You Can't Beat Love

Preston Foster who usually did action/adventure parts dons white tie and tails as a wealthy playboy lawyer who does anything on a dare. This time he's dared to run for mayor of his small city against Frank Thomas. Which brings him into contact with the mayor's daughter Joan Fontaine.

In order that politics not separate them from being future bedfellows, Foster pulls his punches though it is hard to believe he could not know about the crooked dealings of his police chief Berton Churchill and aide Bradley Page. Still as it always love will out.

This RKO programmer sports a really nice and impressive cast. Besides those mentioned Herbert Mundin is Foster's valet, Paul Hurst his campaign manager and former day laborer, Harold Huber and Paul Guilfoyle as a pair of out of town gangsters.

Special mention has to go to Barbara Pepper. She's hired to work the old badger game on Foster instead she does it with Hurst. Identities not easy to mistake but she does it. Her scenes trying to seduce Hurst are a scream.

This is an amusing comedy and no doubt Fontaine was on the way up.

Ahh.. the peaceful years just before world war two. Preston foster and joan fontaine. When attorney hughes takes a dare to get a hard, blue collar job, he gets more than he bargained for. And drags his butler along. Now he's running for mayor, and the current mayor doesn't like it, so it's war! Pretty silly. There are two characters that are clearly doing mae west and w.c. Fields impersonations.... the girl's name is even may smith. What have they gotten into?? It's a fun, wacky 62 minutes. Directed by christy cabanne... had started in the wee early days of silents, directed right on up to 1948. Story by olga moore. Really silly story line, but it's all in good fun.

Jimmy Hughes (Preston Foster) is a fun-loving gentleman who will accept any dare. Jasper (Herbert Mundin) is his butler and sidekick. While digging a ditch in a tuxedo for a dare, a campaign bus with the mayor's daughter Trudy Olson (Joan Fontaine) rolls up. It's immediate love-hate at first sight.

This is an early film for Joan Fontaine. She and Foster have a bit of chemistry but they don't have enough time together. The better plot is for them to somehow join forces to uncover this corruption. The ice scene is fun but there isn't enough of them.

The only reason for watching this film was the allure of watching Joan Fontaine in her third picture. RKO obviously had no clue what to do with this budding young talent. Pairing her with the dashing Preston Foster didn't get the intended results.

In fact, the film, as directed by Christy Cabanne doesn't hold the viewer's attention. The plot doesn't make too much sense, as it appears to have been done as a B movie to fill a double bill, so popular at the time.

The best thing in the movie are some of the supporting cast members. Herbert Mundin makes the best impression as the faithful valet. Alan Bruce, William Brisbane, and Paul Guilfoyle are seen in minor roles.

As far as Joan Fontaine, one wouldn't have guessed how far she would go judging for her participation in the film.

Watch it as a curiosity.

Preston Foster is a good action man but put him in a suit with Joan Fontaine as his romantic lead and he is rather out of his depth.Unfortunately it is the case with films of this nature that firstly you need a good script and secondly you need some chemistry between the lead actors.Alas this film falls flat on both counts.It is a sad waste of the talents of all concerned.I am not saying this is boring but it really is not all that entertaining.I had looked at the films page before viewing and saw that it had a mark of 6.5.Having seen this film all i can say is that maybe i am missing something.Compare this for example with "Bringing Up Baby" made at RKO,the same studio that made this,just one year later.It is a bit like comparing "Hercules Unchained" with "Ben Hur".