Ever Since Eve (1937)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

EVER SINCE EVE (Warner Brothers, 1937), directed by Lloyd Bacon, stars comedienne Marion Davies in what proved to be her final screen appearance. With her career dating back to the silent era of the 1920s, ranging from drama, historical costume epics and later occasional musicals during the sound era, many agree that Davies was at her best when it came to comedy, especially the available silent Hollywood story titled SHOW PEOPLE (MGM, 1928). Even in sentimental drama as PEG O'MY HEART (MGM, 1933), Davies could be quite appealing. Leaving her home base of MGM by 1934, she settled for Warner Brothers where she starred in four productions before EVER SINCE EVE made it her last before retirement. Whether this was intentional or not is uncertain, for that approaching the age of 40, it would be a matter of time before Davies might turn to  character parts or mother roles. Though EVER SINCE EVE is not a Biblical tale of Adam and Eve, it's only a movie title with a song number bearing that title, but no character in the story named Eve. It's a story about a pretty secretary named Marge posing as a homely girl so not to have her male bosses doing more than dictating on company time.Set in San Francisco, California, the story opens by the building of the Peace and Purity League where five pound boo volumes of "The History of Peace" are thrown out the window landing on the sidewalk to a crowd of pedestrians below. The camera soon captures Marge Winton (Marion Davies) quitting the firm after Mr. Mason (Harry Hayden) "was giving dictations but was a little too fast." Her next place of employment for Henderson, Barton and Lowell Imports finds her going through the same routine with the company presidents, Henderson (William B. Davidson), Barton (Pierre Watkin) and Mr. Lowell (John T. Murray), all wanting her to work overtime and in private. At the Johnson Employment Agency, Marge learns of a publishing company hiring only homely women to keep the male workers on their jobs and not on their pretty secretaries. Turning herself into an ugly ducking, Marge takes the position under the male figure of a woman president, Abbie Belldon (Louise Fazenda), who assigns Marge as stenographer under Freddy Matthews (Robert Montgomery), an author whose book is due for completion by May 1st. Matthews delay in meeting the deadline is caused his jealous girlfriend, Camille Lancing (Marcia Ralston), who takes up much of his time playing around. After Marge quits, he soon realizes she's the most efficient stenographer he ever had. Wanting her back in his employ, he comes to her place of residence where he meets the pretty Marge, posing as her roommate, Sadie Day (Patsy Kelly), which stirs up confusion with Sadie's plumbing boyfriend, Jake Edgall (Allen Jenkins). Afraid of losing her job, Marge becomes Sadie, followed by a relationship of love. In order to get his book finished or else face a $30,000 lawsuit, "Sadie" leaves Freddy and heads for Monterey. Unable to forget "Sadie," though ignoring his deadline, Freddy leaves for the Monterey Tavern to find Marge, who stirs up further confusion trying to be two people at the same time without arousing suspicion.Among those in the cast featured are: Barton MacLane (Al McCoy, Jake's boss); Frank McHugh (Mike McGillicuddy, employee under Miss Bellkon using the name of "Mabel DeFlaven); Frederick Clark (Alonzo, Freddy's Butler); Charley Foy (The Bellboy);  and Mary Treen (The Employment Clerk), among other. Brief song interludes include: "Shine On, Harvest Moon," "The Wreaths of Flowers," "Ever Since Eve" (by Jack Schroll and M.K. Jerome); and Spanish dance performed by uncredited couple. The pleasing title song is also underscored during title credits and story Overlooking the fact that there was an earlier film bearing the EVER SINCE EVE title for Fox Films (1934) starring George O'Brien and Mary Brian, the one thing about this EVER SINCE EVE should have been was being an exceptional comedy, but somehow became a misfire upon release. Though the casting and comedy lines are well cast and constructed, when released at the time here screwball comedies were on the rage, EVER SINCE EVE didn't seem to warm up to either movie going public or critics possibly because of Davies' unattractive presence of either looking like a comic strip character, or a pale comparison to silent screen actress Colleen Moore in horn-rim glasses and long bangs. Comedienne like Lucille Ball in later years could and would get away with becoming unglamorous types such on television, as this and accepted and adored with laughter by her viewers. It's a wonder how the public might have accepted other leading ladies as Jean Arthur, Carole Lombard or Jean Harlow in the same situation? The plot is formula material, which is no surprise here. Robert Montgomery (on loan from MGM) is quite acceptable as the author with who'd rather have his eyes on attractive women than finishing his novel; while Patsy Kelly, as usual, adds amusement getting a quota of laughs with her one-liners. Barton MacLane, usually a serious actor, is briefly shown as one to date Marge, only to run the opposite direction after seeing her new image.Never distributed to home video, EVER SINCE EVE does deserve a look, especially for it being Marion Davies' farewell performance, whenever it turns up on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (**)

