Champagne for Caesar (1950)

A neglected little gem of a movie that deserves to be far better known, Champagne for Caesar is one of those movies worth searching out. While it does have its flaws, such as direction that isn't as consistently strong as one might wish and an occasional tendency to treat its subject a bit too broadly, its assets are strong enough that they easily overcome these flaws. Fred Brady and Hans Jacoby have provided a witty screenplay that takes great delight in joyously throwing darts at any number of targets, all of which fall under the realm of that great monster, television. Even TV viewers aren't spared, but the writers' darts are rubber tipped, so that no one gets seriously hurt; besides, the audience will be too busy laughing to worry too much about whether they might also be included in the writers' jibes. The writers have also created some delightful characters for the cast, most of whom sink their teeth into the roles. Given the rare chance to play real comedy, Ronald Colman and Vincent Price have a field day. The former is the star, turning in a deft performance that is a treat, but even he gets upstaged by Price, whose outrageous turn as the soap magnate is simply priceless. Celeste Holm also seems to relish her change-of-pace role, giving a fresh and funny performance that is a joy. Only Art Linkletter falls a little short, when called upon to make his game show host a real character, but that shortcoming is understandable. Fans of film comedies will find this vintage Champagne quite to their taste. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide