The Facts of Life

In some ways, this is like an "I Love Lucy" show with cursing, lots of drinking, and centering on adultery. Ball and Hope work well together.

The plot begins inauspiciously: We see Hope doing a comedy gig as MC at a local event. We hear Ball's thoughts about how crass and unfunny he is. (And he -- this character, not Hope himself -- is.) Because of circumstances that throw them together, however, they are very soon sexually and romantically involved with each other.

If one can get past this, which I could, the movie is sophisticated (well, for its time) and often funny. It was probably a courageous move for both of them to step into such a risqué plot.

The supporting cast is good. Ruth Hussey plays Hope's wife. As always, she is good. But seeing her is sad: Though she looks fine, her voice had aged badly. Irene Dunne's did too. Though I am crazy about Dunne, her last couple movies are painful for this reason. Hussey sounds like an elderly woman, which she really was not. Ball's voice had gone the opposite direction: She speaks almost in the basso profondo of her later television series.

If this turns up, give it a try. It's surpassingly good.