Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Allissa .Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Dan L. Miller Plot spoilers—Dolly's father forces her into an arranged marriage, and, as a result, she willfully hates her husband. After the death of her husband and child, she becomes the toast of Washington and the object of the most powerful politicians. She vows to truly love the next man she marries. This film is a political romance with Dolly looking for love and fulfillment among Washington's most powerful men. She proves to be their equal intellectually and politically. I've seen many Ginger Rogers films, and I've enjoyed them all. Some are frivolous and entertaining, some are musical and entertaining, and some are dramatic and entertaining. This movie is powerful and provides historical background to an intense drama. Just as Dolly's intellect and influence equaled the politicians of her time, Rogers' performance equals the skill of the other stellar actors in the cast. Some movies I can't wait to end, but with Magnificent Doll, I wanted it to continue beyond "The End." Captivating, entertaining, and a Rogers hit. Must see viewing.

mark.waltz Twenty years before playing matchmaker Dolly Levi, Ginger Rogers played a real-life Dolly, the famous Washington hostess who eventually became first lady and the name on a donut box. She's a feisty young lady whose father promised her hand in marriage to a man she didn't love, and after a marriage where she doesn't utter "I love you" until its too late, she finds herself involved with two rising politicians, both on opposite sides of the spectrum in government. Aaron Burr (David Niven) is handsome and charming, but his ambitions go far beyond the ideals of early American freedom. James Madison (Burgess Meredith), "the father of the constitution", is quiet and idealistic, even though he quietly manipulates Burr into an introduction to the lovely Dolly. As she learns the truth about each man, her feelings towards both of them change, even though her loyalty towards a traitorous one remains as far as praying that they will see the error of their ways. But evil ambitions rarely change, and Dolly will have to make a drastic decision based upon her own conscience rather than what lies deep in her heart.If you get past the casting of Ginger Rogers as Dolly Madison, you've won half the battle. She's much more attractive than the real Dolly, but that's Hollywood for you. Another issue is the fact that Ms. Rogers didn't play any other period roles than this one, so her acting may make the character seem a lot more modern than the colonial days this was set in. Getting past all that, she's very sincere in her portrayal and makes Dolly a vibrant force to be reckoned with. Meredith's James Madison is played with quiet dignity, while Niven's Aaron Burr is a force of nature, and one to be reckoned with. Probably the only time Niven ever played a villain, it seems like a role more likely for someone like Vincent Price or George Sanders, but it is a nice switch to see someone as dashing as Niven playing somebody totally despicable.As the devoted first husband longing to hear the words "I love you", Stephen McNally is very effective and Rogers believably allows her feelings to change from hatred to admiration and later on an unspoken love. If this doesn't really reflect who the true Dolly Madison was, it at least gives the viewer a chance to see what life may have been like at the time and to see Rogers in a different type of role than they are used to. The real power of the drama is in watching Niven's Burr literally go mad with his desire for power and how he is ultimately destroyed by it. Rogers is powerful in her final scene where she begs a mob out to hang Burr not to do so otherwise make him a martyr. The scene is obvious fiction as is the speculation of a romantic connection between Dolly and Aaron, so on that level, this isn't a historical document but a speculation by the writers. It is still enjoyable on a fictional level utilizing real life historical events to cap its story around legend.

l_rawjalaurence Ostensibly set in the late eighteenth century, MAGNIFICENT DOLL is a biopic of Dolley Madison (Ginger Rogers), who is forced into marriage with her first husband John Todd (Horace McNally); suffers a bereavement due to the plague, and encounters dashing senator Aaron Burr (David Niven). The two of them fall in love, but Dolley discovers to her cost that Aaron is not quite the romantic hero she first assumed. His ambition often gets the better of his reason, so much so that he is prepared to flout the constitution to achieve his ends. Eventually Dolley marries Senator James Madison (Burgess Meredith) and condemns Aaron to a life of perpetual isolation - a free man yet with no one to support him either politically or personally.Released in the year immediately following the end of World War II, Frank Borzage's film underlines the importance of the constitution, especially the parts focusing on freedom, the rule of law and social equality. There are long sequences involving Madison, Dolley and Aaron which discuss such topics: sometimes it seems that the film has sacrificed plot-development for propaganda. Aaron is a superficially attractive character, but he believes in despotic rule in which everyone should submit to his will. He needs to be ousted in order for the American way of life to continue.Stylistically speaking, MAGNIFICENT DOLL oscillates between love- scenes involving Dolley and Aaron (with H. J. Salter's lush score appearing somewhat intrusive), and sequences of political intrigue and/or debate. Dolley's first supper-party is impressively staged, with Dolley and Madison sat at either end of a long table, flanked by congressmen and their spouses. Borzage's camera intercuts between the two protagonists, making us aware of their burgeoning relationship which was both personal and political in scope.David Niven was a highly versatile actor who often seemed to be typecast in romantic leading roles. By the mid-Forties his career as a leading man was on the skids, due in no small part to his military service in the British army. As Aaron, he has the chance to demonstrate his capacities, especially when he tries (and fails) to conceal his frustrations both in love and politics. Meredith makes a convincing Madison; the kind of person whom everyone can trust and hence an ideal presidential candidate. Rogers doesn't have much to do, except for a climactic speech delivered at the end of the film to the Virginian people where she emphasizes the importance of the rule of law. This she delivers with élan.MAGNIFICENT DOLL is a watchable film, even if its didactic purposes sometimes get in the way of its dramatic development.

Rotundy I stumbled across this movie in a rather old presidential quiz book. Already knowing a great deal about Dolley Madison before I bought the movie wondering how they were going to dramatize one America's most beloved first ladies. I started the movie with mixed emotions and finished it feeling the same.Ginger Rogers was a great actress but she doesn't pull off a convincing Dolley Madison-there's something missing. I don't know what it is, but it just isn't there. I did manage to overlook Rogers performance and applaud David Niven who was perhaps my favorite character. He pulled off the scheming Aaron Burr to perfection. From the beginning as a senator, to the tie with Jefferson in the election of 1800, to the treason trial that forced him into obscurity. It was Aaron Burr who introduced Dolley to James Madison in the first place. Reading the box I knew Burgess Meredith would play James Madison it was a shock to see him (I'm dating myself here when I say the first time I saw him was in Grumpy Old Men). I liked him second, his smallness (after all James Madison is still our shortest president at 5'6') and his quiet way made it easy to understand why Dolley Madison choice him instead of Aaron Burr.After watching this movie I had rather hoped that Hollywood would find someone to redo this movie. I think Dolley Madison's life is just as interesting as Thomas Jefferson's. Maybe if they do choose to redo this movie they could show that she had two sons (in the movie it only mentions one son who died in the yellow fever epidemic but actually she had one older that lived). The elder son, named Payne Todd, from Dolley's first husband who died in the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1794, is the one who caused many heartaches in Dolley's later years even though she didn't admit it. He was a drunkard and a scoundrel and spent money lavishly. To get back to the movie, overall it wasn't bad. If you like period pieces and good verses evil you'll enjoy this movie. It wasn't the best movie I've seen but wasn't the worst. The acting was good; especially David Niven and Burgess Meredith did an okay job. They played a little bit with Dolley's life but you can't expect Hollywood to get it right all the time.