None But the Lonely Heart (1944) Review

None But the Lonely Heart

• Director: Clifford Odets
• Writer: Clifford Odets (from the novel by Richard Llewellyn)
• Producer: David Hempstead
• Studio: RKO Radio
• Stars: Cary Grant, Ethel Barrymore, June Duprez, Jane Wyatt, George Coulouris, Barry Fitzgerald
• Length: 113 min
• Genre: Drama
• MPAA Rating: Not Rated
• My Rating: **.5
• Oscar Nominations: Actor (Grant), Supporting Actress (Barrymore), Editing, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
• Reel Nominations: Supporting Actress (Barrymore)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has never much taken to comedies. Only two comedies in the last thirty years have managed to win Best Picture, while actors who primarily play comedic roles have found it necessary to crossover to heavier fare in order to be recognized by the Academy.

No actor better exemplifies this bias than Cary Grant. One of the silver screen’s greatest stars, Grant was a natural performer who could create characters without utilizing all of the tricks and methods that most actors find necessary, and he was never better than when cast in fast, witty comedies. He gave one such performance in Arsenic and Old Lace, for which he receives a Reel nomination for Best Actor in 1944. That brilliant comedic performance was, however, passed over by the Academy in favor of Grant’s performance in — you guessed it —  a schmaltzy melodrama.

In None But the Lonely Heart, Grant portrays a young cockney lad who returns home for a short visit before venturing back into the streets of London to enjoy his favorite pastime: bumming. Unfortunately, Ernie is immediately faced with the discovery that his mother (Ethel Barrymore), with whom he has frequently quarreled, hasn’t much time left. And so, for the first time in his life, Ernie decides to put someone else’s happiness before his own by trying to reconnect with Ma, and make her last moments on earth special.

If the filmmakers had been content to make this above description the extent of the film’s plot, this would be a wonderful little movie. The scenes between Grant and Barrymore are well-written, competently directed, and, most importantly, well acted by the two legendary stars. Unfortunately, these scenes only comprise half the running time.

The other bits of plot, which threaten to override the better aspects of the film, concern Ernie and Ma’s temptations toward a life of crime in order to make ends meet. Ma’s dabble in shady dealings stems from a desire to leave her son some sort of legacy, while Ernie’s is a result of his renewed attachment to his mother and a need to make her feel comfortable for once in her life.

On paper, these scenes seem as if they may provide the overall story some much-needed support. On the screen, they simply distract and fall flat. The handling of these scenes makes them seem pointless, with the script and direction failing to form any connection between the supposedly hard-boiled world that Ernie finds himself in and the one he left behind at home. It seems as if this subplot was concocted only as a way to keep the film from becoming tiresome by focusing solely on Ernie and his Rock of Gibralter mother. If this were the goal, the resultant solution only made what may have seemed inevitable come true sooner than it otherwise would have. The film does become tiresome with the addition of these unneeded characters and scenes, while the dialogue and direction are uninspired, the editing tiresomely lazy (how this editorial effort managed to win an Academy Award nomination is beyond me), and the acting by all (I know of no one who would sing the praises of June Duprez and Jane Wyatt, while George Coulouris might as well have snored his lines) incredibly bland. Even Grant (who was very proud of this film, going so far as to call it his favorite among his own body of work) has trouble standing out in this snooze fest.

The only redeemable aspects of None But the Lonely Heart are the scenes that don’t concern themselves too much with plot and unwarranted sentimentality. These are moments that allow Cary Grant, Ethel Barrymore, and Barry Fitzgerald (who is quite good, even if his character’s existence is rather pointless and only serves to wake the audience up every twenty minutes) to shine in ways that only they could. The film’s biggest mistake is in highjacking it from these stars and forcing them to participate in unbelievable, unneeded, and downright boring situations, especially when they can so easily be contrasted with the strength and truth that shines through during the too few scenes between Grant and Barrymore. These actors provide the film with a perfect emotional center. It’s simply too bad that doesn’t earn it.