Turnabout

Year: 1940

Grade: B-

Country: USA

Director: Roach

Review

hal roach directed film that feels at times like a marx brothers pic. it starts off as very old-fashioned in its depiction of the sexes, and this ends up being to good effect because, about a third of the way through, feuding husband and wife change bodies and are forced to live in the other’s shoes for a while. in this way it’s a precursor to films like freaky friday and trading places. it’s also a good precursor to hepburn/tracy collaborations like adam’s rib and pat & mike which were battle of the sexes comedies. it ends up being a nice little sweet comedy in the end. adolphe menjou has a good turn as a curmudgeonly old business man who has to hide his drinking from his wife.