Grade: C-
Synopsis: En-route to Hollywood to oversee production of her best-selling novel, an author (Claudette Colbert) meets a Marine (John Wayne) who she believes would be perfect for the lead.
Without Reservations is a light, romantic comedy that marked something of a departure for both director Mervyn LeRoy and star John Wayne, as both were accomplished veterans, but in other genres, LeRoy in melodramas, and Wayne in westerns and war pictures.
Unfortunately, while Wayne adapts to the new genre rather naturally, LeRoy seems much more uncomfortable, and never seems to find a pace that suits the material. The result is a decidedly middle-of-the-road picture that works best when Wayne’s onscreen, but struggles when he’s not.
Top-billed Claudette Colbert is passable, but the film drags toward the end when it falls to her to carry it. Despite a fun cameo by Cary Grant, the final act makes it clear that this was Wayne’s picture all along. The script tries to give the film some substance by working in a muted anti (or is it pro?) feminist sub-plot that never really takes off, leaving little more than Wayne’s charm to keep things rolling.
That said, fans of Wayne may want to give Without Reservations a look, if only to see the Duke in a non western or military setting, though, while it’s not a bad picture, it’s certainly no must-see.
