Good Sport

A happy married life for Marilyn Parker (Linda Watkins) turn sour when she finds out her husband (Alan Dinehart) is on his way to Europe on a three month business trip with his mistress Peggy Bums (Greta Nissen) on board. Mrs. Parker mother, played by Hedda Hopper, does her best to console her daughter and encourages her to get a divorce. But the wife wants answers to some of the questions that bothers her: how come her husband has an mistress? What caused him to go behind her back with so many lies? The mother comments that these are questions many wives would like answers to.

The Mistress is a true gold digger and wants money and things to keep her happy. Her girlfriends are equally so and happily leads a life of being kept by rich men in an underworld of partying and boozing. So Marilyn Parker decides to mingle among these women and rents the apartment and maid (Louise Beavers) of her husbands mistress. She changes her name and hides her real identity. Out to find some answers on her own she is forced to lower her moral standards among some eager searching women. The real scene stealer of this film is actually the maid played by Louise Beaver. She has some wise cracking ideas for how to keep a rich man coming back for more and eagerly encourage Marilyn Parker to go out there and find one. Against her intention she meets the bachelor millionaire Boyce Cameron, played by John Boles, and is captivated by his charm and style. But as a faithful wife she keeps her distance and rejects his advances. Upon return from his journey to Europe, with his mistress in tow, he tells his wife that business is bad and they are about to loose their fortune. Loyalty ridden Marilyn decides not to confront him with the mistress, but to help him out financially by selling some of her property. But before making an end to this story she decides to visit the mistress and make a final confrontation. She finds her husband there and heartbroken decides enough is enough and leaves her husband for good. On her way out of town she is pursued by the man who loves her, Boyce Cameron. Some how an happy ending.

"Good Sport" is an interesting pre-code film. There are plenty of scenes revealing bare shoulders and ladies in underwear. There are some excellent night club scenes with great jazz and blues music. Some of the films dialog is a bit dull. Making Marilyn Parker a somehow stiff and old fashion wife. Linda Watkins does well in her role and most of the cast members add style to a somehow ordinary film. It was an odd casting to see Linda Watkins as wife to Alan Dinehart, who early on seem to be less of an gentlemen (more like a brute) compared to the sophisticated style of his wife. Which makes the style of debonair Boyce Cameron the real man for Marilyn Parker.

The highlite in "Good Sport" is definitely Louise Beavers as the wisecracking maid. She has dialog and personality enough to carry her own film. Greta Nissen as the mistress only appears towards the end of the film, unfortunately. After such promising career start during the silent era she surprisingly ended up with second female roles as gold diggers and mistresses in many Fox Film of the early 30's. Linda Watkins had a long career in Hollywood and "Good Sport" is one of the few films where she appeared in the leading female role. "Good Sport" leaves no long lasting impressions, but a definite film to see for all Louise Beavers fans.

When Alan Dinehart sails for Europe on business, he leaves wife Linda Watkins behind. She rents an apartment near the shop and theaters, only to discover it's the apartment of Dineheart's mistress, Greta Nissen -- she's with him on the trip. Apparently it's a building that specializes in side pieces, and Louise Beavers, who comes with the apartment, is famed for her hangover cures. So Miss Watkins has plenty of visitors, who show how the demi-monde half lives. She also meets John Boles, who seems harmless and charming.

Like many Fox movies from this period, the copy that survives is in very poor shape. Between a stuttering visual element, and a wonky soundtrack, I found it barely watchable. Still, if you want to watch a movie like this, waiting around for a better copy of this soft-hearted pre-code is a waste of time, particularly you want to see Minna Gombell, Hedda Hopper, et c. In substantial roles.

Miss Watkins career as a leading lady lasted only a couple of years. Then she disappeared from the screen, back on the stage, until she began to get supporting roles on television and the movies in the 1950s. She died in 1976 at the age of 68.