One Last Fling (1949) - Turner Classic Movies

Brief Synopsis

A jealous wife decides working for her husband is the best way to keep tabs on him.

Cast & Crew

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Peter Godfrey

Alexis Smith

Zachary Scott

Douglas Kennedy

Ann Doran

Ransom Sherman

Judge Josh Boulton

Photos & Videos

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One Last Fling - (Original Trailer)

Film Details

Genre

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

Aug 6, 1949

Premiere Information

New York opening: week of 30 Jun 1949

Production Company

Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 5m

Sound

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Synopsis

New York housewife Olivia Pearce is completely bored and wants to return to work, but her husband Larry objects, even though she earlier helped him build his music store into one of the biggest in the city and ran it while he was away at war. Later, Larry tells Olivia's uncle, judge Josh Boulton, who is one of the store's investors, that he needs someone to head the sales department and plans to hire Gay Winston, his wartime secretary, an attractive young woman who is recently divorced. When Larry makes the announcement at a sales meeting, salesman Howard Prichard mistakenly assumes that Larry intends to hire Olivia, and says as much when she arrives in the office. Larry then feels compelled to offer her the job, and a delighted Olivia accepts. Later, she has lunch with Vera Thompson and another saleswoman at the same restaurant where Larry is meeting Gay to explain why he can no longer hire her. Olivia feigns disinterest in Larry's lunch date, adding that she has only been jealous once during their marriage--when Larry wrote home constantly about a WAC captain named Gay Winston. Olivia's composure cracks, however, when Gay's ex-husband, Victor Lardner, storms into the restaurant and accuses Larry of stealing Gay's affections. By the time Larry returns home, a jealous Olivia has packed his suitcase. Larry spends the night upstairs at Josh's apartment and the following morning apologizes to Olivia. When Olivia learns that his lunch date was Gay, however, she becomes jealous again. Larry then reveals that he had intended to hire Gay, not Olivia, as the sales manager, and she demands a divorce. One night, a depressed Larry encounters Vic in a bar. At first they do not recognize each other, and when they do, they burst out laughing. When Gay joins them, Vic explains that they are reconciled, and that he has made a resolution never to be jealous or angry again. In the meantime, Olivia has realized how much she loves Larry and rushes to his hotel to tell him. At the same time, Larry, who has decided to resolve his problems with Olivia, goes to her apartment with flowers. Not finding their spouses at home, each assumes that the other is out with someone else. Three months later, Larry stops by Olivia's apartment again. When the lights go out during a snow storm, Larry spends the night, and finally all misunderstandings are cleared up and the two are reconciled.

Director

Peter Godfrey

Cast

Alexis Smith

Zachary Scott

Douglas Kennedy

Ann Doran

Ransom Sherman

Judge Josh Boulton

Veda Ann Borg

Jim Backus

Howard Prichard

Helen Westcott

Annie Mae Hunter

Barbara Bates

Jody Gilbert

William Vedder

Joan Winfield

Lottie Williams

Jack Mower

Ambulance driver

Creighton Hale

Philo Mccullough

Edward Murphy

Morgan Brown

Pat Flaherty

Crew

Milo Anderson

Alexis Smith's Wardrobe

Everett A. Brown

David Buttolph

Saul Elkins

Richard Flournoy

Carl Guthrie

Director of Photography

John Hughes

William Kissel

Assistant Director

Herbert Clyde Lewis

Based on a Story by

Don Page

Leonid Raab

Orchestra Arrangement

Frederick Richards

William Sackheim

Perc Westmore

Howard Winterbottom

Videos

One Last Fling - (Original Trailer) Film noir regulars Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott make a rare dive into comedy in One Last Fling (1949).

Film Details

Genre

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

Aug 6, 1949

Premiere Information

New York opening: week of 30 Jun 1949

Production Company

Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.

Distribution Company

Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 5m

Sound

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Articles

One Last Fling

June 17, 2014

"When hubby still takes one last look and wifey still wants one last word, somebody's going to have One Last Fling," proclaimed the trailer for this 1949 Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott marital comedy. Billed as "a rollicking merry-go-round with a laugh at every turn," and "the laugh-loaded story of a Mrs. and her Mr., who was a good husband day in and night out!," One Last Fling was written by Richard Flournoy and William Sackheim, and based on a story by Herbert Clyde Lewis. Englishman Peter Godfrey, who had directed middle-budget, light comedies for Warner Bros, was at the helm.

