Fast and Loose

In the midst of the Great Depression films often focused on the antics of the idle rich, with the best of these being made at Paramount. This film is about a wealthy family that is thrown into chaos when the son wants to marry a chorus girl (Carole Lombard) and the daughter (Miriam Hopkins) wants to marry a mechanic (Charles Starrett). Even though Carole Lombard is second billed in this film, she is practically a statue here -beautiful to look at, but having only a line here and there. This is really Miriam Hopkin's film as Marion Lenox, and she does a great job as the poor little rich girl that doesn't know what she wants until she meets the man of her dreams that turns out to be the family's newly hired mechanic. Frank Morgan plays his part as the father, Bronson Lenox, with all the befuddled flair we've come to expect from him. The whole film comes to a head when Bronson and his brother meet the chorus girl fiancée of Bronson's son at a roadhouse intending to convince the chorus girl to leave his son alone. Unfortunately Bronson's son shows up at the same roadhouse that night as well as Bronson's daughter with the mechanic in tow. There is a big scene between all involved that is only interrupted by a raid on the establishment.

Ilke Chase, as Carole Lombard's close friend and fellow chorus girl, is a great comic touch. The story calls for Carole's character to be sober and responsible, so Ilke is added as a counter to all of that. She physically resembles 30's Warner character actor Aline McMahon, but she has the wildness of all of the Gold Diggers of 1933 rolled into one with Winnie Lightner thrown in for good measure. Her vamping of Bronson Lenox's emotionally embalmed brother is hilarious.

One of the forerunners of the screwball comedies of the 1930's, ironically Miriam Hopkin's part here reminds me a bit of the part that Carole Lombard plays in 1936's "My Man Godfrey". Very entertaining and highly recommended if you run across this one.

Nothing pleased Depression Era audiences more than when working class people like chauffeurs and chorus girls got to date the rich sons and daughters of those with lots of money to waste. 99% of the audience fantasized it would be them as the rich son or daughter's new companion, because 99% of them were poor. Of course, they had no such change in real life. But for an hour or so, they could at least dream. I will take Carole Lombard over Miriam Hopkins for overall effect. The plot of the film is pretty original; as original as a copying machine. Don't bother watching this turkey unless you want to see an early Lombard performance.

Not the most original of plots, capricious heiress promised to a British lord falls for mechanic, while her equally spoiled heavy-drinking brother wants to marry a chorus girl. While the ending is no big surprise, the way to reach it is rather more original, as the pleasant and unhurried script finally reaches the more exciting climax it has been preparing. Good acting wins the day, though admirers of Miriam Hopkins will feel more satisfied than those of Carole Lombard, who inherits the fairly small and not so endearing part of the serious chorus girl with admirably strong morals. Still this is very much a pre-code movie, as can be seen in the night beach scene when the heiress and the rather uptight mechanic wonder whether they are both thinking about the same thing as Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden - and conclude it would be more advisable for them to go swimming...

Marion (Miriam Hopkins) is engaged to Rockingham (David Hutcheson). She does not love him and you know that their relationship isn't going to work out. It doesn't. She calls it off so that she can spend her time with Henry (Charles Starrett), a mechanic. This is too much for Marion's mother, Carrie (Winifred Harris) who is a socially aspiring nightmare of a woman. Carrie is dealt another blow when her son, Bertie (Henry Wadsworth) announces his intention to marry a chorus girl Alice (Carole Lombard). Marion's father, Bronson (Frank Morgan) plays the voice of reason and engineers a happy ending.

This film belongs to Miriam Hopkins. Whenever she is on screen you are never far from a quality insult, especially in the scenes with Charles Starrett when they go swimming at night. She effortlessly insults him and it's great fun to watch. Unfortunately, he is a bit of a lughead and comes nowhere near the level of acting competency or talent that is demonstrated by Hopkins. He is just a big, stupid guy who likes cars. Carole Lombard hardly has a thing to do and is upstaged by her companion, Millie (Ilka Chase). The film is funny and moves at a good pace. It's the usual boy v girl story where we know what is going to happen and it's fun to watch how they get there.

This unheralded little light comedy-drama was a happy surprise; when it is discussed it usually is panned harshly (Leonard Maltin I believe rated it only one and a half stars) but I found it very appealing and a pleasant film. Star Miriam Hopkins is a bit of an acquired taste, there is always a touch of sourness to her performances, no sweet, friendly ingenue she, unlike most blonde star. Give her a role where she is caustic or scheming however and she is superbly cast (Becky Sharp, The Old Maid, Old Acquaintance) and gives a great performance. Here she plays a role a touch in that vein and it's one of best performances and let's her have a warmer edge to her mischievousness. She's a bored heriess engaged to a Lord she's disinterested strictly because her family wants her to marry a title (it's a nice touch while the Lord is in the relationship for the money as per usual, he's not the sleazy creep of other films but rather a dullard.) Miriam adores her brother (Barry Hutchinson) who is secretly engaged to chorus girl Carole Lombard and envies their loving, playful relationship. She breaks the engagement in pursuit of real love and stumbles upon handsome hunk Charles Starrett at the beach. They quarrel a bit that first night but Miriam comes back for seconds the next night, finding romance for the first time. Trouble is she eventually learns he is a mechanic and she is an heiress - and he happens to be employed by her father. When Miriam and Barry's father learns of his romance with showgirl Carole he schemes to buy her off, unaware his daughter is also now in a relationship "beneath" the family.

Charles Starrett would be a popular western movie star a few years later but here is one gorgeous hunk of a romantic leading man (check out those photos on the IMDb page to this movie!) very believable as the sort of Adonis a love-struck woman would chase after despite any obstacles. (I also found it amusing that his somewhat strong Southern accent provokes Miriam's own to come to the surface at times, particularly on certain words.) Carole Lombard is lovely but hers is a pretty small part despite her second billing (understandable since she was the only Paramount contract player in the film besides Miriam) and the rather unknown Barry Hutchinson is very good as the boozy brother. Ilka Chase is a revelation as Carole's horny, man-hungry pal. Ms. Chase is best known for playing elegant society women like Bette Davis' sister-in-law in Now Voyager but here she's a thin, physical comedienne along the lines of Charlotte Greenwood and Joan Davis. Fast and Loose is indeed fast and rather loose, too. Recommended.