Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

edwagreen Shades of "Lady for A Day," and its remake with Bette Davis of "Pocketful of Miracles," is shown here slightly when a dance hall queen, Greer Garson, wed a wealthy Walter Pidgeon, had a daughter with him and was summarily kicked out of the house by Pidgeon and his mother, Lucille Watson.Years later Garson returns for her wedding. The film is very much predictable with Garson and Pidgeon again falling for each other and Watson using Cesar Romero as the guy to break it up. Romero's mother, the usually quite funny Mary Boland, is wasted here.Taylor's husband-to-be is never shown and yet his parents are. Supposedly, he is off on maneuvers as the wedding approaches. Peter Lawford as the painter is infatuated with Taylor and romance blossoms.Garson and Pidgeon actually did some singing and the last scene where they are both caught in the mud of a rainstorm is humorous.Garson and Pidgeon had such wonderful chemistry between them in their more dramatic films.Certainly, this film was a change of pace for both of them and they make it work.Garson showed her usual dramatic flare in the scene where she meets her daughter for the first time in almost 20 years.She is also a keen mother who realizes that Taylor is falling for the Lawford character.

abcj-2 I adore this nutty little film. I love Garson, Pidgeon, Taylor, and Lawford in almost any movie and particularly teamed together. Cesar Romero also adds flavor in a comedic supporting role. I enjoy classic and screwball comedies and have a long list made of those (this one is on it). Is this the best of the best? No, but it's fun and well made. That's a prerequisite for my list. I own it and still watch it each time it comes on TCM. Elizabeth Taylor, as the mutual daughter and young bride, is so young and lovely. She still has an innocence to her performance at this stage that I enjoy. Peter Lawford is young, suave, and cocky. Walter Pidgeon is typical Walter Pidgeon. But it's Greer Garson's movie and in it she shines. She produces screwball romantic comedy antics worthy of Irene Dunne or Jean Arthur. This is a must see for Garson fans. I highly recommend it to fans of any of the cast or of the genre. It's not perfect, but it sure entertains. And isn't that the point?

wes-connors In 1936 London, veteran chorus girl and actress Greer Garson (as Julia) takes a bubble bath, then receives an invitation to the wedding of the teenage daughter she abandoned to pursue a career. For some reason, Ms. Garson never got around to divorcing wealthy Walter Pidgeon (as William Sylvester Packett), which should give you an idea where this is heading. Comments from his mother indicate Mr. Pidgeon had no subsequent interest in women. The daughter in question is sweet 16-year-old Elizabeth Taylor (as Susan), who is obviously matched-up with mural painter Peter Lawford (as Ritchie Lorgan)...Before reuniting with Pidgeon, Garson becomes a throaty singer, leggy dancer, and unlikely "flying acrobatic" performer with the troupe led by suave Cesar Romero (as Fred Ghenoccio), who wants to marry her himself. After witnessing the show, Mr. Pidgeon receives a kiss and spanking from a noisy seal, backstage in Paris. Deciding she wants to buy Ms. Taylor all the past Christmas gifts she's missed, Garson goes out to win some money gambling at a conveniently located casino...Winning no money at the roulette table, Garson next decides to become a prostitute, while having a smoke at the bar. She makes off with the cash, but leaves picked-up old Nigel Bruce (as Bruce "Bunny" Willowbrook) sexually unsatisfied. Later, Garson disrupts the wedding rehearsal with a superstitious story about the color pink, and then Garson does her seal impression. This, of course, recalls the earlier live seal scene with Pidgeon. None of this plays very well, or even makes much sense. A couple of the later scenes, with Garson and Pidgeon boating while Mr. Lawford gives Taylor a picnic kiss, are sweetly romantic.**** Julia Misbehaves (8/8/48) Jack Conway ~ Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Elizabeth Taylor

Emaisie39 Greer Garson had a charmed film career. She was discovered on the English stage by Louis B. Mayer when she was 33. Her MGM career stalled until she was cast opposite Robert Donat in the classic "Goodbye Mr. Chips"(1939) which made her an immediate major star and a worthy successor to fading MGM superstars Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Garbo. Her lovely, charismatic performance in this film brought her the first of seven Best Actress Oscar nominations. Truth be told her role was too small for such a nomination and Shearer's and Crawford's superb work in "The Women"(1939) should have gotten the nominations. Garson's next film was the disastrous "Remember"(1939) a glossy flat so-called comedy that had her much too prim and proper. But after Shearer unwisely passed on "Pride and Prejudice"(1940) Garson was cast in the central role and received raves from everyone. In retrospect she seems too old for this and the more youthful-looking classy Shearer would have been much better but this film made Garson an enormous star which she remained until a string of entertaining disasters in the early 50's. Of course Garson would win her Oscar for the excellent blockbuster "Mrs.Miniver (1942) -another dumb Shearer turn-down- and Garson would now be typecast in generally too noble and ladylike roles. Nonetheless Garson gave a sparkling performance opposite Crawford in the forgotten "When Ladies Meet"(1941) and gave marvelous natural performances in the hugely popular yet maligned "Adventure"(1946) and superb in the disastrous "Desire Me"(1947). The comedy "Julia Misbehaves" came right after and proved a tremendous hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Though superficially "the lady" once again this role allows Greer to be the comedienne and she succeeds splendidly. The sparkling script and direction, the MGM gloss, her great chemistry with Pidgeon, and the beautiful young co-stars Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Lawford add to the non-stop fun. She plays a wayward showgirl who wants to be part of her daughter's wedding even though she has not been around for years. It's the kind of light hearted romp that Hollywood tries to do now in days with Sandra Bullock, Meg Ryan, Reese Witherspoon and surprisingly Diane Keaton. Of course these recent films rarely work as well as the delightful "Julia Misbehaves." After this Garson returned to the lady roles and had her last big hit with the stodgy technicolored "That Forsythe Woman"(1949). Most of the films that followed were failures except for her outstanding work in "Julius Caesar"(MGM,1953) and Oscar-nominated as Eleanor Roosevelt in "Sunrise at Campobello"(Warner Brothers, 1960).