Trouble for Two

Starts off really intriguing and seems to differentiate itself from other films of its era. A successful mix of comedy and suspense at the beginning, and Rosalind Russell looking so surprisingly beautiful, that she seems to come across in her early scenes as a black-haired Garbo. I've never seen her look more beautiful. The film is worth seeing for Russell's early scenes alone. But unfortunately, silly and unbelievable coincidences surface midway in the plot that considerably weaken and conventionalize the film. At its finish, I ended up feeling vaguely disappointed at what could have been a really unique and special film. I still think its worth seeing though, as the performances were all around quite good. A great film that could have been!

Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell after being teamed in Night Must Fall got a more upbeat film with Trouble For Two. Though the source for this movie is Robert Louis Stevenson's first book of a detective trilogy concerning Prince Florizel and sidekick Count Geraldine who as Prince and equerry have a whole lot of adventures going incognito.

The story is not entirely coherent, but the leads and Frank Morgan as the equerry make it enjoyable. Not unlike the former Prince of Wales and King Edward VIII ever so briefly, Robert Montgomery's silly behavior has forced dear old dad King E.E. Clive to send him into temporary exile of sorts. Stay incognito and stay out of trouble are the two commands.

Montgomery and Morgan come upon a club called the Suicide Club dedicated to dispatching folks to another plane of existence if you have the right fee. It seems to have a particular appeal to wastrel types who've decided they've gorged enough on hedonism. Such a one is Louis Hayward who has a brief and memorable role as such a one. In fact Hayward was particularly effective here and in other similar type roles.

Rosalind Russell is a princess who Montgomery is to be betrothed and he's not liking the idea. But she's targeted by this group as well and the shared adventure might just make this royal marriage a royal romance.

Head of the club and one nasty customer is Reginald Owen. He and Hayward in many ways steal this film from the leads.

It's not Stevenson's verbatim story, but an enjoyable film

Very imaginative reworking of Stevenson's classic short-story, The Suicide Club. Montgomery and Russell make a well-matched and very attractive couple, and Frank Morgan is superb as his faithful and loyal second. Reginald Owen is marvelous as the head of the club. And, the rest of the supporting class including a young and handsome Louis Hayward, is equally compelling. The score and photography are exquisite as well. This is one to be watched and enjoyed.

At first sight this MGM oddity looks like a typical over-the-top 30s effort, but I found it growing on me (despite the ever-increasing number of loose ends - why? what? how?). If you can accept Montgomery and Russell as 18th century foreign Royals who blend perfectly in a Britain even more nutty than it's usually depicted, then this is quite an enjoyable and unusually imaginative slice of early Hollywood.

This is an intriguing version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Suicide Club", with ever-urbane aristocrat being recruited by an apparent group of boring rich people, willing to kill themselves for sport ! All is not as it seems and after Montgomery encounters mysterious Russell, the stage is set for a surprising revelation and an exciting climax.