It would be easy to dismiss this movie as dated, preachy and painfully ironic. It's no "Lost Weekend'. However, 'One Too Many' has some solid performances (Ruth Warrick in particular) and takes it's subject matter seriously. Ahead of it's time, this movie treats alcoholism as a disease and tackles the issue with a thoughtful and compassionate story line that outweighs a sometimes unsophisticated script. It's focus is on alcoholism but it indirectly manages to comment on a number of social issues that we still deal with today from feminism, socialized medicine, politics and mental illness. Hallmark would go on to make similar message movies on TV in the 70's and 80's. (A remake of 'One Too Many' stars a young Michelle Peiffer in a 1985 "After School Special".) The musical numbers are long and weirdly misplaced and William Tracy hams it up for the camera but maybe this was a way to disguise the serious subject matter and market the movie to a larger movie audience. There are some dark ironies here, like when the Doctor talks about the ravages of alcohol on the body while passing out cigarettes - but one problem at a time. 'One Too Many" draws you in with an unsubtle directness on a social problem that, even sixty five years later, is still dismayingly relatable.
Review of One Too Many
