Blond Cheat

At a time when Fontaine's sister had reached overnight stardom in '35's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and CAPTAIN BLOOD, JOAN FONTAINE was in the starlet phase of her early career at RKO. She was very pretty and showed a modest amount of talent, but nobody suspected that in a few short years she would come into her own as an actress.

BLOND CHEAT is a pleasant enough programmer, designed to give Fontaine a chance to shine in a light romantic comedy. She has a role requiring her to be charming and coyly flirtatious with leading man DERRICK DE MARNEY, but the silly script is a bit much for anyone to deal with in credible fashion. Even CECIL KELLAWAY looks a bit foolish.

Fontaine is part of a scheme with a pair of expensive earrings, sent to break up an impending marriage by crafty millionaire CECIL KELLAWAY. Of course we know the marriage plans won't go through as soon as Fontaine and De Marney fall in love.

It's forgettable nonsense like this that kept Fontaine's career in low drive until she found more rewarding roles in the '40s.

London "Trafalgar Loan Co." worker Derrick DeMarney (as Michael "Mike" Ashburn) must hold pretty young Joan Fontaine (as Juliette "Julie" Evans) for collateral against her uncle's £400 loan, due to an expensive pair of diamond earrings she wears. Ms. Fontaine claims the earrings have grown into her lobes, through excessive wear. Mr. DeMarney is engaged to boss Cecil Kellaway (as Rufus Trent)'s beautiful daughter, Lilian Bond (as Roberta Trent). Naturally, Fontaine and DeMarney find themselves becoming more and more attracted to each other.

Fontaine looks very beautiful, as photographed by Roy Hunt; early on, she looks especially lovely in an "magnifying glass" shot. The film is a fairly routine "programmer". But, it features some cute scenes, and gets funnier in the second half; the London setting, and British cast, help. Fontaine gets to perform the musical number "It Must Be Love". No threat to Alice Faye or Ginger Rogers, Fontaine is better with the comedy; but, she would soon find her greatest success with drama. Everything ends up as you'd expect. A livelier ending might have helped it add up to something more.

**** Blond Cheat (1938) Joseph Santley ~ Joan Fontaine, Derrick De Marney, Cecil Kellaway

screwball comedy with stunningly beautiful and playful Joan fontaine. the movie is great on several levels. hilarious concept, Joan ends up being collateral for a loan because of the earrings shes wearing, but their is a twist! fun romance with ingénue Joan fontaine showing what a hot babe she was. kittenish and fun romp for Joan as she makes the movie.

tcm is great at pulling out movies you would never get a chance to see that have real value. if you are a Joan fontaine fan this is a must see. watch her playful banter with the leading man. she exudes pure sex appeal.

the writing for the movie is pleasingly fresh. it holds up well and surprises with its plot twists and turns. the leading man is a bit lightweight but the rest of the cast is solid.

Good-natured Cecil Kellaway runs the Trafalgar Loan Company. His employee Robert Coote has his eyes on Kellaway's daughter but the girl is currently interested in Derrick De Marney, another clerk who happens to have some blue blood.

One day at closing time a man rushes in, says he desperately needs a loan, and offers his daughter's earrings as security. De Marney takes a look at the daughter--Joan Fontaine--and hands over the money. As the man races out the door, De Marney realizes that the earrings don't come out and the man has left Fontaine herself as security. De Marney had plans to dine with the boss--but he can't very well let those earrings out of his sight.

Joan Fontaine is excellent as the beautiful but also resourceful young woman who is attached to De Marney for the evening. De Marney is very funny as the conscientious but rather hapless young man who really wants to be a good employee.

The entire cast is good, including Kellaway as the slightly mischievous boss, and Coote as the sharp-witted fellow clerk. ("My dear chap, I know a wild oat when I see one," he smirks at De Marney upon discovering him and Fontaine in a café booth.)

The plot contains some neat surprises and clever twists, with plenty of enjoyable interaction between Fontaine and De Marney, who are both quite charming. Overall, it's silly but fun.

"Blond Cheat" is a film with a rather dumb plot...and whether or not you can look past this will influence your enjoyment of this piece of fluff.

It begins with a loan officer, Michael (Derrick De Marney), making an insane loan which no sober loan officer on this planet would make. A guy claims he MUST get a loan immediately and for collateral he's offering some earrings which his niece (Joan Fontaine) is wearing. He agrees and the guy runs off...leaving the girl behind. Inexplicably, the earrings won't come off her...so he hangs onto the girl throughout the film! And, throughout the film he keeps her with him so the bank won't be taken! However, carting around this pretty girl is a serious problem...especially since Michael is supposed to be marrying the boss' daughter soon and it's highly unlikely she'll approve of this odd arrangement. What's next and what's really afoot? Watch this movie and find out for yourself...or not.

Does this plot make any sense? Absolutely not. No person would loan money like this and how can earrings be impossible to remove? Despite serious and obvious logical errors, the folks at the studio chose to go ahead with the film anyway!

Despite being very stupid, the film had a certain silly fluffiness that also made it inoffensive and a competent time-passer. Hardly a glowing endorsement...but there you have it.