*By submitting your contribution, you agree to TCM's Terms of Use. TCM will use your personal information consistent with our Privacy Policy

• • 12/3/11

• Boy Meets Girl is a hoot!

  • Merrill
  • 12/3/11

  Despite some reviewer's comments about the "over-the-top" hijinks and acting, that's exactly what I loved about this classic film! James Cagney and Pat O'Brien parlayed their offscreen buddy relationship into exaggerated portrayals of two overly imaginative and energetic filmdom scammers who write scripts for a living. The dialogue was so hilarious and frenetic, it was difficult to stop laughing so that I could hear the next lines. There were several inside-the-profession jokes and allusions. If people are looking for a set-piece with a true storyline, this is not the film for them. It's more of a Marx Brothers experience, and I truly hope this will make it into the TCM archives for all to enjoy. I've been a Cagney fan since I turned nine years of age, and this is the first time I've seen this film. It's a shame there isn't more exposure!

• Hearty helping of ham on rye

  • Jarrod McDonald
  • 2/24/11

  Definitely over the top in every way imaginable, the film is redeemed by the softer more nuanced performance of Marie Wilson in the lead female role. Warners did another behind-the-scenes comedy a decade later, called IT'S A GREAT FEELING. In that one, Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson hammed it up while Doris Day played a role similar to Wilson's. The quasi-remake benefits from Technicolor and a plethora of studio star cameos (again including Ronald Reagan).

• Cagney and O'Brien are Superb

  • Theresa
  • 4/8/08

  Boy Meets Girl have just the right actors playing just the right parts. Cagney's comedic timing is spot on and his interaction with O'Brien is perfect (it's obvious they're friends in real life). The only complaint - it was Cagney's complaint as well - is that director Lloyd Bacon constantly pushed for speed, and it shows in some places. Cagney knows just how to be a clown without overdoing it, and it's great to see him and O'Brien together in comedic mode, after movies like Angels with Dirty Faces and The Fighting 69th.

• Funny as heck.

  • Peter
  • 3/19/06

  Its always interesting when Hollywood caricatures itself. Ralph Bellamy is superb as the straight man, its definately not Cagney's best work - he tries a little too hard, but Pat O'Brien shows a nice touch for comedy and is flawless. Its a Cagney vehicle but Bellamy steals the show. Superb screwball comedy, some themes a little bit too complex for kids. But many scenes remind me of the current children's cartoon "Ed, Ed, & Eddy" in their zaniness.

• More Reviews