The Affairs of Martha

2) "The Affairs of Martha" (1942) is a good illustration of how even adream cast and solid directing cannot transform a weak script intoanything more than a very average production. Imagine having the luxuryof Marsha Hunt as your leading lady and female love interest; surroundher with some of the best comic character actors of the era (VirginiaWeidler, Marjorie Main, Margaret Hamilton, Spring Byington, and GradySutton); finally throw in Richard Carlson's best ever performance. Anymovie buff would expect quite a treat from this ensemble.

In writer Isobel Lennart's defense, Weidler was miscast; what arehilarious lines coming from a precocious 11-year-old (for which thepart was written and for which Weidler would have been perfect a fewyears earlier) just don't work coming from a 15-year-old actress wholooks even older. Following this film with several similar disastersWeidler retired from the business.

Contrary to the plot summary, young housekeeper Martha Linddstrom'ssoon to be published book is not the real focus of the film. It is aromantic comedy much like "Bringing Up Baby", and could have benefitedfrom a few of that film's screwball elements. Jeff Sommerfield(Carlson) returns home from a long absence with his new fiancée Sylviain tow. Jeff does not reckon on the continued presence of Martha(Marsha Hunt) in his parent's household. Just prior to his departure hemarried his parent's housekeeper at the conclusion of a drunken bender.Because she is genuinely in love with him Martha did not follow throughon her promise to have the marriage annulled but instead has worked toimprove herself in night school and has just completed a book laudinghis family.

Oddly, coming from a misunderstood woman writer and centered on amisunderstood woman writer, Lennart takes a lot of cheap shots at thethird side of the screenplay's love triangle. Academic Sylvia Norwood(Francis Drake) is beautiful, intellectual, accomplished, and verywell-adjusted. This is not the sterile Alice Swallow character in"Bringing Up Baby". Sylvia must serve as the film's villainess, whichnot only fails to generate any audience concern (Jeff would benefitgreatly from being paired with either woman), it totally undermines theworking woman political subtext of the production.

Along with Carlson's performance there are several very good thingsabout "The Affairs of Martha". Marsha Hunt (as always) is excellent inboth melodramatic and comedic moments; its just too bad her characteras written is so bland. For my money Hunt is the Hollywood's all-timemost underrated actress and I've enjoyed her each time I've seen her.Grady Sutton has the film's best moment early in the film in anonverbal sequence at the breakfast table; unfortunately his characteris not developed further Given the film's very short running length andits failure to develop many of the most amusing secondary characters itis likely that much was trimmed out during the editing process.

There is a clever dinner table scene near the end of the film in whichJeff is emotionally ranting against writers and publishers; ademonstration that further alienates Martha. Eventually you understandthat it is a ploy to delay the announcement of his engagement to Sylviabut it works as a very nice bit of misdirection.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

3) The film begins with a small but very rich town all abuzz because astory appears in the newspaper that one of their servants has written a"tell all" novel. Most of the folks are worried that their own secretsand peccadilloes will be exposed, so everyone seems to be keyed up tosay the least.

The film then centers on a particular household where Marjorie Main andMarsha Hunt are employed. Unbeknownst to all, sweet Marsha is theauthor, but no one seems to suspect her in particular. Later, when herboss' son (Richard Carlson) returns from an anthropological expedition,a MAJOR romantic mess is revealed and much of the rest of the film is acute romantic comedy where it soon is apparent that these two have someunfinished business! The writing, acting and pacing of this little filmare all excellent–resulting in a very nice and very watchable film.Considering the modest expectations of this low-budget film, it is aconsiderable success.