It Happened to Jane

I absolutely love this movie! If you love old Hollywood movies then you'll love this one.

This movie is an absolutely delightful time warp. It was filmed almost entirely in the small Connecticut River town Of Chester in the late 50s. There were no special effects used and no fake buildings erected. Except for the 5 professional actors almost all of the characters in the film are local people from Chester and the surrounding towns, (Haddam, Deep River and Essex) One of the little boys is Mickey Rooney's son. It was probably Ernie Kovaks last film and one of Jack Lemmon's first. All of the cars seen in the film were rented from locals. The town hall used in the movie is actually the historic Chester Town Hall still in use today. A visitor would recognize the center of town immediately as it has changed little in the last 50+ years. The steam train in the moview was used for decades to give rides up and down the lower part of the Connecticut River. This movie is about as "G" rated as it gets and a great movie for the younger kids. Good triumphs over evil and evil morphs into good by the end of the film. A lot of fun for the grandparents and the grandkids.

The story line is a little bit serious ,but it is still funny and has such a happy sunny opening song. Doris Day was sweet and delightful as always. Doris Day and Jack Lemmon were so cute together. They naturally looked like old friends when they had a conversation about their childhood on-screen. There are some funny scenes- George was often running very hard to save a pet lobster, Sam's life. When Jane proposed to George, he was getting all covered with coal smoke. Stunning scenery,steam train... " It happened Jane " is a beautiful, memorable family film. I am happy with the purchase of this item.

Many of Doris Day movies are on my list of movies to routinely revisit when I want to smile and laugh and feel good after watching. This one I refer to as Doris Days "Pollyanna" movie ... set in the seemingly idyllic past of times long gone. If you like musicals like Carousel, the Sound of Music, The Music Man, or movies like Pollyanna, Disney's Swiss Family Robinson, That Darn Cat,The Ugly Dachshund, or Little Women and Anne of Green Gables movies/books ... then you're sure to enjoy spending and hour or so with Doris ... who is gone but certainly not forgotten.

Columbia's spring, 1959 release, "It Happened to Jane" should have been a box-office smash. It certainly had all the makings of a hit. Starring Doris Day and Jack Lemmon, two of the screen's most gifted comic performers, featuring a great supporting cast and set amidst some of the most beautiful scenery seen up to that date in wide-screen, it nevertheless opened and closed rather quickly. Perhaps it was the title or the general lack of enthusiasm the studio seemed to have for the film, but it nevertheless provided more than ample entertainment for audiences who did venture into the theatres where it played and now, beautifully presented on DVD (It was never, oddly enough, given a release on video), it should more than provide ample pleasures for those who purchase or rent this delightful romp. In short it is the story of a widow, with two children, who raises lobsters in a small Maine town who takes on a mighty railroad whose indifference had caused her to lose a shipment. She is assisted in her battle by smalltown lawyer/boyfriend, Jack Lemmon. This being Hollywood, the outcome may seem rather predictable but getting there is such fun that you can't help but smile throughout and from time to time let out a major guffaw. The film was released about 6 months before Doris Day began her many year reign as the top box-office star in the world. The film that made that possible was "Pillow Talk". She was Oscar-nominated for her turn in that film but she is equally as good as Janie Osgood in this picture. She beautifully epitomizes the strong willed, determined New England stock she plays and the audience is rooting for her from the first frame. It is a very skilled performance utilizing the natural empathy audiences feel for her and allowing her to display her one of a kind comic timing coupled with the "heart" comedy that she does better than anyone else. Miss Day and Lemmon are great together and one can only wish they'd had another chance to work together since they are naturals. Lemmon does the sometimes neurotic, high-strung portrayal that he did skillfully for decades but it has rarely been funnier and more apt. Ernie Kovacs has the role of his lifetime as railroad mogul, Harry Foster Malone. He chews the scenery with such skill and his scenes with Day and Lemmon are memorable. You dislike his character but also enjoy the relish with which the actor plays it. Great supporting performances are contributed by Steve Forrest, Parker Fennelly, who briefly tried to fill Percy Kilbride's shoes in a "Kettle" comedy at Universal, and Mary Wickes, making her fourth big screen appearance opposite Miss Day. (She would appear opposite her one more time, ten years later when she guest-starred on Miss Day's hit CBS television series). Richard Quine, who never achieved major success as a director despite a handful of good films and would forever be known as the man who accidentally shot and paralyzed his one time actress-wife Susan Peters, directs with confidence and capability. As noted by many, there is a Frank Capra-esque quality about the proceedings. Miss Day sings the title tune and another song during the film in her customary way (i.e. one of the screen's best female singers), and there are surprise appearances by several game show performers of the time. "It Happened to Jane" may finally gain the reputation it deserves as one of 1959's happiest surprises.

This movie is great! A single mom and business entrepreneur overcome the bad guy. Doris Day and Jack Lemon take on a town and a tycoon, the stuff America was built on in my generation. Helps me remember my roots and keeps hope alive. Relationships were important during this era, so was integrity and dreams. Today's young people should watch this. Preserving history is essential to our future, and this is a period piece. I love Amazon keeping track of my movies for me...so easy to review and watch. I may never buy another hard copy again.

great movie was an old time favorite, worth the money

I loved that I just happened to find this Doris Day movie. I love DD !! She always brightens up a gloomy day. What I didn’t expect to see was my uncle Arthur ! I bought a copy to share with my family for the holidays.