The Palm Beach Story

Thematically Speaking is a continuing feature from the establishment known to a select few and private circles as The Donnybrook Writing Academy. The privileged Fritz Godard will examine three films of varying thematic relevance over the course of a month. Leaving no frame undigested and no performance unexamined, Lord Godard will bring new depth to cinematic favorites and exposure to a neglected cannon of motion pictures.

“You have no idea what a long-legged gal can do without doing anything.”

-Geraldine Jeffers

After delving into one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time last week, I’ll now turn my attention to the work of great Preston Sturges, “The Palm Beach Story.”

The Palm Beach Story begins with a series of wild, apparently random freeze frames of Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert rushing to the alter. The montage is so out of place to the rest of the film that one begins to wonder if Sturges is pulling off some non-liner editing. The entire opening credits feel like the climax of another movie. There is a fainting house keeper, a woman bound and gagged in the closet and arguing men dressing in the back of a limo. The William Penn Overture sets the movie up for its madcap romp through legitimacy of marriage. The opening scene blasts the senses and leaves the audience staggering for balance.

The beginning is a calculated bit of filmmaking that does more than pay off the screwball comedy punchline in the final act. Here Sturges bombards the audience with confusing random images to give his characters instant credibility when they return to the screen. After the madness, we get introduced to the comic archetype deaf character, adding further to the confusion of the plot. By the time we meet Claudette Colbert’s Geraldine Jeffers it takes a moment to place her from the opening rampage on the senses. However, the starlet is instantly endearing for her screen presences. I imaging the balcony yelling, “The movie star has arrived, now the picture can begin.”

Gerry’s opening exchange with the deaf Weenie King not only sets the pace for Sturges’ world class dialogue, but also waters the seed of marital discontent in Gerry. After seeing how easy it is drum up some cash with long legs and a silk robe, she begins to question the her marriage constantly behind the eight ball. By the time Joel McCrea’s Tom Jeffers comes home, Gerry is ready to reveal her frivolous desire for a divorce.

The whole time she’s explaining her reasons for a divorce to her husband she never once volunteers her reasons for it. She’s too busy stating arguments of why it would benefit Tom. After her chance encounter with the Weenie King, she can no longer wait to cash in on Tom’s potential, seeing the chance for greatness and wealth squandered on a nonsensical suspended airport. She bought yesterday’s lotto ticket with Tom and is now ready to play again knowing where the real prizes lay.

By the end of the first act, Sturges has pitted the once enamored audience against Gerry. The still committed Tom is the getting the old one-two, for reasons that are as transparent as the mesh flooring on his suspended airport. Yet, here is where the heart of the romantic comedy is flipped. On Gerry’s long journey to Palm Beach, she meets a much richer suitor, John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallée). The whole second act is spent putting Gerry’s back in the good graces of the viewers. Sturges forces the audience to switch up their thinking, but as soon as he makes his final statement on the matter and changes the audience’s mind, he switches it up and gives them what they wanted in the first place. Just like setting out to buy a Kia Sportage, then getting sold up to a Jeep Liberty. Then as soon as you’ve convinced yourself the Liberty is the car for you, signing the papers for the Sportage. The essence of this film should be been boiled down and served up in rom-com.

The emotional journey of the film takes love down from Hollywood’s idealistic pedestal, and puts it in the muck where true love is successful.

Next week: Yasujiro Ozu’s “Tokyo Story”