Trouble for Two

Fanciful comedy based on an R.L. Stevenson story that is not as ghastly as it sounds. It is an underrated, 'sleeper' comedy masterfully played by a cast of Hollywood veterans, and relies heavily on Hollywood's British colony for support. The two principals, Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, are at their best and get help from Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen and Louis Hayward, to name a few.

Montgomery is heir to a throne and scheduled for an arranged marriage he wants nothing to do with. He goes to London incognito and meets some strange people enroute and stumbles upon a Suicide Club. Keen for an adventure, he involves himself in the dangerous club and with a mysterious woman. Sound funny? Well, it is. The principals are two of Hollywood's best in this type of off-beat story. Very enjoyable and entertaining film from MGM and runs a quick 75 minutes.

Adapted from a Robert Louis Stevenson story called "The Suicide Club", this is a rapid-fire brain teaser with plenty of terrific acting and witty dialogue, Robert Montgomery is wonderful in the lead, and Frank Morgan matched him parry for thrust. Reginald Owen (later Scrooge) is marvellous whenever he appears. I enjoyed it immensely.

Very imaginative reworking of Stevenson's classic short-story, The Suicide Club. Montgomery and Russell make a well-matched and very attractive couple, and Frank Morgan is superb as his faithful and loyal second. Reginald Owen is marvelous as the head of the club. And, the rest of the supporting class including a young and handsome Louis Hayward, is equally compelling. The score and photography are exquisite as well. This is one to be watched and enjoyed.

At first sight this MGM oddity looks like a typical over-the-top 30s effort, but I found it growing on me (despite the ever-increasing number of loose ends - why? what? how?). If you can accept Montgomery and Russell as 18th century foreign Royals who blend perfectly in a Britain even more nutty than it's usually depicted, then this is quite an enjoyable and unusually imaginative slice of early Hollywood.

Starts off really intriguing and seems to differentiate itself from other films of its era. A successful mix of comedy and suspense at the beginning, and Rosalind Russell looking so surprisingly beautiful, that she seems to come across in her early scenes as a black-haired Garbo. I've never seen her look more beautiful. The film is worth seeing for Russell's early scenes alone. But unfortunately, silly and unbelievable coincidences surface midway in the plot that considerably weaken and conventionalize the film. At its finish, I ended up feeling vaguely disappointed at what could have been a really unique and special film. I still think its worth seeing though, as the performances were all around quite good. A great film that could have been!