The Lady Is Willing (1942)

The Lady Is Willing is an American film comedy-drama first released in 1942, directed by Mitchell Leisen.  The film stars Marlene Dietrich, Fred MacMurray, Aline MacMahon, Stanley Ridges and Arline Judge.  Our overall rating for this film is: mediocre.


When Broadway star Liza Madden suddenly discovers her maternal instinct one day, she thinks nothing of picking an abandoned toddler off the street and taking him back to her apartment.  Despite the protestations of her business manager, Liza is determined to adopt the child, and immediately calls in Dr. Corey McBain to examine him.  When she learns that she can only keep the child if she is married, Liza makes Dr McBain a strange proposition – if he marries her, she will give him the financial backing he needs to carry out groundbreaking research on rabbits.  All goes well until Dr McBain’s first wife turns up...

Not Marlene Dietrich’s finest hour, and it is something of a mystery why she ever agreed to appear in this film.  The Lady Is Willing is an odd concoction of farce, screwball comedy and melodrama that tries desperately to make something of its totally implausible (and at times disturbing) storyline.  There are one or two reasonably good laughs along the way, but the comedy is pretty hit-and-miss, and Dietrich clearly looks uncomfortable in a film that manages to waste her talents.  This is one of those films which somehow doesn’t seem half so bad after you’ve imbibed a glass or two of your favourite alcoholic beverage.

© James Travers 2008

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