The Widow from Monte Carlo

A proper Englishman & an American crook help THE WIDOW FROM MONTE CARLO retrieve her stolen love letter.

Fast-moving & fun, this is another example of the comedy crime picture that Warner Brothers was so expert at producing in the 1930's. Casts & plots could be shuffled endlessly, with very predictable results, and while this assembly line approach created few classics, audience enjoyment could usually be assured. This very amusing little film - only an hour long - fits the mold perfectly; it's slick plot quickly transporting the viewer from Monaco to Cannes, London and Margate. With a fine cast and plenty of lively humor, it's a shame that it is almost completely forgotten.

Lovely Dolores Del Rio, in the title role, plays a woman straining under the constraints of nearly a year's mourning for her noble husband. She is at her most vulnerable when she is swept up by sophisticated Warren William, who sees what he likes and goes after it. The two stars, with their very different personas, work well together and give a definite sparkle to the story.

For such a short film there is an unusually rich supporting cast. Louise Fazenda stirs up lots of laughs as a fiercely aggressive social climber; as her marmalade manufacturing spouse, Herbert Mundin gives her unassuming, affable support. Together, they enjoy the movie's most hilarious scene when they attempt to follow Del Rio & William through Margate's Dreamland fun house.

A fastidious Colin Clive plays Del Rio's stuffy fiancé ; Warren Hymer is very amusing as the American tough guy who takes a shine to the two lovers; E. E. Clive, Mary Forbes & Eily Malyon glow in their tiny roles as Del Rio's overly protective aristocratic in-laws; Olin Howland sports a British accent as a gambling butler.

Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Billy Bevan as an English constable with a black eye.

"The Widow from Monte Carlo" is a short comedy that is surprisingly entertaining and as good as many 90-minute comedy romances of the era. Dolores Del Rio is the Duchess of Rye, a young widow who is restless as she is closing in on one year of mourning. She sneaks out to the casinos of Monte Carlo and watches the games as a stranger beside her (Warren William) makes small talk and flirts a bit, asking her age so he can wager on that number, not particularly a good pickup line for any woman, although Del Rio goes along with it, albeit not speaking, nodding as he points toward "24" (in the real world, Dolores was actually a decade older though she could pass for mid-twenties). He wins, he impulsively kisses her (potential harassment in today's world and maybe then, too) and as he collects his earnings, she slips away like Cinderella, leaving him to ponder just who was this mystery lady. Back at the hotel with her late husband's parents, they persuade her to accept the proposal of the rather sexless acquaintance, Lord (Colin Clive) so she can go on with her life.

Williams is friends with a wealthy middle-aged couple. The husband has made his fortune in marmalade, the wife (Louise Fazenda) an ambitious social climber who has long been trying to make contact with the duchess next door - Del Rio. When Fazenda spots Del Rio on a barge at the beach, William swims out to meet this elusive woman whom he begins to realize was the mystery woman at the casino. He tries to talk her into going to a British equivalent of Coney Island with him on a date, which she agrees to after several requests, tired of being bored sitting at home with her staid in-laws and the colorless Clive. They have a ball and, returning home, pick up an American (Warren Hymer) who happens to be a friendly, garrulous gangster!

The next morning, Del Rio comes to her senses and sends William a note telling him they should no longer see each other, considering she is engaged. Visiting William, Fazenda finds the note, steals it and decides to use it to blackmail Del Rio into attending her party.

This is a cute little comedy/romance with Del Rio (stunning as always) and William making a good screen couple. The movie is notable for casting Clive and Fazenda in roles against type. Clive, famous for the man scientist who created Frankenstein and similar roles, plays a milquetoast albeit pleasant royal while Fazenda, best known for playing earthy hicks, plays a pushy social climber who is not averse to using dirty tricks to get what she wants. Fazenda, a comedy star of the silent era, here is into her six-year contract at Warner Bros, where she was a supporting character actress. She's excellent in a Mary Bolandish part as a chatterbox wife with added menace edge. Warren Hymer is also very good as the gangster on the lam who decides to buddy around with new "pal" William.

This movie is so short it never has any time to drag and could have gone on for another twenty minutes if the producers had wanted but then Warner Bros. Usually did keep most of their programmers fairly brief in the early and mid 1930's, all the better to watch two or three of them in one sitting.

this little film just falls flat. Warren William is good (as always) and Louise Fazenda steals what there is to steal, but it still doesn't work. Seems like we've seen all this before. The whole plot line about a stolen letter that doesn't even say anything (so why steal it?) seals the fate of this one. Warren Hymer is especially annoying and Del Rio's accent wanders... Still worth a look.

At Monte Carlo's casino, Warren William steals a kiss from Dolores Del Rio, not knowing she is the widow of an English lord, still in mourning. When they meet again in England, she is engaged at the insistence of her late husband's relatives, to pleasant but dull Colin Clive. William still doesn't know an of this, so he takes her n a day trip to Margate, where she purchases a cheap souvenir and sends it to him, along with a nice note about American gangster Warren Hymer, whom William finds amusing and fun to hang out with. Social climbing Louise Fazenda wants Miss Del Rio to attend her party, steals the note and souvenir, tells Miss Del Rio that she bought it from William, and threatens exposure, which will shock English society.

Tsk. It's weak tea so far as the story goes, but it's always worth looking at Miss Del Rio, William is utterly charming and Code-compliant, and Clive plays the dull fellow to perfection, as you may easily imagine. There's little that's wrong here for a second feature, and at a few seconds under an hour it won't take much time to get through.