Are Parents People?

The Malcolm St. Clair's silent Adolph Menjou comedies are such a pleasure, it's sad to see how badly he coped with the arrival of sound, ending doing some of Laurel and Hardy's most feeble films.

So much watching people talk, with minimum titling, throws attention firmly on talented leads.

Here the team is in great form with (over age) daughter Bronson re-uniting super civilized parents Menjou and Vidor by becoming involved with `that movie sheik' Beranger. The gleaming home decors and evening dressed leads show the Paramount comedy firmly in place before Lubitsch and Claudette Colbert showed up.

"Are Parents People?" is a sweet, funny, and poignant film about the teenage daughter (Betty Bronson) of an incompatible rich couple (Florence Vidor and Adolph Menjou) who are divorcing. The way the daughter reacts to her parents' break-up is timeless: she declares she loves them both, and how can she possibly chose between them?

Just like in most divorce cases the child is the real victim, being juggled around like a toy or a possession. With typical "Parent Trap" tenacity the daughter Lita studies ways she can get her parents back again, and decides that concern about her welfare will be the unifying glue that keeps parents in touch with one another.

However, instead of making this a straight drama Paramount decided to focus on the comedic aspects of the situation. Betty's character seems to transform before our eyes from young teen to bubbly, attractive flapper woman. I suppose the reason for that is to show how quickly teenagers have to grow up once their parents are separated, but it did take a bit of getting used to.

In a secondary plot to the divorce we see a handsome doctor falling for Betty's character Lita, and he doesn't seem to consider that he might just be robbing the cradle by taking Lita out with him without her parents' knowledge or permission. Their relationship is tested by his jealousy and the audience can't help but take note that this doctor and Lita, upon marrying, will have lots of stormy battles ahead, battles to match Lita's parents.

All the performances are top-notch, though Menjou's is rather restrained. The funniest bits go to actor Michael Beranger as the nutty, effeminate Maurice Mansfield. His performance will make you smile.