Five and Ten

Five and Ten (1931)

** (out of 4)

Extremely boring melodrama has the owner of a chain of Five and Dime stores moving his family to New York City and it doesn't take long for his daughter (Marion Davies) to get involved with society. There she meets a young man (Leslie Howard) who she thinks is for her but soon one problem after another hampers their relationship. Having watched this just minutes after Davies' earlier film THE FLORODORA GIRL, it's quite apparent that this must have been a production that William Randolph Hearst had his hands in. Unlike the previous film that took drama and mixed in great comedy, a strength of Davies, this film here just milks everything so dry by trying to be so dramatic and serious by the time the ending comes you're either going to be asleep or simply not caring what happens. This is an incredibly dry and boring melodrama that each second seems to be screaming out at the viewer to be "impressed" with what's going on. Each scene is just presented in such a "proper" and "serious" manor that you have to wonder if these people ever have any fun. Davies does what she can with the role but this here certainly isn't a highlight of her career. Howard appears smothered by everything and the two really don't have much chemistry. FIVE AND DIME remains mildly entertaining thanks to the stars but at the same time you know you're just watching fluff.

Ambitious John Rarick (Richard Bennet) is a shining example of the American Dream going from a "mom and pop" to mega chain store owner in the heady prosperous era of the Roaring Twenties. Moving from Kansas to New York he installs his once tight family into the lap of luxury and unintentionally off his radar screen. The attention starved wife (Irene Rich) begins to step out with other men while his son Avery (Kent Douglass) masking incestuous feelings begins to feel alienated and takes to self destruction. Sis Jenniffer ( Marion Davies) is upbeat but smitten with Berry (Leslie Howard) who is engaged to Muriel who seems to enjoy hurting Jen than being in love with Berry. It seems that success has brought with it its own set of problems.

There's an amoral attitude in Five and Ten that gives it a mature sophisticated feel. The wife has callers drop by the mansion, Jen shows little compunction about pursuing the spoken for Berry , Avery makes no bones about how he yearns for the days of when he was closer to mom and sis while pop meanwhile devotes his energies to profit margin. What could make for an absorbing depiction of a wealthy family in free fall ala Magnificent Ambersons (without the Welles touch of course) takes a back seat however to the the mawkishly stilted romance between Davies and Leslie Howard and the film suffers immeasurably as the two, especially Howard, chew scenery when they go to the clinches. Irene Rich and especially Kent Douglass contribute strong performances but it remains a Davies vehicle and with Howard as her driving partner they grind gears and mood most of the ride.

It is not a great pre-code film, but I gave it a 7 mostly because I enjoy Marion Davies.

I also like Leslie Howard as a rule, but in this case, I don't think he and Marion are a good fit; I can't see why she is so head over heels with his character. He does the usual priggish brush-off at one point, calling her nothing more than a cheap rich girl. Good grief, the men were prigs in a lot of these films, always lecturing and indignant, no matter how badly they had behaved up that point.

Marion has such a beautiful face, I can see why she was such a popular silent actress. As always she is dressed beautifully. And she does a good job here, her voice is good, not sign of a stutter.

I know most reviewers gave high marks to Douglass Montgomery, but I found him to be very stilted and stagey in the role of the son. Part of that is due to the lines he was forced to say, I will give him that. I found Richard Bennett to be stiff and actorly as well, but I will take into consideration the style of acting at that time, especially for the older actors who had been on the stage for many years.

All in all, a good enough drama.

Five and Ten is about a young girl (the charming Marion Davies) who is trying to deal with being New Money, a fact that's tearing her family apart, and being in love with a to-be married rotter/architect (the frankly swoon-worthy Leslie Howard).

The focus of this really ought to have been in one place or the other, or else they should have made it into a longer picture, because important parts seemed rushed. Jennifer's brother Avery, for instance, was a great character who was rather important to the way the plot revolved, but far too little screen time is given to him. This is a particular shame as Douglass Montgomery really shone in this role. Instead, time is spent lingeringly on simple romantic scenes between the young lovers. Davies and Howard's chemistry was undeniably electric, making for a few surprisingly sexy scenes, but one can't help but feel that the editors ought to have made a few more judicious cuts and the writers a few additions.

Overall, it's worth a watch, though, even if you're not particularly interested in any of the actors, because of the relative strength of both pieces, whether or not they coalesce particularly well.

This pre-code is very odd. Actually, very good. The first half is a naughty romantic comedy (sort of) that has the usual adorable Leslie Howard (can't help it, he's appealing as hell) and a kind of off-kilter Marion Davies. She seems a bit uncomfortable in this role -- maybe because it's an early talkie and she lisps? because it becomes dramatic and she isn't sure how to play it? Anyway, I was getting a bit annoyed with the whole thing when the movie does a real pre-code twist. Mom has an affair because mogul Dad is too busy with work. Brother has major mental health issues and suddenly takes up some very bad flying. And Heroine Marion takes on a role that reflects her own life by unrepentantly taking up with a now-married Leslie Howard. Things get...dark. So I found myself being impressed with the risks in this second movie (although I did laugh at some melodramatic moments). This movie doesn't apologize for anything. Marion is not punished for her love. Now that's new. She is defiant -- not just the character, but Marion Davies herself, I believe. I also appreciated the way it carried through its rich-man-neglecting-his-family theme to its most bitter result. This was surprisingly well done. No excuses are made for Dad's work obsession whatsoever. And Richard Bennett plays it subtly.

There are a few tremendous scenes. One involves a nocturnal visit to a rooftop. The other is a long drunken rant by the brother (Douglas Montgomery) in which he makes fun of Dad's obsession with money and success. Both of these are just lovely -- genuinely touching, I thought.

If you get a chance to see it, you should. It's an important movie in the Marion Davies pantheon, and Leslie Howard gets to be all charm. Just be patient and see where it goes.