Up In Mabel's Room (1944)

At a house party during a weekend in the country, misunderstandings and confusion finds a disparate group of people engaging in hysteria, accusations and deceit. Based on the play by Wilson Collison (previously filmed in 1926) and directed by Allan Dwan (SLIGHTLY SCARLET). This frantic bedroom farce has all the requisite elements of the genre: slamming doors, hiding under beds, sneaking out of windows, revolving partners etc. but there's not much elan in the proceedings. Director Dwan tries hard enough but for the most part, the cast aren't farceurs and there's an air of desperation, of trying too hard. I don't find jealousy particularly amusing and one wonders why the wimpy husband (Dennis O'Keefe) puts up with his wife's (Marjorie Reynolds) psychotic jealousy. The whole incident revolves around a piece of lacy pink lingerie and if O'Keefe just told the truth instead of trying to hide it, all the nastiness could have been avoided. But then there wouldn't have been any movie, would there? Best among the cast are Charlotte Greenwood and Mischa Auer who have good comedic timing. Others in the cast aren't as assured: Binnie Barnes, Lee Bowman, Gail Patrick and John Hubbard.