The moviegoers of 1948 were used to seeing Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon paired in dramatic roles. Since 1941, they had appeared in five films together. So, when MGM paired them in a comedy for the first time, the public reaction was mixed. Some audiences had so typecast the couple that they couldn't appreciate them in anything other than a drama. Particularly not a comedy. But others liked the new Garson, especially. The critics too, were divided. But in the end, "Julia Misbehaves" came out ahead at the box office.
Since then, audiences who weren't brought up with Garson and Pidgeon dramas have not typecast them in those roles. As a result, more people have come to appreciate their performances in "Julia Misbehaves." And, thereby, also to enjoy this very good comedy-romance for the entire cast and its terrific screenplay. For this truly is a superb comedy. The plot is clever and the script has some tremendously funny antics and hilarious dialog.
There is a somewhat serious note in this film as well. But the comedy is everywhere. This is an early major role for Elizabeth Taylor, and it has a tremendous supporting cast. Third place billing belongs to Cesar Romero who gives the funniest performance of any of his comedies. Romero is part of a love triangle, and every scene he's in brings laughs. His comedy performance here is among the very best of someone who's not trying to be funny. Peter Lawford, Lucile Watson and Nigel Bruce deserve mention for their very good supporting roles.
Rather than a screenplay with running humorous dialog, the comedy is neatly packaged in several distinct scenarios. The scenes of Julia (Garson) in an acrobatic troupe on stage are hilarious. That is one of the best movie sequences of comedy from a stage act within a movie. Another such great scene comes to mind while watching this - the Marx Brothers in "A Night at the Opera." Garson is an absolute riot in this scene, and it's all hers. Toward the very end of the movie, Julia and William Packett (Pidgeon) get drenched and covered in mud in a thunderstorm. They slip and fall, and one leg of Julia's sinks in a mud hole up to her knee. It's the funniest weather scene I can recall from any movie.
On a boat crossing the English Channel, Julia meets Freddy (Romero) and his family. He is the head of the famous Ghenoccio acrobatic family. He does pull-ups, handstands and other muscular feats, all the time explaining his family's background. His sport coat is so stuffed with padding that he looks very top heavy. A couple reviewers considered this a poor job of costuming, but one wonders if the studio didn't intend it to be so obvious for the further comedy effect. But there's no doubt Romero was in top physical shape by his muscular demonstrations on ship and later in the Packett home.
Finally, this film has one of the longest segments of verbal jousting and parrying in any film. It's likely the longest between the three members of a love triangle. And this segment even has a fourth person. The scene has nearly five dozen lines that could be broken into two dozen or more hilarious quotes. This is one of those times when it's nice to watch a movie on DVD when one can stop and replay a scene. It goes quite fast. One can watch the changing expressions on Julia's face as each of her earlier tricks to get some cash land her in hot water with Freddy (Romero).
Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more comedy dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
Fred says to William as they both stand outside Julia's bedroom door, "She may be your wife, but she's my fiancé."
William, "To say nothing of a stitch in time saves nine." Julia, "What's that got to do with it?" William, "Nothing. It just occurred to me."
Fred, "You took me for a strange man?" Julia, "Not not really." Fred, "Well you either took me or you didn't."
Since then, audiences who weren't brought up with Garson and Pidgeon dramas have not typecast them in those roles. As a result, more people have come to appreciate their performances in "Julia Misbehaves." And, thereby, also to enjoy this very good comedy-romance for the entire cast and its terrific screenplay. For this truly is a superb comedy. The plot is clever and the script has some tremendously funny antics and hilarious dialog.
There is a somewhat serious note in this film as well. But the comedy is everywhere. This is an early major role for Elizabeth Taylor, and it has a tremendous supporting cast. Third place billing belongs to Cesar Romero who gives the funniest performance of any of his comedies. Romero is part of a love triangle, and every scene he's in brings laughs. His comedy performance here is among the very best of someone who's not trying to be funny. Peter Lawford, Lucile Watson and Nigel Bruce deserve mention for their very good supporting roles.
Rather than a screenplay with running humorous dialog, the comedy is neatly packaged in several distinct scenarios. The scenes of Julia (Garson) in an acrobatic troupe on stage are hilarious. That is one of the best movie sequences of comedy from a stage act within a movie. Another such great scene comes to mind while watching this - the Marx Brothers in "A Night at the Opera." Garson is an absolute riot in this scene, and it's all hers. Toward the very end of the movie, Julia and William Packett (Pidgeon) get drenched and covered in mud in a thunderstorm. They slip and fall, and one leg of Julia's sinks in a mud hole up to her knee. It's the funniest weather scene I can recall from any movie.
On a boat crossing the English Channel, Julia meets Freddy (Romero) and his family. He is the head of the famous Ghenoccio acrobatic family. He does pull-ups, handstands and other muscular feats, all the time explaining his family's background. His sport coat is so stuffed with padding that he looks very top heavy. A couple reviewers considered this a poor job of costuming, but one wonders if the studio didn't intend it to be so obvious for the further comedy effect. But there's no doubt Romero was in top physical shape by his muscular demonstrations on ship and later in the Packett home.
Finally, this film has one of the longest segments of verbal jousting and parrying in any film. It's likely the longest between the three members of a love triangle. And this segment even has a fourth person. The scene has nearly five dozen lines that could be broken into two dozen or more hilarious quotes. This is one of those times when it's nice to watch a movie on DVD when one can stop and replay a scene. It goes quite fast. One can watch the changing expressions on Julia's face as each of her earlier tricks to get some cash land her in hot water with Freddy (Romero).
Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more comedy dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.
Fred says to William as they both stand outside Julia's bedroom door, "She may be your wife, but she's my fiancé."
William, "To say nothing of a stitch in time saves nine." Julia, "What's that got to do with it?" William, "Nothing. It just occurred to me."
Fred, "You took me for a strange man?" Julia, "Not not really." Fred, "Well you either took me or you didn't."