5th Ave Girl

1939 "From park bench to parkside mansion in a riot of romantic complications and Hi-Hat Hilarity!"
6.8| 1h23m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 22 September 1939 Released
Producted By: RKO Radio Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A wealthy man hires a poor girl to play his mistress in order to get more attention from his neglectful family.

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RKO Radio Pictures

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Reviews

XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
MartinHafer It's obvious when you watch this film that it was strongly inspired by the wonderful comedy "My Man Godfrey", though it never comes close to the quality or zaniness of this earlier hit. This isn't to say I didn't like "5th Avenue Girl"--it just isn't in the same league as "Godfrey".The film begins with a rich industrialist (Walter Connelly) meeting Ginger Rogers on a park bench. It's his birthday, yet no one in his family cares or took notice. On a lark, he invites this total stranger to go out partying with him. At first, she's hesitant. However, he can afford it and she's not used to this sort of life, so she agrees.The next day, Connelly awakens with little recollection of all the details of the night before, as he had gotten quite drunk. He's surprised, however, when Rogers turns up in his home--it seems he invited her to stay in the guest room. Now you'd think this would cause a huge problem with Connelly's wife...a strange woman in the house. However, that's the crux of the problem--his family doesn't really care. So, on a lark, he decides to take this to the next step--and pay Rogers to stay and pretend to be his mistress--though there is absolutely nothing between them. He just wants to make his no-good family take notice! As for Connelly and Rogers, they are both excellent in this film. I especially love Connelly, as he was a delightful supporting actor and here he gets a chance to play the leading man--with nice results. However, after these two, the film's cast and writing really falls short. In "Godfrey", the family was kooky--filled with eccentrics and oddballs. However, here in "5th Avenue Girl", the family just seems selfish and a bit despicable--a major problem for the film. The wife and son were just selfish jerks, while the daughter, to put it bluntly, is an annoying idiot--who's in love with a really, really annoying young communist. As a result, the film rests solely on Rogers and Connelly--with no real support from anyone. If this had been worked out, the film would have been more than a pleasant comedy--it could have been something exceptional. Still, it is charming and fun to watch--plus I'd watch Connelly in anything--he's that good.By the way, listen up for a great final line by Ginger--it's a doozy.
barrymn1 This is a weird movie...it has all of the good stuff to make a 1930's great' great cast (Ginger Rogers, Walter Connelly, Veree Teasdale, Tim Holt), good story and really good sets. It's even directed by Gregory La Cava.But, somehow, everyone in this movie is lifeless....no spark. Especially Ginger Rogers' performance...it's like she's taking sleeping pills.It's really a B movie pretending to be an A movie.This movie has none of the spark that "Stage Door" has. What a pity, since it's one of Connelly's last films before his untimely death in 1940.
scorch1 The ridiculously rich (look at that mansion) and the perfectly groomed poor. Ginger Rogers proves that she was one of the best comedic, deadpan actresses of her time, even without dancing. The bratty kids, the wise ass chauffeur, the horse faced butler. The clothes, love that 1930-40's look. it must have been a real ego trip to be stinking rich during a time of world wide depression, which made the rich even richer. Great writing, acting and directing. As good as "It happened One Night". There were many movies made in 1939, a couple of them like GWTW and TW of Oz, get all the press but this movie is a gem. Walter Connolly and Verre Teasdale as high society husband and wife are great.
Arthur Hausner Ginger Rogers seemed to mumble listlessly through a part she didn't like. Tim Holt seemed too immature for the romantic lead and has no chemistry with Ginger. These items detracted from the good screenplay, which has Ginger hired by millionaire Walter Connolly to stay at his house and sort of straighten out his family. It was almost like "My Man Godfrey" (also directed by Gregory La Cava) with the sex roles interchanged, but it was not nearly as good, and certainly did not come close to the pairing of William Powell and Carole Lombard.Preview comments played a big part in studio decisions in those days. The ending in the film was changed to the one you see after preview audiences panned the original, less happy ending.