Columbia's MR. SOFT TOUCH pairs Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes for the sixth and final time. It is probably their best film together. A bit hard to describe, the story combines different elements. It's a comedy, a romance, a gangster picture, and it's a holiday drama. While it will please fans of each specific genre, there is no schmaltzy ending, which makes it more unique.
MR. SOFT TOUCH comes across as thoughtful entertainment. It is scripted in a way that makes us eager to learn more about the people on screen. We are told Keyes' character was beaten as a child, but her father said he loved her. Ford's character is said to be a patriot who served in the war. He's mistaken for a man who beats his wife, which resonates with Keyes. Fortunately, Ford is not actually married, did not beat anyone, and is available for romance.
These two help each other during a fateful 36-hour period. Keyes sponsors Ford's attempts to reform, and he helps her at a settlement house where she works. He is not above blackmailing neighborhood crooks to pitch in. Also, he buy things that are needed for the kids, with cash he took back from the mob.
One of the kids is a teenage gambler (Stanley Clements) who is taught an expensive lesson by Ford who's better at dice. Off to the side, we see a talkative carpenter (Percy Kilbride) who has politically-informed opinions about everything. Then there are two busybodies (Clara Blandick & Beulah Bondi) who work with Keyes. Plus a mob boss (Roman Bohnen) who wants his money back. Oh, and there's a reporter (John Ireland) who functions as a Greek chorus.
What I love about MR. SOFT TOUCH is how nobody is completely right, and nobody is completely wrong. There are no easy answers for any of them. Ford's past catches up to him in what is probably the most classic ending of all time. Yet he manages to do considerable good in the hours leading up to his last few moments.
MR. SOFT TOUCH comes across as thoughtful entertainment. It is scripted in a way that makes us eager to learn more about the people on screen. We are told Keyes' character was beaten as a child, but her father said he loved her. Ford's character is said to be a patriot who served in the war. He's mistaken for a man who beats his wife, which resonates with Keyes. Fortunately, Ford is not actually married, did not beat anyone, and is available for romance.
These two help each other during a fateful 36-hour period. Keyes sponsors Ford's attempts to reform, and he helps her at a settlement house where she works. He is not above blackmailing neighborhood crooks to pitch in. Also, he buy things that are needed for the kids, with cash he took back from the mob.
One of the kids is a teenage gambler (Stanley Clements) who is taught an expensive lesson by Ford who's better at dice. Off to the side, we see a talkative carpenter (Percy Kilbride) who has politically-informed opinions about everything. Then there are two busybodies (Clara Blandick & Beulah Bondi) who work with Keyes. Plus a mob boss (Roman Bohnen) who wants his money back. Oh, and there's a reporter (John Ireland) who functions as a Greek chorus.
What I love about MR. SOFT TOUCH is how nobody is completely right, and nobody is completely wrong. There are no easy answers for any of them. Ford's past catches up to him in what is probably the most classic ending of all time. Yet he manages to do considerable good in the hours leading up to his last few moments.