Mariage secret

Having big-name stars front this B-movie from Warner Brothers adds interest, but unfortunately it plays straightforwardly without any dimension to the characters. So we have a typical Depression-era feature to while away an hour on a double-bill, instantly forgettable.

Based on a play, the movie relies upon details that conveniently propel the story with little credibility. Issue of a case of bribery in exchange for a pardon from the governor is still topical 90 years later, but it has zero impact here. Directed breezily by William Dieterle, it was made around the time he shot "Fog Over Frisco", a minor classic that is often cited, with good reason, to be among the fastest-paced and most concise movie of all time.

Watching the team of Stanwyck and Warren William is fun, but their character react automatically to the flow of events -strictly stock characters.

Barbara Stanwyck (the governor's daughter) and Warren (the District Attorney) get married when the film begins. But before they can spring it on her father, a bribery scandal unfolds and the two lovers decide to investigate--withholding key evidence and allowing an innocent woman to almost be convicted of murder along the way!

While this little film stars Barbara Stanwyck and Warren William (both stars at the time), this film seems like it was beneath their status at the studio. Considering their box office power, this film seemed amazingly ordinary and could have easily been made as a B-movie. Much of the problem with the plot isn't just the ordinariness but also how utterly hard to believe it all was. However, if you turn off your brain and simply see it on a very superficial level, it's worth seeing as a time-passer but not much more.

Secret Bride, The (1934)

*** (out of 4)

The governor's daughter (Barbara Stanwyck) secretly weds the D.A. (Warren William) but hours after the wedding he receives information that the governor has been taking bribes for paroles. This is your typical, fast paced drama from Warner that has a decent story but works mainly to the star power. William was born to play these types of roles and he steals the film delivering a very strong performance. William has such a calm, cool and collective way to deliver these types of performances and most of them are always worth watching. Stanwyck is also very good, although she delivers a few truly campy moments including one scene where she gets upset and punches a table. You'll know the scene when it happens. The two of them work well together and really carry the story which isn't the strongest in the world but it makes for a fun 64-minutes.

The Secret Bride is one of those films with a completely artificial issue. If only Warren William and Barbara Stanwyck were completely open about their marriage this whole plot wouldn't have happened. But he's the state attorney general and she's the daughter of Governor Arthur Aylesworth. The two are married secretly and keep it that way thinking it helps Aylesworth avoid charges of impropriety.

In fact Aylesworth is facing charges of improprieties, taking bribes and kickbacks. William has to investigate. But the investigation blows up when his own man Douglass Dumbrille is killed and his girl friend Glenda Farrell is arrested for his murder. Barbara knows something that can clear Farrell, but is also concerned about her father's fate as well.

The real story of Dumbrille's death and the charges against Aylesworth is a rather intricately connected set of circumstances that only make sense in the end. I don't want to go into any of it lest I spoil your appetite for the rest of the story.

Glenda is quite good as the street smart dame who in reality turns out to be a true innocent. In fact there is a master villain who is a real puppetmaster in this whole affair.

The one thing that struck me in this whole affair is that if a special prosecutor law had been in place, one would have been appointed and there would be no film. This is why there are such laws. Also if like in New York, the Attorney General was an independent elected official, Warren and Barbara would have been free to keep the marriage open.

And there would be no need for Barbara to be The Secret Bride.

"The Secret Bride" is a quintessential early 1930's Warner Brothers film. It starts quickly, and never slows a step. Not a second is wasted, as the plot relentlessly pushes forward, never pausing to take a breath. Though Barbara Stanwyck is the nominal star, the lines are spread out quite nicely, giving many other actors quite a lot of screen time and dialogue.

Warren William is one of my favorite actors from this era. Tall and darkly handsome, he seems to be permanently smarmy and manipulative. In fact, in the movies I have seen him in, his characters are so deliciously sleazy and disingenuous that it took me a while to accept the idea that he is a genuine good guy here.

Douglas Dumbrille has a meaty role also as Warren's assistant in the Attorney General's office. He too is often corrupt and sleazy (one of my favorite movie scenes ever is the climax of "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", when Gary Cooper punches him and good). And was Grant Mitchell born looking old? He never appears young in any film ever (and with good reason - he was born in 1874 - and was 58 when his film career took off!)

One really funny moment occurs when Barbara Stanwyck goes to Mitchell's offices to find him. After being told he is not there, Stanwyck asks the receptionist for his home address - which she joyfully gives him without a thought - street address and apartment number! Things sure have changed.

I also enjoy how these early films never actually mention what state the movie takes place in, even though the governor plays a large role in the story; nor are specific political parties ever mentioned - a nice approach.

Don't start watching this unless you are prepared to sit for the whole 64 minutes - with your seatbelt on. A quick, fun ride indeed.