Living on Love

James Dunn has quit his job and gone to work at lower pay on the graveyard shift. Whitney Bourne hasn't worked regularly, and is now selling electric shavers on commission. Neither can afford their rooms, so landlord Solly Ward lets them split a room: Dunn gets it in the day, Miss Bourne at night. They don't know each other and regularly send annoyed notes. When they meet in person, they fall in love, unawares of their living arrangements.

This remake of RAFTER ROMANCE takes the Cox-and-Box story and retreats int simplistic humor to keep it Code-compliant: lots of puns in the names (the apartment building is "The Venus De Milo Arms", two characters are "Ghonoff Brothers"), and 1930s-safe wolves like Franklin Pangborn as Miss Courtney's boss. But despite the plethora of comic talent, including om Kennedy, Chester Clute, and Jimmy Conlin, there's too much grouchiness in the script and performances to keep any but the most sadistic audience smiling. Consistently. The result is another decent timewaster from RKO during a rote era.

B-movie remake of 1933's romantic comedy "Rafter Romance". This version features James Dunn as Gary, a struggling artist who lives in a basement apartment and owes on his rent - Whitney Bourne plays Mary, a woman who lives in the same building and hasn't paid her rent in over six months. So - - the well-meaning landlord (who, by the way, has no problem peeping into tenants rooms via the keyhole) gets this bright idea: the two of them can share the apartment and split the cost. He works the night shift, she works by day - so he gets the apartment in the day, she gets it in the night - they go ahead with this plan, but they have never actually seen each other. She immediately thinks he's disgusting (based on the looks of the room) and he thinks she's a spinster, a "small town hick" in town looking for love. They leave each other a series of nasty notes and play some really mean-spirited pranks on each other (like paint remover in his mouth wash bottle, and alarm clocks set all around the room to ring and wake her up). Well, the two of them finally do meet - at a local restaurant without any idea who the other one is. They actually bond via the fact that they both hate their roommate!

This film is mildly interesting, light fare - but lacks chemistry between the two leading stars. I didn't see them ever in this as much of a couple (he actually pronounces himself in "love" with her after just meeting her, but I sure couldn't see it), and the meanness of the tricks they play on each other just left me completely cold - - if this was meant to be funny - it wasn't. In general, this film is pretty so-so - not nearly as good as the earlier version of this, "Rafter Romance". Franklin Pangborn appears in this adding some much needed humor, playing the boss in charge of Mary's sales job selling electric razors. A weak film - mediocre at best.

Last week, the long-lost RAFTER ROMANCE was shown for the first time on TV. This week, the long-lost remake by the same studio which was made just four years later was shown as well (LIVING ON LOVE). As a result, I had a rare opportunity to see the original and its remake just days apart. By the way, the remaking of films was very common in this era (especially by RKO and Warner Brothers) and often the films were remade as few as two or three years later! While the basic plot of RAFTER ROMANCE was intact, the remake was a pretty sorry film--offering no advantages over the original--NONE. The performances by all the leads were simply better in the 1933 film. Norman Foster and Ginger Rogers were the leads in 1933 and James Dunn and Whitney Bourne (who the heck was THIS?) were the leads in 1937--definite steps down in the acting and charm departments--especially since Ms. Bourne seemed really cruel at times in the film (like when she sold the artist's paintings). Plus, the original charming and cute landlord, George Sidney, was replaced by a comparatively dull guy in the remake. Because of these changes, the magic and sweet nature of the film was mostly gone. Still, it was watchable, but I strongly advise you to seek out RAFTER ROMANCE instead--I just can't imagine anyone preferring this remake.

Landlord Eli West needs to pay for his radio, so he leases Mary Wilson's apartment to the Ghonoff Brothers, but West arranges for Mary to live in the basement apartment, which just happens to be rented by struggling artist Gary Martin. No problem, however (thinks West) since Mary works as a saleslady by day, and Gary a night shift trucking manager by night, so they will never have to see each other. Conflicts soon arise with the two not being able to stand the other's habits and each tries to make the other fed up enough to leave. To further complicate things, Mary & Gary have already met and have developed a crush on each other, but circumstances will drive the two to stop seeing the other as well as the fact that the forces are about to reveal their apartment secret together. It's hard to tell if this is better than the 1933 version, Rafter Romance, but it does have its moments as the remake plays more for laughs than the 33 version, but the plot is hardly jointed and there is hardly anything new in this version, as well as downplaying the romantic aspect of the film by not really making us wonder if they will truly fall for each other. Dunn, Bourne, Pangborn, Woodbury, Kennedy, & Ward are all in fine B movie form, and its a fun 60 minutes for all. Rating, 5.

Whitney Bourne is behind on her rent. Her landlord doesn't want to kick her out, though...he likes her. The landlord's solution is to have Bourne move into the basement apartment with James Dunn, who is also behind on his rent. Bourne has a daytime job, Dunn works at night - they will never even have to meet.

While that far-fetched setup never quite convinces, this attempt at madcap comedy does have some fun moments.

Dunn is a would-be artist who has somehow captured the fancy of sausage heiress Joan Woodbury. Preferring to make it on his own, Dunn rejects her advances as well the cushy job in her father's sausage factory.

Bourne, meanwhile, has just gotten a job selling electric razors. New roommates Dunn and Bourne have never seen each other but quickly decide they are bitter enemies...and then of course they meet in a restaurant and become friends. Unaware of their ironic situation, Dunn and Bourne romance each other in fits and starts, while continuing to play wicked practical jokes on each other back in the apartment. (She replaces his toothpaste with a tube of paint; he puts a lobster in her bed.)

The stars do their best but weak dialog really limits their ability to come across as charming or intelligent. Otherwise, Tom Kennedy is fine as a big-hearted fellow lodger who drives a cab. Solly Ward plays the landlord and is quite enthusiastic about solving his boarders' problems as well as peeking through their keyholes. Franklin Pangborn is humorous if a bit creepy as the sales manager who coaches his staff of young women on how to sell razors. Joan Woodbury is fun as the pushy society girl who is used to getting her way.

Overall, it's really not too good but it's a cute story that has a few laughs.