Alexander Joins the Army

Successful novelist Paula "Polly" Wharton (Irene Dunne) and newspaper editor Max Wharton (Alexander Knox) are a happily married couple. Max is highly regarded at the New York Bulletin, the newspaper at which he is the chief editor. Though he is well Over 21 (1945), (39, in fact) he feels it is his duty to enlist in Officer Training School and serve in the military during World War II, much to the disgust of the paper's owner, Robert Drexel Gow (Charles Coburn), After successfully completing Basic Training, Max is off to Florida to attend Officer Training School, where Polly will join him as an Army wife. Both must adapt to a life that is alien to anything they have ever encountered.

This is an entertaining film with light humor and an interesting point of view. While most films focus on the man's adjustment to the military, Over 21 is more concerned with Polly. She's led a relatively privileged life; the career successes of herself and her husband mean that she's never had to do the "housewife" tasks - until now. Ms. Dunne plays Polly as a determined woman. She's succeeded in everything she's ever tried - she can surely prevail in this as well. Her goal is to be with her husband and support him in his efforts in the Army. Ms. Dunne avoids having the audience pity Polly - we laugh with her as she manipulates the peculiarities of her new housing and new life style. We also watch as she protects her husband from the intrusions of his former boss. Ms. Dunne was not the first choice for the role - Rosalind Russell was originally considered for Polly, but dropped out to appear in Sister Kenny (AFI catalog)

It's a bit harder to get involved with Max. He is convinced that he can only write about the war if he experiences it in some direct way. It's clear from the start that, at age 39, he does not expect to see combat, but he does wish to learn about what the men who are going into battle will face.  We appreciate his motives, but we get very little information about him; we know he is an intelligent man, who is lost as he tries to learn a new job. Mr. Knox doesn't get a lot of help from the script, with all the really good lines going to Ms. Dunne. As a result, Mr. Knox is left looking frustrated and unhappy. Any empathy you feel is because of Polly's devotion to him than to the depth of the character.  

Alexander Knox was born in Canada. His acting career started in Boston, with a repertory theatre, but when it closed, he returned to Canada to work as a reporter. After two years, he went to England, and appeared in several films. By 1940, he was on Broadway, first as Friar Lawrence in a production of Romeo and Juliet (that starred Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh), then in Jupiter Laughs, starring opposite Jessica Tandy. He'd already appeared in several Hollywood films, including The Sea Wolf (1941) and This Above All (1941), when he was offered the lead in Wilson (1944), which earned him a nomination for Best Actor. His film career ended abruptly, when he was unofficially blacklisted for his involvement with the Committee for the First Amendment (Actors on Red Alert: Career Interviews with Five Actors and Actresses Affected by the Blacklist by Anthony Slide). He returned to England with his wife, Doris Nolan (they were married from 1943 until his death in 1995), and worked there (and eventually back in the U.S.). He died in England of bone cancer.

Charles Coburn as publisher Gow is, as always, very good and very funny. But Gow's attitudes towards Max's desire to serve in the military are unpleasant; Mr. Coburn plays him as a completely selfish man, who would rather sell his paper than do the work necessary to make it a success without Max. While you laugh at his antics, a lot of head shaking occurs as he tries to manipulate Polly and Max.

I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but some of the best moments in the film occur at the end, when Polly decides it's time to intervene in saving the paper for her husband and for Gow. The look of sheer delight on Max's face when he discovers her work is something that really appealed to us. For that reason alone, this film is worth a viewing.

Over 21 is based on the Broadway play, which was written by and starred Ruth Gordon; it ran for 221 performances in 1944. The play's time-frame is 1943, and while the film does not give us a date we know that World War II is raging.

Over 21 opened at Radio City Music Hall to poor notices: here is Bosley Crowther's New York Times review. Several factors contributed to the reviews. The movie was released just after VJ-Day (TCM article), which greatly influenced its reception - it was seen as a relic, discussing issues that no longer needed consideration (Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood by Wes D. Gehring). 

Another problem was the original Broadway play. Some criticisms at the time considered that Ms. Dunne's performance was too close to Ms. Gordon stage rendition. Finally, other reviews focused on  Mr. Knox's performance, stating that it was too reminiscent of his work in Wilson. (Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918 by Hal Erickson). 

None of that is relevant today, as it is not possible to see stage play.  We can also relate to Max's desire to do all in his power to stop another war from happening.  We'll leave you with this short clip from the film, and a suggestion that you give it a viewing: