La moglie bugiarda

Aspiring writer and compulsive liar (Carole Lombard) is married to scrupulously honest defense attorney (a mustachioed Fred MacMurray). Because he won't defend anyone who isn't innocent, his law practice is unsuccessful. So his wife must take a job to help them pay bills. When her lecherous boss winds up murdered, Carole's accused of the crime. Despite being innocent, she confesses to the crime and it's up to Fred to represent her in court.

Lombard and MacMurray are both terrific. John Barrymore has a field day as a nutty blackmailer. Una Merkel is fun as Carole's friend. Edgar Kennedy's a hoot as a blusterous detective. Porter Hall funny as the prosecutor. In addition to being the last of four films Lombard did with MacMurray, this reunites her with her Twentieth Century costar, John Barrymore. It's interesting that in just three years Barrymore's career had declined enough that he was playing a supporting role instead of the lead. This is a riotous comedy with great stars in top form. Leonard Maltin's film guide gives it one and a half stars. Clearly he saw a different movie than this.

What a mess this thing is! Both lead characters are fools and irritating in the bargain. Carole's native intelligence shines through which actually weakens the movie since it reminds you that a woman obviously this smart would never do things so stupid. Fred's part is a dullard simp and even he would never believe the ridiculous things his wife comes up with. John Barrymore, or rather what's left of him at this point, is beyond hammy with another character that makes no sense. The only bright spot is Una Merkel who gives a sprightly, cute performance of the only person in the picture who seems like she would actually exist. Aside from her the movie is a dog.

Brilliant blend of screwball and black comedy with Carole Lombard at her best playing a compulsive liar married to a scrupulously honest lawyer, Fred MacMurray.

She gets duped into accepting a secretarial job that seems to good to be true. It is. She wrestles with the man, punches him in the stomach and leaves. Later that afternoon she goes back to retrieve her hat with pal Una Merkel. But just as they get up their courage to sneak in a get her things, the police show up because the man has been murdered.

In jail she concocts a scheme to say she killed him to defend her honor. MacMurray will defend her, free her, and become famous. All their troubles will be over. But in a bar sits a man, John Barrymore, who has ideas of cashing in on the murder case.

A flop in its day, but a terrific comedy with top performances by all. Lombard is totally wonderful as the liar who dreams up stories in the blink of an eye. MacMurray is solid, but Barrymore is great as the "world's preeminent criminologist." Supporting cast includes Lynne Overman, Porter Hall, Hattie McDaniel, Richard Carle, Fritz Feld, Edgar Kennedy, Tom Dugan, Irving Bacon, and Gary Owen.

Lombard and Barrymore are tops!

TRUE CONFESSION is one of the unsung gems of the 1930's, a brilliant black comedy that surprisingly is often written off as a misfire. I think it may be because it is so remarkably different than other 1930's comedies which usually feature lovable and endearing characters in a charming situation; in TRUE CONFESSION we get a certified pathological liar in Lombard and a downright menacing villain in Barrymore. Lombard starts as a woman finds herself falsely accused of murder, to help her husband's floundering career as a lawyer she falsely admits to the crime!! This wacky, envelope-pushing comedy is a thorough delight and makes the cynicism in a more famous Lombard picture, NOTHING SACRED, seem downright sugary. Alas, this picture, clearly inspired by the plot of the famous 1920's musical CHICAGO, was obviously too audacious in theme for 1930's audiences as it would be in 1942 when Ginger Rogers filmed the musical as a song-less comedy in ROXIE HART. CHICAGO was never really appreciated until it's 1975 revival and it's later film version with Renee Zellwegger, but critical respect for ROXIE HART came around with time and I believe it's time for TRUE CONFESSION too to get a new reevaluation as a pioneer black comedy.

Lombard is at her best as the novelist who couldn't tell the truth if she wanted to; Barrymore is superb in an over-the-top caricature of as seedy adventurer. Una Merkel is absolutely perfect as Carole's best friend, this has to be one of her greatest roles. Fred MacMurray is a solid presence as Lombard's devoted and idealistic husband and very sexy too, especially in those swimsuit scenes near the end. Famed movie musical chorine Toby Wing is fun in a bit part as the mistress/"secretary" of the deceased and Hattie McDaniel is hilarious in her few scenes and has perhaps the best line in the picture as she quizzes MacMurray about possibly representing her in as of yet uncommitted crime. Beautifully photographed by Ted Tetzlaff and brilliantly directed Wesley Ruggles, TRUE CONFESSION has more potential to become a cult film than any as of yet undiscovered 1930's comedy that I've seen.

I think a whole lot of people don't really get this film from the reviews I'm reading. Carol Lombard who likes to spin tall tales of exaggeration is married to poor, but honest lawyer Fred MacMurray and tries her best to help.

The key scene here in True Confessions is right at the beginning when Lombard fetches MacMurray a client who happens to be guilty. Someone should have told Fred that only Perry Mason can afford to represent innocent clients only. So when he declines to be a lawyer for a man who will pay him out of the stolen hams he swiped from a butcher shop, Carol decides that he needs a name acquittal to gain him clients.

When she goes for a job with lecherous millionaire John Murphy who later winds up dead and circumstantial evidence points to her, she 'confesses' kind of, sort of to exasperated police detective Edgar Kennedy. It's enough to get her arrested and her husband his first real client.

It's all kind of dumb, but Lombard's scheme is right out of the Lucy Ricardo playbook. The trial is one for the books as well with District Attorney Porter Hall letting victory slip through his fingers.

Another character pops in to almost upset the applecart. John Barrymore who was cast in the part at Lombard's request to repay the debt she owed him from Twentieth Century plays a 'criminologist' down on his luck who comes across some key evidence that could upset everyone's plans. Sadly though Barrymore does a great job in the part, he's really not acting at all. The role is a caricature of what Barrymore had become. But it was a payday and I'm sure he was grateful to Lombard somewhat.

Playing Ethel to Lombard's Lucy is Una Merkel, a role she'd done before and would again. Lombard's 'True Confession' scene with Kennedy is a priceless one.

I'm sure Fred MacMurray felt in this last of four films in which they were paired that Carole had a lot of 'Splaining to do'.