Goodbye, My Fancy (1951)

(On Cable TV, November 2022) As much as there are many things to like about Goodbye, My Fancy, the film can’t escape vexing issues that accumulate until they stain the overall result. The setup is relatively solid, as Joan Crawford plays a congresswoman who returns to visit her alma mater after considerable professional success. Much of the film’s comedy comes from attempts to make her regress to her college-day friendships and rituals, helped along with a few very comic supporting roles, especially from Eve Arden. But there are also much weightier subplots to contend with, the biggest being an unresolved romance with what was then a teacher (wait, what?) and is now the university’s president. The romantic triangle emerges when the protagonist is antagonistically courted by another ex-flame and she has to decide between one of them. While the comedy aspects of Goodbye, My Fancy are relatively amusing, one can’t quite say the same about the romantic and dramatic subplots, which are either based on dodgy past behaviour, or illustrated by even more dodgy behaviour. One suitor is such a badgering cad that it seems implausible that she’d give him more than the time of the day… but then comes the conclusion meant as a triumph but about as high-flying as a lead dud. There’s a lot in the film, or underneath its surface, about the post-WW2 order—whether political, global or social. That makes for further fascinating viewing—but it further troubles the impact of a film that can’t quite decide whether it’s a college comedy, a wistful romantic drama or a propaganda piece for a strong United States. Goodbye, My Fancy is worth a look if you like conflicted films—but skip it if you’re just jonesing for straightforward 1950s Hollywood fare.