Isn't It Romantic

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• 1948
• 1 hr 27 mins
• Comedy, Drama

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The three writers of "Isn't It Romantic" were evidently of three minds about this production, one holding out for farce, another for a sentimental study of an eccentric family, and the third for a musical. The compromise, of course, would have been to merge all three ideas. But judging from the evidence at hand each held out for his own position. Roland Culver, an unreconstructed southerner still fighting the Civil War from the library of his Indiana home at the turn of the century, is the father of three daughters played by Veronica Lake, Mona Freeman and Mary Hatcher. He's swindled by Patric Knowles, a guy handy at passing out fake oil well stock and at making passes at such lasses as Miss Lake. Mr. Culver has a handful of potential sons-in-law around, also, chiefly Billy De Wolfe. Mr. Culver has a maid, Pearl Bailey, and a regular visitor, a brat who puts firecrackers down tubas at Fourth of July picnics, name of Larry Olsen. Almost everybody sings. Miss Lake almost marries the swindler. Her eyes are opened to the cad in Mr. Knowles when he attempts to run away with the oil well money. Miss Lake gives chase, gets her hands on the coin, and returns it to papa just in time to save him from public humiliation. But "Isn't It Romantic" isn't a plot picture. It's a family picture in content and it's a family picture, too, from the selling standpoint. The picture is pleasant and lyrical and inoffensive and Miss Bailey does a couple of comedy songs that are fun. But the picture is rambling and slow, much of the humor, despite Mr. De Wolfe's presence, is flat. There is a more than capable cast, but the story material seems to be lacking.