Main Cast: Ginger Rogers, Peggy Conklin, Lucille Ball, Lee Bowman
Release Year: 1938
Country: US
Run Time: 71 minutes
Plot
Based upon Arthur Kober’s play (which was subsequently musicalized onstage as Wish You Were Here, Having Wonderful Time stars Ginger Rogers as Teddy Shaw, a typist who goes to a summer camp for a little rest and relaxation. She’s also getting away from Emil (Jack Carson), whose interest in Teddy is no longer returned. Arriving at Camp Kare-Free, she’s offered a ride by Chick (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.), who works at the camp as a waiter. Unfortunately, they get off to a bumpy start when Chick spills her suitcase and an argument ensues. Once at camp, she makes friends with Fay (Peggy Conklin), Miriam (Lucille Ball) and Henrietta(Eve Arden). Chick apologizes to Teddy, and over the next six days their relationship blossoms, concurrently with that of Miriam and another guest, Buzzy. However, when Chick makes an improper advance during her last night at the camp, Teddy gets angry and leaves him. She dances with Buzzy to make Chick jealous and makes sure she is seen entering Buzzy’s cabin. She takes steps to see that nothing happens and leaves unscathed the next morning, but not before causing trouble between Buzzy and Miriam. Emil has arrived and plans to bring her home after breakfast. While they are eating, Emil proposes to Teddy. Both Chick and Miriam overhear this proposal, after which Miriam loudly comments that Teddy stayed overnight with Buzzy. In the ensuing confusion, Chick decks both Buzzy and Emil, and offers his own proposal to Teddy – which she happily accepts. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Review
Having Wonderful Time is far from a wonderful movie, but its cast makes it moderately entertaining. Arthur Kober's play has not made the transition from stage to screen with the greatest of ease; while much of the dialogue and many of the situations remain essentially unchanged, the flavor has gone out of the piece. The play is all about the world of the Catskills in the 1930s, with a sharpness and vitality that is unique to the time and the place. The movie is indistinct and flavorless (despite the use of a few "regional" accents), as well as somewhat sanitized. This makes a significant difference, for the play itself is nothing more than a little bauble, and its specificity is what made it work onstage. Fortunately, Time has a fine cast. They are not necessarily shown off to their best advantage, but they handle themselves well. Ginger Rogers has all the self-assurance necessary for Teddy, as well as just the right hint of vulnerability, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. does quite well as the man who comes to realize he wants more than just a few nights with her. Eve Arden and Lucille Ball are given far too little to do, but add a little zest to the proceedings whenever they're around, and Lee Bowman and Jack Carson do what is required of them and a little more. In his debut, Red Skelton steals a number of scenes. Fans of the cast should have a decent, if not a wonderful, time. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Perry Ferguson - Art Director, Van Nest Polglase - Art Director, Renie - Costume Designer, James H. Anderson - First Assistant Director, Alfred Santell - Director, Willaim Hamilton - Editor, Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score), Roy Webb - Musical Direction/Supervision, Sam Stept - Songwriter, Charles Tobias - Songwriter, Mel Burns - Makeup, Robert de Grasse - Cinematographer, Pandro S. Berman - Producer, Darrell Silvera - Set Designer, Vernon Walker - Special Effects, Arthur Kober - Screenwriter, Arthur Kober - Play Author
A bored New York office girl (Ginger Rogers), goes to a camp in the Catskill Mountains called Camp Carefree, for rest and to get away from the noise, busy, city life and finds a handsome waiter (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.), and they fall in love.
