The Mad Miss Manton

1938 "Out of the social register and into the police blotter!"
6.7| 1h20m| NR| en
Details

When the murdered body discovered by beautiful, vivacious socialite Melsa Manton disappears, police and press label her a prankster until she proves them wrong.

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Reviews

Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!
Manthast Absolutely amazing
Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
mark.waltz It's up to the great Barbara Stanwyck to turn fluff into something special. Granted, with her speaking the lines, it sounds better than it could have been, a rather ordinary and far fetched story that RKO was already making starring the yet not A listers Lucille Ball and Ann Sothern. With Stanwyck cast, the film becomes an A picture where all eyes are on the great lady of the screen in front of them. Cast as a dippy socialite hiding a brain underneath the fur, Stanwyck is walking her foofy dogs one night and stumbles across a dead body. Well known to local law enforcement for being part of a group of dippy Park Avenue socialites getting into trouble, and now, she wants them to help her solve the crime, leading to more murder and trouble with not only the law but determined reporter Henry Fonda as well. Future "Blondie", Penny Singleton, features into the plot line, and shows a bit of what kept her fresh playing one part for 12 years. Surrounded by a group of starlets who seem to be working hard to keep up with her, it's obvious that Stanwyck was their den mother, not only as the character, but as their mentor and teacher as well. Fonda, apparently unhappy with this part, doesn't let that show, and the chemistry with Stanwyck later confirmed in two other movies, is obvious. I recognize the set from two other RKO movies of the same year, "Carefree" and "Bringing Up Baby", but this is unique and special because of the spark that she brings in. Soon to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel is very funny as her maid, delivering each line with gusto.Moments of suspense and some great screwball one liners give this an important place in the comedy hall of fame. This flies by in 80 minutes and is an exercise in true artistry. Barbara Stanwyck once said that whatever she had, it obviously worked, even if she couldn't identify it, but to use a word that she taught TV costar Linda Evans years later, what she had was presence.
gridoon2018 Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda have a strong, sometimes even sensual chemistry in "The Mad Miss Manton", particularly when he tells her things like "I realize that I should let go of your hand, but I'm finding that I don't want to", or when they're alone in a moonlit room, talking about their mutual acrophobia. He is young and handsome, she is hot and has probably the best, most toned arms of any actress in the 1930s. The plot can be confusing on the first viewing (with some previously unintroduced characters suddenly popping up as suspects), but this is still an entertaining comedy-mystery, with the novelty of an all-girl squad of amateur detectives on the side, plus James Burke playing the exact same kind of dumb cop he repeated in the entire "Ellery Queen" series of the 1940s. *** out of 4.
MartinHafer This was one of many Hollywood films of the 1930s that tried to cash in on the Nick and Nora Charles phenomenon. Americans loved the Thin Man movies and so there were many similar films, such as this film. THE MAD MISS MANTON was similar to the Thin Man films because it relied heavily on sophisticated comedy and the actual murder plot was, at best, secondary. Plus, like Nick Charles, Miss Manton was a rich society party girl.Since the plot isn't exactly relevant, the repartee between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda is excellent and a lot of fun to watch. In particular, I liked the scene when they first met--she slapped him and without any hesitation, he slapped her right back! In addition to their wonderful scenes together, Hattie McDaniel was excellent in a supporting role. Instead of the usual Black maid part, she was very sassy and smart--dishing it out every bit as well as anyone else! So if you are looking for a fun "turn off your brain and just enjoy" film from Hollywood's Golden Age, look no further. You're bound to enjoy this film immensely--provided you don't worry about the unnecessary details (such as the plot or how unbelievably stupid the cops are in the film).
rulebritannia-1 In 1941, Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck starred in 'The Lady Eve' (one of the finest comedies of all time) but before this Fonda and Stanwyck made a relatively unknown comedy called 'The Mad Miss Manton' and may I say that this is an excellent lead-up to 'The Lady Eve'. The dialogue (written by the supremely witty Philip G. Epstein) sparkles and goes so fast that it takes a second viewing to get all the jokes. And in an age of political correctness the dialogue is even funnier. Dora's quip about communism (Helen:"If the upstairs has to be searched, we'll search it together"-Dora:"Why that's communism!") is just so unexpected. Unlike the Lady Eve, where Fonda is primarily the straight guy, in 'Mad Miss Manton' he holds his own and is especially good in the hospital scene, where he plays Stanwyck for the sucker. Apparently, Fonda hated making this film and being ambushed by gaggle of girls would certainly put a dent in your pride. On the whole, an excellent but unfortunately unknown film. If you are planning to see "The Lady Eve' do try and see this film because it is truly a gem in the Screwball genre.