Love Is a Headache

After her latest Broadway play bombs, stage star Gladys George (as Carlotta "Charlie" Lee) is concerned. It's been four flops in a row for Ms. George and she needs a hit. George decides to play the lead in "Carolina" - but radio and newspaper celebrity reporter Franchot Tone (as Peter "Pete" Lawrence) thinks it will ruin her career. He hopes his "New York Chronicle" column will queer the deal. The bickering pair have been an item since their youth - or so we're led to believe. George is listening to Mr. Tone's "Broadway Chatter" radio show when he reports on the death of a window washer. Tone wants his audience to find parents for newly orphaned Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler (as Mike and Jake O'Toole). This turns into a convoluted publicity stunt, with George getting the kids...

George and Tone are game, but their coupling sends off no sparks. However, this film won't give you a headache - in spite of its unappealing title. Director Richard Thorpe and the MGM crew move the cast around skillfully, with George walking up toward the camera for an exit and her co-star deftly handling physical comedy. The supporting cast is not only strong, but also given opportunities to shine. Most obviously on his mark is Mr. Rooney, although he is miscast as a 13-year-old. It is surprising to see Frank Jenks (as Joe Cannon) hold his own in a film with Rooney and the adorable little Miss Weidler. After he is offered advice on reincarnation, Mr. Jenks is on a roll which lasts throughout his screen time. Also notable, this was the last film for Ted Healy; the man who gave us his "Three Stooges" died shortly before its release.

****** Love Is a Headache (1/14/38) Richard Thorpe ~ Gladys George, Franchot Tone, Mickey Rooney, Frank Jenks

Remember that brief period of time when Franchot Tone was young, handsome, making good movies, and not yet destroyed by life? If you love him like I do, check out Love Is a Headache. It was before his infamous divorce and subsequent wrong paths, and he's at his handsome and charming best. In this romance, he's paired with Gladys George, an actress he bickers with as much as he woos. She's had a string of stage flops, and in an attempt to gain positive publicity before her new show opens, she adopts a pair of recently orphaned kids, Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler. Franchot is a newspaper man famous for telling it like it is, and he's been the one behind the negative theatrical reviews. He was also a friend of the kids' parents, so he doesn't want to see them taken advantage of just for publicity.

This one has some laughs, some cute parts, and a healthy enough dose of drama to make it feel like a grown-up movie. Both leads were enjoying their peaks in the 1930s, before age and life and newer stars took their places. Check this one out if you like stories about hardened hearts getting softened by kiddies, or if you like the cast. You'll also see Frank Jenks among the supporting players, as Franchot's completely inept sidekick who makes mistakes as easily as breathing, and Ralph Morgan, as Gladys's ardent admirer with no flaws other than the fact that he's not Franchot Tone.

Gladys George is a fine leading lady of the stage. She's been in a string of flops recently. Franchot Tone is a Broadway columnist for a newspaper. Personally they like each other a lot. Professionally they fight like cats and dogs. He gets her fired from her latest show. Her idiot publicity man, Ted Healy (in his last role) has her adopt Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler.

And so on and so on. There are a couple of subplots, like ridiculously wealthy Ralph Morgan wanting to marry her. This movie looks like they started with the bare bones and kept adding stuff in a desperate attempt to bring it up to a length they could use. A lot of it doesn't work, especially the ending, Barnett Parker as Miss George's dull butler, and Tone's inconsistent performance.

Yet a lot of the details do work, enough to keep this working throughout. There are lots of excellent wisecracks, most of which, oddly enough, wind up in Virginia Weidler's mouth, and she delivers them well. It's a case.

Broadway star Carlotta Lee (Gladys George) is struggling on stage and on the gossip pages. She battles bad press even if most of it is true. Peter Lawrence (Franchot Tone) is an influencial columnist both in print and on the radio. He starts promoting the adoption of orphaned siblings Mike O'Toole (Mickey Rooney) and Jake O'Toole (Virginia Weidler). Lee's agent Jimmy Slattery (Ted Healy) suggests adopting them for the publicity.

This is a fine movie for the most part. The injection of the two veteran kids adds some good energy and plot points. I'm not saying that they saved anything. It's just that they put a nice jolt in the spine when the movie seems to need it.

"Love is a Headache" is from 1938, a short second feature that runs one hour and 15 minutes, and stars Franchot Tone, Gladys George, Mickey Rooney, and Virginia Wiedler.

Tone plays Peter Lawrence, a gossip columnist who knew one Broadway star, Carlotta (whom he calls Charlie) Lee back when they were kids. He never lets up on her, and when she takes a role in a flop show, he says the show is no good and she's making a mistake. She's about to sign a contract for another dud and is angry with Peter for writing about her in his column.

Peter also has an interest in two young kids, Mike and Jake O'Toole (Rooney and Wielder), who are now orphans after their father is killed. On his latest broadcast, he calls out for anyone who can adopt these children. Carlotta's publicist thinks will be great for her, so he arranges to have the children brought to her apartment. Meanwhile, Peter knows nothing of this, planning to thoroughly investigate anyone interested. When he finds out, he assumes this is a cheap publicity stunt.

Entertaining film, with Gladys George giving a wonderful performance as Carlotta, a dedicated performer but a woman with a heart. Rooney as the tough older brother is, as always, excellent, and as his vulnerable little sister Wiedler is excellent as well. Franchot Tone is smooth and sophisticated as Peter Lawrence.

Those were the good old days, when columnists were an important part of the Broadway and movie scenes, and many times they would broadcast their programs from nightclubs or high-end restaurants, adding some glamor. There was a fun clip of the old Times Square at the beginning of the film. Wow, times have changed.