So This Is New York

So This Is New York is a quintessentially comedic and satirical masterpiece dated back to 1948. Directed by Richard Fleischer, this reliable and exceptionally crafted film is adorned with a stellar cast, featuring notable personalities like Henry Morgan, Rudy Vallee, and Bill Goodwin.

In the lead role, we see the prodigious Henry Morgan, a versatile actor known for his distinctive style and wit. He plays the role of Ernie Finch, a small-town Indiana railway announcer with a penchant for intricacies of big city life. Ernie Finch has whisked away his bride, Ella (portrayed by the vivacious Virginia Grey), and her deceptively manipulative sister, Kate (portrayed by the versatile Dona Drake), to explore the chaotic whirl of New York City that predisposes our hero to a series of unexpected events.

Rudy Vallee stars in a characteristically charismatic role as Willard, Kate's wealthy ex-fiancé. Whilst Vallee's Willard is smitten with the manipulative Kate and seeks to win her back, Morgan's Ernie becomes entangled in the maelstrom of the city's hustle and bustle, trying to negotiate his small town sensibilities with the temptation and allure of the big city life. Alongside this plotline, Bill Goodwin shines as the sly and unscrupulous Bruce, contributing to the roll of moments brimming with hilarity and mishap.

The film is largely rooted in humor, derived from both the amusingly naive perspective of rural expatriates and the larger-than-life social absurdities of the big city. The plot is replete with farcical situations, punctuated by delightfully whimsical narration from Morgan's Ernie. The semi-autobiographical nature of his narration provides a humorous take on the overwhelming complexities of city life and effectively serves to immerse the audience in the Finch's epic journey of self-discovery.

So This Is New York flawlessly blends rib-tickling humor with an intellectual commentary on the veneer of social civility. The comic antics of Ernie – fueled by a combination of innocence, stubbornness, and surprisingly insightful observations – form the backbone of the narrative, providing a constant source of laughter and amusement.

The city of New York itself serves as more than just a setting; rather, it is a character in its own right, painted with satire-infused strokes that highlight its quirks and complexities. This masterpiece by Fleischer wonderfully encapsulates the urban aura of the 1940s in the city - complete with its debonair charm, its ironies, and its unforgiving pace of life, which the Finch family navigates with their unique charm and relentless spirit.

The film adopts a fast-paced, exaggerated style of storytelling that is characteristic of the era and genre to keep the audience engaged. Viewers will follow the Finch family through an array of colorful characters and eccentric situations they encounter, cleverly reflecting the wider societal idiosyncrasies present within the urban jungle of New York.

Like a well-orchestrated symphony of satire, the subplot of a horse race named "Gertie the Great", around which a considerable portion of the narrative revolves, straddles the line between slapstick humor and biting social commentary. This theme highlights the raw human ambition and implicit gluttony for quick success, subtly jibing at the explosive growth and the skyrocketing ambition of the Big Apple during this period.

Despite the comic levity that infuses Richard Fleischer's So This Is New York, the film successfully slips into sharp wit and insightful narrative when needed. It punctuates the cheerful romp of the Finch family with moments of poignant clarity about life, ambition, and the inherent unpredictability of fortune.

So This Is New York is consummately clever in its storytelling, beautifully weaving an intricate narrative of one family's adventures in a city that holds equal parts wonder and challenge. Underneath the bouts of laughter it induces, the film also provides a subtle yet effective critique of societal norms and expectations, making this 1948 classic a truly timeless piece of cinema that immerses a viewer in the midst of the enchanting chaos of the New York experience.