The American Myth/Our Story – Good clumsily triumphs over evil

And One Was Beautiful (1940, Robert B. Sinclair) *1/2

·      This hopes to be a tight B-movie with a “hard left” but it plays more like a predictable melodrama; despite a well executed beginning that set us up for the turn of the story. As a result And One Was Beautiful  fails to raise itself above its “C” grade script and waddles between a romantic comedy of manners, poking fun of the rich, and a heart wrenching melodrama of unrequited love and innocent bystanders. It may have been conceived as a movie to ignite Robert Cummings career beyond the supporting roles and character parts.  Unfortunately And One Was Beautiful was more of predictor of a secure future in forgettable supporting roles with the occasional exception (think Dial M For Murder). More often he played a version of his own stereotype; with the greatest success in The Carpetbaggers. Director Robert Sinclair didn’t hit his stride until television a decade late and Laraine Day fails to breakthrough opposite Bob as we’ve always loved him.