Love, Honor and Behave

While this movie's intentions might have been good, the execution of it is where it fails, primarily because of some thankfully outdated notions.

It's a shame, too, that 'Lane, Priscilla' (qv)'s performance gets a bit overshadowed by the content of the film. She is an absolute delight and her performance during the end sequence is both hilarious and beautiful at the same time.

This just goes to prove something that I've learned recently while watching movies from the 1930s and 40s: Priscilla Lane makes any movie that much better.

It's hard to believe sometimes, in a new century, that movies like this, were made and viewed as acceptable behavior. The message is not only "only the strong survive", it's that the violent and the pushy survive and that what we now accept as correct behavior was looked upon as incorrect.

An example of how ridiculous the premise is made when Wayne Morris, the hero, who was raised by his mother, is criticized for preferring tennis to football, by macho old dad. Dad had even criticized Mom for not "fighting" (literally) for him earier in the movie. Well,Wayne falls for childhood girlfriend Priscilla Lane, whose philosophy is not unlike that of his schmuck father's. Priscilla wants a man who looks good, (as does Wayne Morris) but she wants him to be as physical and morally ambiguous as his father was. Very soon tere are marital problems because hero can't find a decent job (it's the depression and he quit med school to marry her). She still wants to party with a male friend while Morris wants her to stay home discuss a job that would mean their living on a lot less.

The "happy ending" and our "lesson in life" is when she manipulates him into physically fighting the guy who comes to take her out, and physically abuses her for not sticking with him. Both sets of parents watching from outside the front window (and are amazingly amused and satisfied) are told by Priscilla Lane's character to "leave them alone" (She appears tojoy his new-found penchant for domestic violence). The "older folks" present think it's all cute.

It's a movie with good actors but it's message makes it really difficult to watch. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that there are some people who may watch this movie and think of it as merely a screwball comedy, with an appropriate message. I pity them.

I'm probably in the minority, but this film sends out wrong messages about good sportsmanship and domestic violence. I do believe in winning when playing a game and in standing up for one's rights at all times, but not by cheating and not with physical violence. When Wayne Morris senses the referee was in error when called a ball hit by his opponent "out" in a college tennis game, he purposely throws the next point away, which costs him the game. He's chastised by his father (Thomas Mitchell), who believes in winning at all costs, but praised by his mother (Barbara O'Neill), whose actions Morris is emulating. Earlier in the film, their disagreement in matters such as this ended up in a divorce. Mitchell even says if she had been angry and even struck him when he was caught philandering he would not have left her. The idea that hitting a person to show you care seemed to me to be ludicrous, but it permeates the entire film (and in other movies of the 30's, when spousal abuse was not a catchword). Now Morris is married to Priscilla Lane and is faced with a similar problem.

I did enjoy most of the acting, even though Lane comes on a bit too aggressive for my taste, and very hostile to her mother-in-law. The supporting players, including the child actors, give very competent performances.

"Love, Honor and Behave" is a very flawed B-movie. While enjoyable, it's also a film that only seems to think in extremes! It's a shame, as with a better ending and a but more subtlety, it would have been a lot better.

The story begins with Ted as a child (Dickie Moore). He's stuck between extremes with his parents. His father wants the kid to be a he-man and a tough guy whereas his mother wants him to be passive and 'a good sport'. Well, his parents soon divorce and mother's influence wins out....and as Ted grows (Wayne Morris), the kid is now a wimpy man who won't stand up for himself. This is much worse because he also won't fight for his marriage and you can see that his wife (Priscilla Lane) is disappointed in him and doesn't think he's much of a man. Will Ted continue this or will he learn to be a man?

The film is entertaining...but also disturbing because the ending essentially says that when your wife is being a jerk, slap her around and show her who's boss. Couldn't there be something a little less extreme?! I do think standing up for right and wrong and fighting is good...but the film definitely crosses the line to spousal abuse. Overall, an interesting but seriously flawed story.

By the way, at the end, the couple being having a fist fight and both INSTANTLY have bruises on them...which is utterly ridiculous...and nasty.

I expect actor Morris was hired for the lead for commercial purposes. After all, his brawny frame sure doesn't look like a weakling, but then old Hollywood doesn't put nerds in leading roles. His Ted is supposed to be a mama's boy despite the unlikely looks. Upper class Mom (O'Neill) rears him to be forgiving in everything and to always lose gracefully without trying hard to win. I guess it's an extreme form of "noblesse oblige" as practiced by the refined upper crust. Looks like the idea is that since you're already at the societal top, you've got nothing to prove.

Trouble is this overly generous attitude causes problems for Ted as an adult, particularly with his love life where he doesn't try hard to win Barbara (Lane) despite how he feels. What he needs to do in so many words is 'to stand up for what you want'. So the idea, I believe, is a critique of being both overly generous as a personality trait and of the kind of upper class superiority that patronizes others.

I'm not surprised this was a Warner Bros. production since they were the blue-collar studio of the 30's. (In that regard, catch the revealing very last line.) The plot's a worthy one, but is none too plausibly conveyed among the many principals. At the same time, too much of the movie is too crowded with speaking parts and over-written as a result. Plus, Ted's rather violent turn-around sends a dubious message that's unfortunately papered over by a typical Hollywood ending. Lane over-emotes as the lively ingénue but at least provides spark, while Morris smiles affably while mainly standing around, that is, when not throwing a big tennis match. Hard to believe from this that he was a highly decorated WWII pilot before passing away at an early age.

Anyway, the movie handles tricky material rather awkwardly and without generating much audience involvement. Too bad.