What a gem of a movie! Sure, some of the circumstances are preposterous, even for 1937, but the pace is fast, the characters are fun and the building tension as the main character tries to juggle being both Marge Winton and "Sadie Day" is as much fun as the climax of "Mrs. Doubtfire" in the restaurant when Robin Williams just continually change between characters. I'm stunned this has never been remade (or perhaps it has?). Marion Davies is a delight, every bit as fun as Carole Lombard. I've never seen her in a movie, and always heard she was a mediocre actress. But she's actually quite good, perfect for this role. On the one hand, this is an incredibly dated movie. On the other hand - is it? Sexual harassment is certainly still a problem in the workplace, though how a woman looks is no protection against it or invitation for it, as this movie implies. But the scene where Marion Davies, in frumpy disguise, isn't helped as she enters a hotel and doesn't get a very nice reception from the front desk clerk, but beautiful "Sadie Day" gets helped and warmly welcomed - has anything really changed from then until now?It was also startling, and refreshing, to see black British actor Frederick Clarke as the urbane butler, though I held my breath when a character was furious with him started to insult him with a word that started with "n" - and sighed with relief that the word turned out to be "nincompoop."

William Randolph Hearst preferred to see mistress Marion Davies in magnolia-scented romances, but comedy was her forte, and she gets a nice chance to show off in this screwball romance, her last movie. She's a capable secretary who's sick of being pawed by her bosses and disguises herself as a frump. The trouble is that even a brunette-wig Marion with unbecoming glasses isn't THAT hideous, and the plot machinations stemming from her deception thus seem a little under-motivated. Further, it's something of a B supporting cast--what's Louise Fazenda doing in a role with Edna May Oliver written all over it, and why isn't Gail Patrick playing Marion's nemesis instead of this nobody? Bob Montgomery is just fine playing the light-leading-man sort of role he did dozens of times, and Patsy Kelly and Allen Jenkins are very reliable in this sort of thing. It doesn't sparkle, but as others have noted, it makes its serious points about women in the workplace who aren't appreciated for their talents, and Marion looks like she's having fun getting to be something other than a boring beauty.

I agree with the first comment, that I expected a poor picture and discovered a highly entertaining light comedy. Yeah, perhaps Marion Davies was typically too old to be playing what the reviewers called another "eye-batting ingenue," but she's not batting her eyes here. The entire concept of a woman succeeding based on her hard work, talent, and merit is taken quite seriously for a "silly comedy." This concept has been used time and time again, particularly with Laura La Plante in the English THE CHURCH MOUSE (35), and the earlier Warner BEAUTY AND THE BOSS, with Marian Marsh. La Plante was splendid, Marsh a bit inexperienced to carry off the entire chore, but Marion Davies plays with professional elan, and as usual, she is surrounded by folks who see to it that your time is never wasted - Patsy Kelly, Louise Fazenda, Frank McHugh, Allen Jenkins, and Barton MacLane. Bob Montgomerey was borrowed from MGM, and although he's certainly at home in such material, he doesn't seem to be enjoying the ride as much as the rest of the cast. Davies made four films at Warners, and although Jack Warner claimed they all made (highly suspect) profits, they were certainly lavish affairs. EVE was the final appearance, and although it was not PEG O' MY HEART or SHOW PEOPLE or WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER, it is by no means a poor film, in fact, I would stack it against any later 30s film starring one of her contemporaries, say, Norma, Dolores, Janet, or Joan.