starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Marilyn Monroe
directed by Howard Hawks
97 minutes
Barnaby Fulton (Cary Grant) believes that he has come up with a formula that makes people more youthful. He tries it on himself and starts acting much younger. He eventually recovers but doesn't realize that it is actually the water cooler in his office that caused him act younger. The water was spiked by a monkey that escaped from it's cage temporarily and was messing with chemicals. Mr. Oxly (Charles Coburn), Barnaby's boss is very excited to hear about the discovery.
Edwina Fulton (Ginger Rogers), Barnaby's wife, isn't as excited especially when she notes the lipstick on his face that came from Lois Laurel (Marilyn Monroe), Mr. Oxly's secretary. Edwina insists on trying the formula herself. She has a similar experience to Barnaby.
The hijinks continue after Barnaby and Edwina unknowingly each take another dose (after she has recovered from the first dose) via drinks from the water cooler.
Three of the actors in this movie were also in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953): Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, and George Winslow. Both films were directed by Howard Hawks but the later one was in color and this one was in black and white. I prefer the latter film.
At one point Barnaby, while under the influence, starts calling himself Red Eagle and then leads a group of young kids to scalp the head of a man whom he suspects is trying to steal his wife. This might have been considered funny in the early 1950s but it is definitely a strike against this movie in my book.
A lot of the situations and humor in this movie felt forced. The characters didn't feel real enough to me. I was mildly amused at times but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.
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