Theodora Goes Wild

Having lived in small towns for many years, that town-gossip tradition hits a little hard. Some of the humor is great. I didn't love it, though, and I can't tell if it was because Douglas didn't strike me as a romantic lead, or if it was that some of the humor was obviously forced in order to re-use it during the "mirrored" second half. Or maybe I was too distracted by that cat's skinned tail.

The film’s biggest problem and blessing is that Melvyn Douglas’ character is basically an unlikeable jerkoff who sends crazy cringe the first half of the movie. Once the film hits the second half and Irene Dunne flips the script (quite literally), it’s a joy - a commupance for every highfalutin jerkoff up to that point. Theodora does indeed live up to the title and decides to burn the world down around her which I adored - could be the millennial in me. Dunne is a helluva screen presence.

not too funny but the whisteling dude is hot

Os Pecados de Theodora. No começo eu estava meio decepcionada e não entendi porque a Carole Lombard tinha sido a primeira opção para viver a Theodora já que estava sendo uma comédia bem amena, na segunda metade entendi o porquê, é aí que tudo fica delicioso quando a Irene Dunne se liberta da cidade do interior que vivia dentro dela. Box OP Comédias Clássicas.

I found this awkward, predictable and pretty much unwatchable unfortunately. The premise is attractive but the film didn't engage. It didn't help that the role and actions that were written for the lead male actor were not only unfunny and overdone but simply became annoying over time. I quit 30 minutes in. My wife lasted the distance but called it just OK. A long way from the "Riotous" in the poster and more "Intrusive" than "Romantic".

In her capsule review of this, Pauline Kael uses the word "corny"... it certainly is an apt adjective. It has a certain charm, and it creaks along more or less agreeably, but god... If I didn't hate whistling before, I certainly would after seeing this. It is rather amusing to see Melvyn Douglas stir up shit when he is totally unprepared to deal with the results.

Star Rating: ★★★★

Irene Dunne played more kinds of roles in more kinds of movies than most of her female peers, and is arguably more natural, spontaneous and memorable than any of them. In fact, Theodora Goes Wild is her first comedy. She walks right into it, and manages to both be better than all of her female comedy contemporaries and completely different from all of them as well.

Funny look at small town gossip, scandalous writers, and the boxes we're in that we try and ignore. Dunne and Douglas are a lot of fun, as each takes their turn being the victim of each other's self righteousness. Great stuff.

Story is stupid, but Irene Dunne is charming and Melvyn Douglas is fun.

The story is delightful, but Melvyn Douglas is no leading romantic! And that's the main drawback. The beautiful Irene Dunne is as good as can be and is the reason to see this. Her and the local gossip clan! My, what a wonderful bunch of stuck up hags! Especially Spring Byington who just shines whenever she can smell a scandal! And when Dunne gets fed up with the narrow minded small town mentality she feeds their hunger for something to talk about! And that combination makes this worth wild!