venture on for awhile, but, in a way, I felt it sort of added to it a bit. I was thinking just of that, near the end of the film, and I believe if the Director: King Vidor, edited down the movie, it would have actually made it less of what it was.The 2 hours was sufficient for the story.I found this movie to be flirtacious, but, not in the since of sex, though that would apply to this movie, but, more of the attitude of the meaning behind the word. I also found it to be coy in a way.I found Hedy Lamarr's character Marvin Ransome to be straightforward yet cautious as well.It was -- well, I can't say it was sad, though it was, but, I also can't say it was happy either.It sort of rests in between.There are 3 stories I feel in this movie, but most probably only see the one. This is a movie worth watching more than once, and I recommend it to anyone.But, realize, it's an acquired taste.I do like this version, I do not know if they have made another version, doubtful, but, you never know. And I feel, if a version of this was made today and keeping the same vigor and attitude of this version, I feel it would bode well. Though, I am sure, in this case, it would also be an acquired taste, too.I give this an 8/10 and I am sure at the time, it was quite a controversial film that as well broke laws from the 'attitude' I state above, of the film.:)

Though dealing primarily with an upper-class character, this picture involves decisions and emotional conflicts that everyone can relate to. The bittersweet story reminds us that to a greater or lesser extent we all settle for something less than the life we dreamed of. On the surface, the characters here are happy: they say they are, and they mean it. But beneath that surface are disappointment and longing that they keenly feel when the past is recalled. Better not to think about it, and just go on with the life you have.Hedy Lamarr was a curious choice for this role. It doesn't really suit her, but she handles it better than one might expect.