Magnificent Doll

Kruunaamaton kuningatar / Okrönt drottning. US © 1946 Hallmark Productions. Presented by Jack H. Skirball and Bruce Manning. D: Frank Borzage. SC: Irving Stone. DP: Joseph Valentine. PD: Alexander Golitzen, Jack Otterson. Costumes: Travis Banton, Vera West. M: H. J. Salter.
    Starring Ginger Rogers (Dorthea "Dolley" Payne Madison), David Niven (Aaron Burr), Burgess Meredith (James Madison), Grandon Rhodes (Thomas Jefferson), Arthur Space (Alexander Hamilton). 102 min.
    A low contrast 16 mm print of 95 min.
    Viewed at Orion, Helsinki, 7 April 2005.

A Ginger Rogers project based on the screenplay by Irving Stone. Dolley Madison was an early strong lady of the White House, a forerunner in the iron line leading to Hillary Clinton, immortalized cinematically by the Queen of Diamonds in The Manchurian Candidate (Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep). No Lady Macbeth, Dolley Madison is the benevolent force in the early turbulent years of the United States.

The picture covers the years of the first four presidents. Madison, the Father of the Constitution, was the Secretary of State during President Jefferson (number three), and became himself the fourth President of the USA. The dramatic conflict is between him and Aaron Burr, his rival in both private and political life.

Burr is ready to throw away the President with arms but is put to prison and given a trial. A lynch mob is not happy with the verdict of not guilty, but Dolley saves Burr from hanging by giving a rousing speech.

While not a masterpiece, recommended for those interested in U.S. history and Ginger Rogers. Reasons to appreciate it:

(1) The production is handsome.
(2) Ginger Rogers is strong and sensual.
(3) Burgess Meredith is up to the task as President.
(3) David Niven is at his best in a strong, dark role.
(4) The finale is powerful as Dolley comes to meet Burr in prison and saves him from the mob. It's an anthology piece.

What does Borzage bring to this? The vibrant close-ups of Ginger Rogers, the sincerity of the discourse of freedom, and the opposition to lynch justice are essential Borzage. This film belongs to the common ground of Borzage and Ford. Interestingly, Ginger Rogers became a forerunner of the Hollywood Black List, while Borzage and Ford opposed it.