The Life of the Party

Often-witty dialogue can't quite save a predictable, simplistic plot, but Winnie Lightner and Irene Delroy keep the film quite entertaining. The film as a whole is totally inconsequential, but several of the performances, especially those of the two leads, are enough to recommend it.

Lightner's forceful, abrasive, energetic, and often hilarious performance is a perfect foil for Delroy's sweet, dewy, and relatively languid one. Charles Butterworth's underplayed humor is very welcome in a minor role, while the unfunny slapstick subplot anchored by Charles Judels' almost grotesque performance as Monsieur LeMaire throws the film off pitch whenever it resurfaces throughout.

Overall, simple, predictable, and worth a watch.

This great comedy was planned as a musical but the musical numbers were cut out before general release due to the fact that the public had grown tired by late 1930. Only one song was left in the picture. Winnie Lightner is at her best in this All Talking All Technicolor Comedy! Winnie Lightner and her friend (played by Irene Delroy) decide to do some gold digging when they are fired from their job in a sheet music store. They find a dressmaker named Le Maire (played by Charles Judels) to work on and once they got the goods they take off for Havana! Meanwhile the dressmaker is happy thinking he is going to spend the night with the girls along with his friend. He goes wild in a hilarious scene where he starts breaking all the furniture while his friend only says "Yoo-Hoo" and makes him even more irritated! Some of the funny gags in this comedy include a scence where the dressmaker is showing the girls some dresses and says "And this one the prince wanted to wear but his mother would not let him!" This comedy was originally made in Technicolor. The last known print was throwed away by Technicolor Corporation in the 1950's after a black and white print has been made to show on television. But even in black and white this film is a riot! :) Towards the end of the film LeMaire catches up with the two golddiggers and literally destroyed a room shouted "I Will Call The Police If I Don't Get The Money For The Dresses" After he gets a check he says: "And I'm gald I didn't lose my temper!" One of the best early Warner Brother talking comedies.

.... is a more apt title as the characters in this film would either kill a room with boredom or have people fleeing the scene in droves in utter irritation at the belligerence of these people. There is nothing funny about Winnie Lightner (Flo) and there is nothing interesting about Irene Delroy (Dot) who play the two girls out to grab a millionaire. We have another unfunny comedy character who is supposed to be a French designer - step forward Charles Judels (LeMaire). There is nothing French about him and nothing realistic about his overacting. His comic partner calling out "Yoo hoo" becomes painful to watch. As does the whole film and I couldn't watch to the end. No need to.

We also get a fashion show with giant transvestites modelling clothes with way too much material - another unintentional misfire. The sets are good but when the funniest thing about a comedy is when the film's dialogue goes out of synch with the character's lip movements, then we are obviously in trouble. That would normally annoy me but when my version of the film did this it became a point of interest! This film is awful.

I love old movies, the older, the better but this was awful. Sure, Winnie Lightner is fun to watch, very expressive with quick and witty one-liners. Charles Ludels ruined it for me, my god, the screaming, the yelling, throwing tantrums all over the place grated on my nerves and made me unsettled. It's an ok story, same old...."down-on-their-luck showgirls seeks rich men...and lots of hijinks ensue" nothing new, same old tired vintage hollywood storyline. Some vintage movies hold up nicely with a budding star or an enlightening story, this was sad, boring, and monotonous. It's fun to watch a 90 year old movie, glad they're still around, but don't expect much here.

I can't understand why it is rated so low, it was really a joy to watch and the characters were all so well formed, I think this film may have helped inspire some like it hot, it has brilliant, witty characters, and it's great for all the pre-code fans. It tells a tale of two ambitious gold diggers, and it's such a shame the musical numbers were cut out and the Technicolor lost, but still a very fun film, also starring the beautiful Ziegfeld girl Irene Delroy, her and Winnie contrast and their opposites attract and they make a wonderful pair. I watched this film for Winnie Lightner but I was introduced to a few other forgotten stars and they were just spectacular, they were played with a lot of charisma and quirkiness.