Cheap Primrose Path (Video) (Gregory La Cava) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Primrose Path

Ginger w/o the Rogers
When people think of Ginger Rogers they think of Astaire=Rogers. This is a good thing, for some of her best films lie in those ten. However, the girl in this movie seems to be more of just a GINGER, no Rogers attached. This is due largely because of the teams license as Astaire Rogers, and since Fred isn't here, it's more just like Rogers, which crosses over to Ginger. This film isn't as fun as some of her movies, but it's finely acted, and the direction is good too. Don't expect to see a bubbly little blond who dances the blues away, but expect to see a quite grown-up, serious actress who can come into her own.

---

chemistry almost perfect
Someone told me that the chemistry in this film was the best Ginger and her leading man ever had, and that Ginger and Joel could practically melt. I saw the film and I agree, with one little tiny exception... Fred Astaire. Fred was the only one whose chemistry with Ginger could top this. They were incomprable, and indescribable. But this is a different kind of chemistry, Astaire and Rogers expressed emotions through dance and song, not to mention, they were in a class all their own, while this is more through dialogue. All the kissing that goes on between Mccrae and Roges more than makes up for the lack of clinches between her and astaire. This film isn't elegant or glossy, but the acting is superb. It's very racy for 1940, even after the censors "fixed it." Mccrae and Rogers were together in 1933's "chance at heaven" which is also fine, but Ginger was still a second-lead actress at that point, and in Primrose Path, they're both now full-fleged movie stars. The story line is very dense, so don't expect happy moments, there are few of them. But the ending is nice and leaves the viewer satisfied. it's disturbingly straight forward, and an eight-year-old Joan Carroll (From 1944's Meet ME IN ST. LOUIS) plays the little sister with realism and horror. (that's a compliment.) Rogers played the part without any make-up, and she's still gorgeous,but it was a daring thing to do consideriing she was the elegant glamour girl in films like "top Hat" "Swing time" and so forth. I recommend this film, but while watching, accept the players for what they are, and if possible, keep comparisons to Astaire+Rogers musicals to a minimum. (trust me, it REALLY helps)Enjoy! PS if you are a rogers fan, like all other of her movies in the forties, watch this film, and then watch SWING TIME. What range!

---

A different side of Ginger
Primrose Path is based on the pot boiler book February Hill and despite the censorship of the time the movie does a good job of getting most of the book to the screen. Ginger plays Ellie May the daughter of a free lance prostitute who spends wild weekends in the city with well to do men for a fee. Dad is an educated man who married beneath himself and although he loves his wife and his kids he's such a hopeless drunk Ellie can't expect any help from him. Granny is an old mean and unrepentant prostitute who can't wait to for the beautiful Ellie to go into the family business.

Salvation comes in the form of Joel McCray who plays an honest decent young man who marries Ellie. He's disgusted by her family but in the end he decides to deal with it. He puts the old hag granny in her place, cleans up the household and rescues Ellie's younger sister (there were 3 sisters in the book)from the family shack and lives happily ever after with Ellie.

It's a pretty good movie and McCray and Rogers have so much chemistry they're practically sizzling on screen. Check it out.