Film #066 - Hide-Out (1934)
Viewed March 7, 2006
Hide-Out is a predictable, but immensly entertaining little comedy.
It stars Robert Montgomery as a mob enforcer and womanizer, who finds himself stuck with a New England farm family while recouperating from a gunshot wound. While he is there, he finds himself falling not only for the farmer’s daughter Pauline (Maureen O’Sullivan), but the lifestyle, as well.
If you think you can imagine exactly what the film is like from that description, you are probably right. At that time, Hollywood churned out comedies like this without a second thought. That doesn’t mean they aren’t entertaining.
Robert Montgomery made a career playing lovable lugs like the Jonathan ‘Lucky’ Wilson he plays here. No matter how many times he did it, from early movies like Free and Easy (1930) to classics like Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), he was always appealing. With O’Sullivan in support, the central love story is able to come through effectively, despite its lack of originality.
The rest of the cast is made up of more experienced prodessionals like Edward Arnold, Elizabeth Patterson and Mickey Rooney. These are the type of performers who always brought their “A game”, no matter the project and Hide-Out works because of them.
The story itself, as noted, is nothing extraordinarily original, but the script is still fun, with lots of good gags and dialogue that never strays too far into hokum. Hide-Out is a fine film and well worth the time spent on it.