Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Now that I've blown my nose and wiped the tears from my eyes, I can write about Here Comes Mr. Jordan, the 1941 romantic fantasy starring the warm and friendly and even gentle Robert Montgomery (Elizabeth's dad), the comely Evelyn Keyes (Scarlett's younger sister) and the take charge Claude Rains (Charlotte's doctor). The original engorges the heart just as deeply as its more famous 1978 remake Heaven Can Wait but lacks the laugh out loud comedy of the latter. Although it has no Dyan Cannon, Here Comes Mr. Jordan does have James Gleason, Edward Everett Horton, a very young Lloyd Bridges and any number of great and familiar Hollywood character actors (many from the Preston Sturges stable) that we've all come to know and love.

---

Theodora Goes Wild (1936)

I'm not sure what gives Theodora Goes Wild classic status as I find it slow moving, contrived and forced. Irene Dunne is fine as the prim author of a '50 Shades of Grey' type (by 1936 standards) best seller but this screwball comedy is neither of those. Melvyn Douglas plays a dastardly reporter (is there any other kind?) whose romance with the titular Theodora is as inexplicable as it is unbelievable.

---

...Arthur 2: On The Rocks (1988)

Arthur is a spoiled, alcoholic whose story was the focus of an exceptional film that made a lot of money; it was then decided to rehash that story for a sequel in the hopes of making a lot more money - albeit with a different writer/director and no originality. It's unfortunate that Dudley Moore remains drunk throughout most of Arthur 2: On The Rocks because the more interesting story would've been his attempts to stay sober and to make it in the working world. As it stands, the film has very little humor, very little humanity, and very little heart - all three of which appear for a cameo three-quarters of the way into the film when top-billed John Gielgud returns as an other-worldly Hobson, throwing in a crass attempt to turn this into a Frank Capra-less classic.

...Arthur (1981)

Writer/director Steve Gordon's only film before he died of heart failure is filled with more humor, humanity and, yes, heart than the film canons of a hundred lesser so-called auteurs. Arthur is reminiscent in style to the genuinely funny and intelligent comedies of Preston Sturges and Billy Wilder. Add the superb performances and razor-sharp comedic timing of Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, and John Gielgud (in his Oscar-winning role) and you just have to ask yourself: don't you wish you were Arthur?

...The Seat Filler (2004)

The Seat Filler is a dull movie that began its existence as an even more lame script. Only Melanie Brown (also known as Scary Spice) rises above the ennui with a surprisingly vibrant performance as Kelly Rowland's assistant. Usually, if a DVD stalls before the movie ends, I try every player I own in hopes of finishing the story; this time I just didn't care which is the worst mistake that can be made in, what is advertised as, a romantic comedy.