Five and Ten

This pre-code is very odd. Actually, very good. The first half is a naughty romantic comedy (sort of) that has the usual adorable Leslie Howard (can't help it, he's appealing as hell) and a kind of off-kilter Marion Davies. She seems a bit uncomfortable in this role -- maybe because it's an early talkie and she lisps? because it becomes dramatic and she isn't sure how to play it? Anyway, I was getting a bit annoyed with the whole thing when the movie does a real pre-code twist. Mom has an affair because mogul Dad is too busy with work. Brother has major mental health issues and suddenly takes up some very bad flying. And Heroine Marion takes on a role that reflects her own life by unrepentantly taking up with a now-married Leslie Howard. Things get...dark. So I found myself being impressed with the risks in this second movie (although I did laugh at some melodramatic moments). This movie doesn't apologize for anything. Marion is not punished for her love. Now that's new. She is defiant -- not just the character, but Marion Davies herself, I believe. I also appreciated the way it carried through its rich-man-neglecting-his-family theme to its most bitter result. This was surprisingly well done. No excuses are made for Dad's work obsession whatsoever. And Richard Bennett plays it subtly.

There are a few tremendous scenes. One involves a nocturnal visit to a rooftop. The other is a long drunken rant by the brother (Douglas Montgomery) in which he makes fun of Dad's obsession with money and success. Both of these are just lovely -- genuinely touching, I thought.

If you get a chance to see it, you should. It's an important movie in the Marion Davies pantheon, and Leslie Howard gets to be all charm. Just be patient and see where it goes.

This is yet another Davies films with inexplicably high ratings. What I mean by this is that it appears as if a group of people have gone onto IMDb and deliberately over-inflated the scores on all of Marion Davies' films--giving 10s to EVERYTHING--even her worst films. No one is THAT good that they always deserve a 10--but here, 49% of those rating the film give it a 10. By comparison, "Gone With the Wind" and "Casablanca" have only 34 and 38% 10s!! Are these folks seriously trying to tell us that just about every film Marion Davies made are better than these classics?! So my advice with her films is to ignore the IMDb ratings and just see the films for yourself--some of her films were wonderful (such as "Show People"), some awful ("Cain and Mabel" comes to mind )and many were somewhere in between--just like it would be for most actresses.

John Rarick has created a hugely successful chain of five and ten cent stores--enabling his family to live in great luxury. However, this money does not make them happy. His wife runs around behind his back with other men, his son is slowly slipping into alcoholism and depression and, finally, his daughter (Davies) is trying too hard to fit in to society--and is laughed at by her new 'friends'. The main focus in this film is on the daughter--and her unhealthy relationship with a rich young architect (Leslie Howard).

Of all the characters in the film, Avery (Douglass Montgomery) is the most interesting. Unlike his sister, mother and father, he sees tragedy coming to his family. And, when he tries to tell his father, he can't even get this workaholic to listen to him. The film is a nice showcase for him and his story is quite touching--and, although it's a small role compared to Davies', he steals the show. Despite this, his career never really took off. Perhaps it was due to his good looks--he was amazingly pretty and not the conventional tough leading man type.

Overall, a very good film that is well worth your time. However, be aware that Davies' and Howard's portion of the film is probably the weakest. It isn't bad but its resolution seemed bizarre--and never would have occurred in a Post-Code film.

Five and Ten (1931)

** (out of 4)

Extremely boring melodrama has the owner of a chain of Five and Dime stores moving his family to New York City and it doesn't take long for his daughter (Marion Davies) to get involved with society. There she meets a young man (Leslie Howard) who she thinks is for her but soon one problem after another hampers their relationship. Having watched this just minutes after Davies' earlier film THE FLORODORA GIRL, it's quite apparent that this must have been a production that William Randolph Hearst had his hands in. Unlike the previous film that took drama and mixed in great comedy, a strength of Davies, this film here just milks everything so dry by trying to be so dramatic and serious by the time the ending comes you're either going to be asleep or simply not caring what happens. This is an incredibly dry and boring melodrama that each second seems to be screaming out at the viewer to be "impressed" with what's going on. Each scene is just presented in such a "proper" and "serious" manor that you have to wonder if these people ever have any fun. Davies does what she can with the role but this here certainly isn't a highlight of her career. Howard appears smothered by everything and the two really don't have much chemistry. FIVE AND DIME remains mildly entertaining thanks to the stars but at the same time you know you're just watching fluff.

It is not a great pre-code film, but I gave it a 7 mostly because I enjoy Marion Davies.

I also like Leslie Howard as a rule, but in this case, I don't think he and Marion are a good fit; I can't see why she is so head over heels with his character. He does the usual priggish brush-off at one point, calling her nothing more than a cheap rich girl. Good grief, the men were prigs in a lot of these films, always lecturing and indignant, no matter how badly they had behaved up that point.

Marion has such a beautiful face, I can see why she was such a popular silent actress. As always she is dressed beautifully. And she does a good job here, her voice is good, not sign of a stutter.

I know most reviewers gave high marks to Douglass Montgomery, but I found him to be very stilted and stagey in the role of the son. Part of that is due to the lines he was forced to say, I will give him that. I found Richard Bennett to be stiff and actorly as well, but I will take into consideration the style of acting at that time, especially for the older actors who had been on the stage for many years.

All in all, a good enough drama.

Solid film with terrific performances by Marion Davies as an heiress, Leslie Howard as the man she loves, and Douglass Montgomery (billed as Kent Douglass) as her tragic brother.

Davies plays the daughter of wealthy "five and ten" king (Richard Bennett) who crashes New York to build his empire. He's obsessed with his business and ignores his family and wife (Irene Rich). Montgomery is in the business against his will while Davies tries to crash New York society with little success. She falls for Howard but he's engaged to snooty Muriel (Mary Duncan).

Things start to fall apart as Rich gets involved with a gigolo, Montgomery starts to drink, and Davies gets humiliated at a weekend party and loses Howard.

This film is notable for three exceptional scenes. There's a long scene all in one take where Davies and Howard are falling in love and toying with silly drawings of pigs and cows. The two stars are exceptional as they are drawn to each other yet try to stay apart. This is one of the best scenes I ever saw Davies do. Montgomery is great in his initial drunk scene as he wanders around the stone mansion, talking and singing to servants. He's also excellent in his final scene with the family gathered around him. Best work he ever did.

Overall one of Davies' best films because the story is solid and the co-stars are all top notch. And of all her dramatic roles this is her best. Her voice is excellent here. She often has a stilted quality because of her stutter but there's not a trace of that here. Plus she's absolutely gorgeous.

Halliwell Hobbes is the butler, Henry Armetta the cab driver, and Theodore van Eltz the gigolo.

Loosely based on Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress, and her family. The building old Rarick is building is an obvious reference to the Woolworth Building, tallest building in the world 1913-1930.