If You Could Only Cook (1935)

So much average

Let's be realistic.

Best movie ever!

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

His man Godfrey gets a wife and a cook on thus amusing screwball comedy where a wealthy automobile industrialist takes on a butler position with a stranger he met in the park posing His wife, a cook. She has no idea who he really is, while their rather eccentric boss didn't have a clue that he was a being had. All it took was Jean Arthur, as the cooking candidate, to waft a clove of garlic over a pot of sauce rather than drop the whole thing in. Herbert Marshall is the deadpan millionaire posing as a butler, while Leo Carrillo is the rather crass employer with a dubious career and gravel voiced Lionel Stander as his sour assistant.A year before the release of "My Man Godfrey", society got a poke in the nose with this dry screwball comedy which, while not quite a classic, is amusing extremely amusing. Carrillo, an underrated comic, steals every scene just by destroying every English word he speaks. Stander um is also dreadfully funny, filled with acid wit that brings on hysterics just by dropping an ordinary line. Frieda Ibescort is imperious as Marshall's nasty fiancé.Typical but well written and superbly acted, this is formula fluff that Stoll has enough surprises along the way to keep it fresh. Arthur gives the impression that she may know Marshall's true identity. Stander gets to follow Marshall around, giving some mistaken confusion to the busy plot. This isn't earth shaking, but has many fun moments that makes it quite delicious.

Herbert Marshall is quite charming as an automobile tycoon who chances upon unemployed, nearly-homeless Jean Arthur in the park; he conceals his true identity and helps land a cook-and-butler job for them both at the home of a wealthy racketeer, but his impending marriage to a society girl might put an end to the charade. Silly fluff, but put over with so much professionalism that one isn't apt to complain too loudly. Arthur creates a likable character and has some very cute scenes (especially her cooking audition with the garlic), while her conversation with Marshall early on about "two hundred people for every one job" is remarkably relevant in the 21st century. The premise is thin, with the stretch marks extremely apparent in the final tug, yet there are still enough big laughs here to satisfy fans of nutty 1930s comedies. **1/2 from ****

Quite a delightful movie! I started watching expecting a rip-off of My Man Godfrey and wound up being entertained by its twists and turns. Herbert Marshall and Jean Arthur made a great pairing opposite the gangsters with hearts of gold and the corporate execs who were timid in business matters but very quick to make social judgments. I thought the opening was an actual wedding because of the decor of the room, the large number of onlookers and the semi-formal attire worn by the men. The bride in a black suit momentarily surprised me but I figured it was a Depression era economy. It was only when the organist made his joking comment that I realized it was a rehearsal.This was a fun introduction to a director whose name was unfamiliar but whose work I'd enjoyed in the past. Seeing it on MeTV (WBME) with a single commercial block about 2/3's of the way through added to the enjoyment.My only question -- did Americans of this era and class really speak with such mid-Atlantic accents? Everybody sounded like modern BBC announcers. It wasn't until Jim met Joan that characters began speaking in American accents.

This is a rather simple plot for a film, but due to exceptional writing, deft direction and the winning acting of Herbert Marshall and Jean Arthur, it's a wonderful movie. This is a great old romantic film that would be great to see with someone you love.Marshall plays the CEO of a huge car manufacturing company. When his ideas are rejected by the board, he gets annoyed with the business. At about the same time, he meets Arthur, who has no idea he's a rich big-shot. She actually thinks he's an out of work schnook and convinces him to apply to a job with her--she as a cook and he as a butler in the same household. Since Ms. Arthur is so charming and sweet, he agrees and neither she nor the employer know his true calling. Later, this misunderstanding REALLY gets out of hand, but I don't want to spoil the film by explaining further.The bottom line is that the freshness and delightful nature of the film make up for the fact that the plot line is pretty hard to believe. Unless you are an old grouch or hate old films (people like this need to be shot), you will like this film.Interestingly, the film was so good that Columbia Pictures' president, Harry Cohn, tried a "fast one". Since Frank Capra worked at the studio and was now famous for IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (having practically swept the Oscars) and since IF YOU ONLY COULD COOK was such a sweet film, it was marketed as a Capra Film--even though Capra had NOTHING to do with it!! As a result, Capra sued and Cohn nearly lost his job until it was all smoothed over and tempers subsided.