{"id":18629,"date":"2011-07-15T11:51:58","date_gmt":"2011-07-15T18:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=18629"},"modified":"2020-12-25T00:54:14","modified_gmt":"2020-12-25T07:54:14","slug":"made-for-each-other-1939","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=18629","title":{"rendered":"Made for Each Other (1939)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Don&#8217;t ask for your rights; demand them!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Poster-201x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"201\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-18635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Poster-201x300.jpg 201w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Poster-86x128.jpg 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 201px) 100vw, 201px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA newlywed lawyer (Jimmy Stewart) tries to gather enough courage to demand a raise from his bullish boss (Charles Coburn), while his new wife (Carole Lombard) struggles to please her picky mother-in-law (Lucile Watson).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Carole Lombard Films<\/li>\n<li>Charles Coburn Films<\/li>\n<li>Jimmy Stewart Films<\/li>\n<li>John Cromwell Films<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Newlyweds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary argues that this film about &#8220;the trials and tribulations&#8221; of a young married couple &#8220;starts out like a standard comedy, but becomes better as their problems increase and [the] characters take a more serious approach to improving their financial woes&#8221;. He accurately notes that &#8220;Lombard and Stewart are appealing even when their characters let us down or the script becomes overly melodramatic or mawkish&#8221; &#8212; which, unfortunately, is exactly what occurs during the film&#8217;s final half-hour, when the storyline suddenly turns into (as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1380made.html\">DVD Savant puts it<\/a>) &#8220;a ridiculous mess&#8221;. Indeed, the film&#8217;s lengthy, admittedly nail-biting denouement nearly ruins the heartfelt veracity of what&#8217;s come before: just as we&#8217;re beginning to truly empathize with these characters and their challenging situation, we&#8217;re thrown into a plot twist straight out of Melodramatic Screenwriting 101. <\/p>\n<p>It could be argued &#8212; as DVD Savant does in his review &#8212; that the Masons&#8217; entire situation is overplayed as much more dire than it really is. After all, the couple&#8217;s worst troubles consist of a dinner party gone awry (no more wine left!), Stewart unable to get a raise and promotion (though he DOES have a stable job during harsh economic times), having to house their newborn baby&#8217;s crib in the dining room (horrors! I&#8217;m guilty of that one as charged), and &#8212; the <em>worst case scenario<\/em> &#8212; actually being unable to afford their housemaid anymore (!). With that said, it&#8217;s still easy enough to sympathize with a couple who (in Savant&#8217;s words) &#8220;are about as endearing as a movie pairing can get&#8221;, and are ultimately &#8220;trying to cope with familiar financial problems&#8221; &#8212; and Lombard&#8217;s interactions with her meddlesome mother-in-law (nicely played by Watson) ring true. It&#8217;s just too bad the script fails the characters completely by the end &#8212; though I&#8217;ll guiltily admit that my heart was in my mouth throughout. Watch for unexpectedly Expressionistic sets by William Cameron Menzies, lit atmospherically by D.P. Leon Shamroy. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Carole Lombard as Jane Mason<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Lombard.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Lombard-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Lombard-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Lombard-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Lombard-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Lombard.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Jimmy Stewart as John Mason<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Stewart2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Stewart2-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Stewart2-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Stewart2-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Stewart2-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Stewart2.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The Masons&#8217; nicely realistic interactions with their newborn son (reminiscent of similar scenes in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=15808\"><em>Penny Serenade<\/em><\/a>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Fatherhood.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Fatherhood-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Fatherhood-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Fatherhood-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Fatherhood-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Fatherhood.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Louise Beavers in a tiny but memorable role as Jane&#8217;s maid, Lily<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Beavers.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Beavers-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Beavers-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Beavers-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Beavers-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Beavers.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>William Cameron Menzies&#8217; Expressionistic sets (during the final half hour)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Sets-1024x599.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-18642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Sets-1024x599.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Sets-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Sets-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/Made-for-Each-Other-Sets.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s worth a look simply for Lombard and Stewart&#8217;s fine central performances. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0031602\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1939\/02\/17\/archives\/the-screen-in-the-best-of-humors-is-made-for-each-other-at-the.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1380made.html\">DVD Savant Review (spoiler alerts)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t ask for your rights; demand them!&#8221; Synopsis: A newlywed lawyer (Jimmy Stewart) tries to gather enough courage to demand a raise from his bullish boss (Charles Coburn), while his new wife (Carole Lombard) struggles to please her picky mother-in-law (Lucile Watson). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Carole Lombard Films Charles Coburn Films Jimmy Stewart Films John Cromwell Films Marital Problems Newlyweds Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary argues that this film about &#8220;the trials and tribulations&#8221; of a young married&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=18629\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18629"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59383,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18629\/revisions\/59383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}