Trouble for Two

"Trouble for Two" is a benign title that belies what an unusual film this is. Robert Montgomery plays a foreign prince who is approached by a beautiful, mysterious woman (Rosalind Russell) on board ship to London. She asks him to hold an envelope for her until they disembark, at which time she will meet him at the bottom of the gangplank. She never does. It turns out the envelope is full of blank paper. While in London, Montgomery meets Louis Hayward, who tells him and his aide (Frank Morgan) of the existence of a suicide club. The prince insists on accompanying Hayward there, over his aide's objections. There, in this exclusive club where people pay to die with another member's assistance so it looks like natural causes, he sees the mysterious lady again...

This is a very intriguing story with twists and turns that will keep the viewer interested. Montgomery and Russell did five films together and make a good team. She's quite striking-looking and somber in this. Montgomery does an excellent job as the prince, a young man who can't resist the idea of adventure and who is willing to take even foolish risks. Louis Hayward's role is small but a different one for him. He looks heavier and softer. As the actor who first portrayed The Saint, he normally was quite suave and dashing.

You have to pay attention during "Trouble for Two" - it moves fast. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's story "The Suicide Club," the script could have been stronger, but it's a good effort and a change from the usual fare.

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.

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!

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.

This is an intriguing version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Suicide Club", with ever-urbane aristocrat being recruited by an apparent group of boring rich people, willing to kill themselves for sport ! All is not as it seems and after Montgomery encounters mysterious Russell, the stage is set for a surprising revelation and an exciting climax.