SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
Siflutter
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Hattie
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
bernardoarquivo
What a pity The Perfect Specimen can't be released on DVD because of copyright issues, because it is a delightful romantic comedy directed by the great Michael Curtiz. Joan Blondell was at the height of her beauty and stardom but was being wasted on silly movies with predictable, boring male leads (Dick Powell, Pat O'Brien, etc.). Alongside young and exuberant Errol Flynn she is in her element and both have exceptional performances.The movie is a breath of fresh air. The story is light and has no big twists, and it's just a treat to see Blodell and Flynn. Anyone who can find a copy of this film, or watch it on TCM should do so. It's guaranteed fun.
Richard Burin
The Perfect Specimen (Michael Curtiz, 1937) is a fun Warner Bros comedy, with Errol Flynn cast against type as the eponymous figure: a sheltered heir to a small fortune, imprisoned within the ivory towers of his grandmother's estate. One day sassy chick Joan Blondell smashes through the fence and drives off with his heart. Not literally, of course, that wouldn't play so well to a mainstream audience. The film is episodic and slight, but unapologetically so, with some amusing set pieces that include Flynn's roadside punch up with hopeless pugilist Allen Jenkins. The ever-likable Jenkins (later the voice of Top Cat's Officer Dibble) is just one of a heap of well-known character actors turning up here, along with Hugh Herbert, May Robson, Harry Davenport and Edward Everett Horton – stealing the film hands down as a pathetically subservient, nervy personal secretary. There's the odd concession to high culture, with a recurring reference to Cervantes' Don Quixote, but mostly this is standard screwball stuff, utilising the considerable charm of its impressive cast.
SteveS.
I have to agree with the other review on the page...The Perfect Specimen is a far better screwball comedy than it's been given credit for. In fact, it's head and shoulders above Flynn's next screwball comedy, 1938's Four's A Crowd.It helped that Flynn and Joan Blondell were pals off-screen, because they show a very comfortable and breezy rapport with each other on-screen. Flynn shows a light and pleasant acting touch in this, especially when compared to his ham-handed performances in Four's A Crowd or Footsteps In The Dark.
It's too bad this isn't available on video, because I think both Flynn fans and non-Flynn fans will discover a small treasure.
Svengali-2001
This film might have its critics, but for me it's always a delight to see good-natured humour given a chance to shine in the hands of great actors. Errol Flynn was one of the most underrated comedians of any age. He was always prepared to send himself up as easily as anyone else and few others could have carried this film off especially playing opposite the crackerjack Joan Blondell. Add May Robson, Allen Jenkins and Edward Everett Horton and you've got a great little film that would make anyone forget about the world's woes for a hour or three. Not to be missed by any joker with a heart and most people without one. Give in to a bit of fun now and again and remember that life is all meat and potatoes.
