It Happened to Jane
It Happened to Jane
NR | 05 August 1959 (USA)
It Happened to Jane Trailers

Jane Osgood runs a lobster business, which supports her two young children. Railroad staff inattention ruins her shipment, so with her lawyer George, Jane sues Harry Foster Malone, director of the line and the "meanest man in the world".

Reviews
edalweber

I have always liked this movie, as a nice relaxing movie when you are depressed.The cast is uniformly well suited to their roles, especially Kovacs as the nasty tyrannical railroad tycoon, he couldn't be improved upon.The wonderful old steam locomotives is one of the stars, and provides some of the best scenes. It has its serious side as an example of someone standing up for principle regardless of the odds, something all too rare today. Some people consider using the train to be far-fetched, and maybe it is. But sadly by far the most far-fetched thing in today's society is everyone being shamed by Georges wonderful and elequent speech and rallying to the support of their neighbor.In todays society that is less likely than the train lifting off the tracks and flying. but the beauty of the countryside and the village are lasting and endearing. and as an escape to the America that once was, even if idealized it provides some escapist comfort

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SimonJack

This move is filled with smiles and laughter. Doris Day didn't just make great social comedies with Rock Hudson. Before, after and in between "Pillow Talk" and "Send Me No Flowers," she romped through comedies with James Garner, Rod Taylor, Clark Gable, Cary Grant and others. She sang and danced in musicals with Frank Sinatra, Gordon MacRae, Howard Keel, Jimmy Durante, and Danny Thomas. And, the versatile Day showed she could act very well in dramas and suspense- thrillers with James Stewart, Rex Harrison, Louis Jordan, James Cagney and Kirk Douglas. "It Happened to Jane" is a wonderful comedy and light romance with two great comedy co-stars, Jack Lemmon and Ernie Kovacs. Apparently, this was re-released two years later under another title, "Twinkle and Shine." Kovacs is the perfect cad – "the meanest man in the world." He is Harry Foster Malone, chairman of the E&P Railroad, who can't be bothered by small town Maine lobster dealer, Jane Osgood (Day). But, when her friend and small town attorney, George Denham (Jack Lemmon) helps her sue the E&P for damages because of its foul-up, Malone has met his match. When the controversy draws New York news media attention, Malone has to concede to save face. But, just as we think Jane has succeeded and gotten a fair deal, Malone pulls some more shenanigans to try to derail her. This happens a few times in the film. It all builds up to more entertainment and fun.This is a fun-filled film that the whole family should enjoy

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dougdoepke

Entertaining A-budget production, but too plot-heavy to really succeed as a comedy, despite the heavyweight talents of Lemmon, Kovacs, Day, and director Quine. In short, the comedic moments have to compete with too many plot developments in a screenplay more seriously complex than most comedy set-ups. Strong-willed Day is determined not to be bested by railroad tyrant Kovacs in getting her lobster business going. Throw in a romantic triangle and Lemmon's political ambition and you've got a crowded storyline. Nonetheless, all the principals are in fine form—Day's all sunny spunk, Lemmon's a slightly pixilated attorney, while Kovacs does his usual moustache-twirling villain.As entertaining as these characters are, the movie really succeeds as a slice of idealized Americana. Whoever decided to film in an actual New England small town and use the residents for the many crowd scenes deserves a medal. The resulting visuals are a permanent record of small town America at mid-century and wonderfully colorful to look at. There's a bit of Norman Rockwell nostalgia in some of the set-ups that could have come off a Saturday Evening Post cover, especially those around the train station. And what could be more popularly American than the little guy (gal) besting the big guy at his own game. I just wish the script had eliminated the unnecessary and non-comedic Day/Forrest subplot, and instead mixed in more interaction between Kovacs and Lemmon whose chemistry is superb as shown in the under-rated Operation Mad Ball (1957). Nonetheless, there are enough compensations to make this a very watchable 90 minute diversion.

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JLRMovieReviews

As the tag line says, it could have happened to anyone, but it happened to Jane. What is it? It's this nice story of Jane, who inherited a lobster business from her dad and her struggles to get them to restaurants etc. due to "the meanest man in the world" Ernie Kovacs, the man who owns the train service that goes through her little town in Maine. Jack Lemmon is a local attorney who's been friends with her since so high. For such an unknown movie, you would think it's pretty lame. It's not what I would call a laugh-a-minute or a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it's very good at creating character and life in Cape Anne, Maine. They make us care very much about the people in this small town, but the battle between Ernie and Doris gets out of control and in the last half hour, one tends to lose some interest. But overall, a pleasant diversion for Jack and Doris fans, with a dashing Steve Forrest to boot, to give Jack a run for his money. Who will win Doris' hand? Well, it happens like this...

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