Although One Last Fling was a fluffy comedy, the story of a woman who worked during World War II and finds herself bored with being a post-war housewife was a true reflection of the times. The war had pushed women into the workforce as never before, with Rosie the Riveter remaining an iconic symbol of those women who rolled up their sleeves to get the job done. But what happened to Rosie when the men came home and she was forced back into the home?

One Last Fling has Olivia Pearce (Alexis Smith) spending the war years in charge of the music store owned by her husband, Larry (Zachary Scott). When Larry returns home, Olivia is back to being a New York housewife. The store begins to expand and Larry decides to hire someone to head up the sales department, so he looks to recent divorcee Gaye Winston (Veda Ann Borg), who had been his secretary during the war. A series of misunderstandings results in Olivia thinking she has the job, and Larry is forced to hire her. When Larry has lunch with Gaye to explain, Olivia sees him and thinks he's having an affair. Also in the cast was Ann Doran and future Gilligan's Island and Mr. Magoo star, Jim Backus.

This was not the first time that Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott had worked together; they had been previously paired in Whiplash (1948) and South of St. Louis (1949) and the experience making this film was a happy one. In a letter to his future wife, Ruth Ford, Scott wrote, "I am making One Last Fling at Warner Bros. now, a comedy, my first, and loving it." Unfortunately, the critics didn't. The mysteriously named "H.H.T." writing for The New York Times called it "loud" and "childish." "Miss Smith is decorative, no more, and Mr. Scott manages to look and act like a mistreated spaniel. [...]Ransom Sherman, as a wolfish uncle, and Jody Gilbert, as a powerful Katrinka eavesdropper, almost make the whole thing worth staying awake."

SOURCES:

Davis, Ronald L. Zachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated Cad
H.H.T. "One Last Fling" The New York Times 1 Jul 49
The Internet Movie Database
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/85694/One-Last-Fling/
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/95061/One-Last-Fling-Original-Trailer-.html

By Lorraine LoBianco

One Last Fling

One Last Fling

"When hubby still takes one last look and wifey still wants one last word, somebody's going to have One Last Fling," proclaimed the trailer for this 1949 Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott marital comedy. Billed as "a rollicking merry-go-round with a laugh at every turn," and "the laugh-loaded story of a Mrs. and her Mr., who was a good husband day in and night out!," One Last Fling was written by Richard Flournoy and William Sackheim, and based on a story by Herbert Clyde Lewis. Englishman Peter Godfrey, who had directed middle-budget, light comedies for Warner Bros, was at the helm. Although One Last Fling was a fluffy comedy, the story of a woman who worked during World War II and finds herself bored with being a post-war housewife was a true reflection of the times. The war had pushed women into the workforce as never before, with Rosie the Riveter remaining an iconic symbol of those women who rolled up their sleeves to get the job done. But what happened to Rosie when the men came home and she was forced back into the home? One Last Fling has Olivia Pearce (Alexis Smith) spending the war years in charge of the music store owned by her husband, Larry (Zachary Scott). When Larry returns home, Olivia is back to being a New York housewife. The store begins to expand and Larry decides to hire someone to head up the sales department, so he looks to recent divorcee Gaye Winston (Veda Ann Borg), who had been his secretary during the war. A series of misunderstandings results in Olivia thinking she has the job, and Larry is forced to hire her. When Larry has lunch with Gaye to explain, Olivia sees him and thinks he's having an affair. Also in the cast was Ann Doran and future Gilligan's Island and Mr. Magoo star, Jim Backus. This was not the first time that Alexis Smith and Zachary Scott had worked together; they had been previously paired in Whiplash (1948) and South of St. Louis (1949) and the experience making this film was a happy one. In a letter to his future wife, Ruth Ford, Scott wrote, "I am making One Last Fling at Warner Bros. now, a comedy, my first, and loving it." Unfortunately, the critics didn't. The mysteriously named "H.H.T." writing for The New York Times called it "loud" and "childish." "Miss Smith is decorative, no more, and Mr. Scott manages to look and act like a mistreated spaniel. [...]Ransom Sherman, as a wolfish uncle, and Jody Gilbert, as a powerful Katrinka eavesdropper, almost make the whole thing worth staying awake." SOURCES: Davis, Ronald L. Zachary Scott: Hollywood's Sophisticated Cad H.H.T. "One Last Fling" The New York Times 1 Jul 49 The Internet Movie Database http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/85694/One-Last-Fling/ http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/95061/One-Last-Fling-Original-Trailer-.html By Lorraine LoBianco

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

According to a December 10, 1946 Los Angeles Examiner news item, Errol Flynn was first slated to star in the film. A February 4, 1948 Los Angeles Times news item announced that Alan Hale was to act in the film. Jim Backus made his screen debut in the production.

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