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Carole Lombard was one of Hollywood's finest comediennes; she worked best when she was backed by an equally strong male lead – in this case, it's Fred MacMurray, with whom she must have clicked because they appeared together three more times (two of these films, THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS [1936] and TRUE CONFESSION [1937], are also included in Universal's 2-Disc Lombard collection and I should get to them in the next couple of days).

The comic style of the film falls somewhere between sophisticated and screwball: lavish settings and stuffy aristocratic characters are mingled with the often zany working-class (keeping their chin up during the Depression but, in Lombard's case, harboring a desire to marry into money); the title refers to her job as a manicurist. Typically for this type of film, when she sets her eyes on a gentleman of title – who's young and handsome to boot (MacMurray) – he turns out to be engaged to an even wealthier lady (Astrid Allwyn), because he's himself penniless! Running after her (the term is put lightly here, since he's actually wheelchair-bound) is an ex-air ace played by the actor who cornered the market around this time in "Other Man" roles, Ralph Bellamy, who's naturally got a lot of money and thinks of Lombard as a perfect match – but his love goes unrequited.

The mixture includes slapstick, wisecracks, romance, drama and even a bit of sentimentality (Lombard spends a good part of the last act sobbing). Still, as always in these more innocent times (where, for instance, a woman has to turn around when the man she's living with – albeit platonically, for the moment – is about to wear his pants!), none of the characters are really unsympathetic…so that we don't even despise the jilted lovers, who are understanding enough to know when to give up. The ending of the film is a classic: Lombard and MacMurray cause a traffic jam to look for a missing penny on which they've staked the course of their future! Appearing in one scene as a prospective boyfriend of Lombard's (whom MacMurray scares away) is future Preston Sturges regular William Demarest.

The film was shown in the early 1990s on late-night Italian TV in its original language with forced Italian subtitles, but I had missed it (the same thing is true for the afore-mentioned THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS and MacMurray's other film with Leisen – TAKE A LETTER, DARLING [1942]); I did, however, acquire some of the director's other great work this way – most of which is, regrettably, still unavailable on DVD...

"Hands Across the Table" serves as a great showcase for the comedy talents of Carole Lombard. She and Fred MacMurray work well together. This was their first of 4 teamings. There's a funny bit by William Demarest and great support from Ruth Donnelly and especially Marie Prevost as Lombard's pal Nona. All in all, a light, funny and enjoyable film.

"Hands Across the Table" is a sparkling and enjoyable screwball romance, directed with an airy grace by the underrated Paramount stylist Mitchell Leisen, whose "Easy Living"(1937) and "Swing High, Swing Low"(1937) are two of the greatest classics of the 1930s. "Hands" is a minor work to be sure, but it is enjoyable and worthwhile for showcasing the comedic talents of Carole Lombard as the gold-digging manicurist who falls for a former millionaire playboy, played by Fred MacMurray. Ralph Bellamy plays Lombard's rejected suitor, a role that somehow prefigures his role in Hawks' "His Girl Friday".

CAROLE LOMBARD and FRED MacMURRAY have chemistry in this warm romantic comedy about two people who are actually yearning to marry into wealth, but find that love conquers all. RALPH BELLAMY as "the other man" makes it a certainty that Lombard will fall in love with MacMurray for the final reel, so there's no guessing as to how it all turns out.

But Mitchell Leisen keeps the pace brisk for the running time of an hour and twenty minutes, the script that Norman Krasna and others penned is bright and funny, and everyone is seen to advantage. Lombard has probably seldom had such beguiling close-ups and she was a true, classic beauty with a flair for this brand of romantic comedy. MacMurray too has a deft touch with light material and is a good match for her as a playboy who'd rather fall in love with a rich woman but changes his mind when he meets Lombard.

Director Leisen can be proud of his career, which included gems like this and serious dramas like "Hold Back the Dawn" and "To Each His Own." He's probably one of Hollywood's most underrated directors and is in good form here.

The supporting cast gets a lift from RUTH DONNELLY and WILLIAM DEMAREST.

Summing up: Enjoyable nonsense, it's formula fluff given substance by a clever script and fine direction.

Hands Across the Table is the first of four films that Paramount teamed Fred MacMurray and Carole Lombard in. It's one of MacMurray's earliest film and he's playing what he would perennially be typecast as, a light leading man. That is until Double Indemnity showed just how dramatic he could be.

The hands across the table refer to those hands that a manicurist deals with and Lombard is a manicurist. This is the middle of the Great Depression and Lombard working in a hotel figures she can snag a millionaire. She actually does in the person of Ralph Bellamy.

But figuring to trade higher she meets Fred MacMurray who has the nice WASPy rich sounding name of Theodore Drew III. Problem is as he says to Lombard, the family fortune crashed in 1929. He's set his sights on a rich heiress, Astrid Allwyn, who will be able to support him in the style he was previously accustomed to.

Director Mitchell Leisen keeps the proceedings light and airy and its obvious that MacMurray and Lombard are suited for each other on the screen. No accident that they made three successive films, all of them money makers.

Funniest scene in the film how MacMurray scares away William Demarest as a prospective suitor for Lombard. Worth the price of the VHS tape alone.

Carole Lombard was a woman ahead of her time. She was no dumb blonde. She was a brilliant, beautiful, and talented actress in comedy or drama. In this film, she plays a New York City manicurist who believes the key to happiness is marrying a man with money. She becomes a regular manicurist to wheelchair bound Ralph Bellamy in a charming performance and courted by Fred McMurray's character, Theodore Drew III, who is unfortunately engaged to a wealthy pineapple heiress. After missing his cruise ship to Bermuda, Drew stays with Lombard's Regi Allen character in her apartment. There they have their share of laughs and moments to bring them together. Anyway, you can't help but root for them or hope for Regi's future. The cast is first rate with Carole Lombard, Fred McMurray, Ralph Bellamy, and Ruth Donnelly. Astrid Allwyn is fine as Vivian Snowden. The film is entertaining too at times.

Fred MacMurray's line readings here are simply impeccable--on par with, oh, say, Cary Grant in His Girl Friday. Another not wholly sympathetic leading role in a comedy. Unfortunately, the movie ends up being kind of muddle-headed toward the end. Still, the chemistry between the two stars is fully evident, and I like that the movie doesn't crassly gloss over the Bellamy character's hurt and resentment. It gives the movie body. The domestic scenes between Lombard and MacMurray are particular good--sort of a warm-up, too, for what Liesen does with Jean Arthur and Ray Milland in their glorious cohabitation scenes at the Hotel Louie in Liesen's Easy Living. Liesen is an unfairly forgotten director of romantic comedies. Besides this one, and Easy Living, check out also Remember the Night and Midnight.

Cynical gold-digger Regi Allen (Carole Lombard) is a hotel manicurist. She befriends rich hotel guest Allen Macklyn (Ralph Bellamy). He's wheelchair bound and she doesn't consider him as marriage material. She does get a manicure appointment from weirdo Theodore Drew III (Fred MacMurray). Everybody assumes that he comes from money.

I actually thought that Allen would be the romantic lead, but he disappears during all of the middle. It actually doesn't make sense that Regi wouldn't go after him if she's a true gold-digger. Fred MacMurray is pretty fun. He's doing his wacky personality and is a good pairing with Carole Lombard. I do keep holding out for Allen until he shows up in the third act. He distracted me from fully enjoying this rom-com.

Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray have a rare chemistry that can closely be compared to that between William Powell and Myrna Loy. Both are excellent as gold diggers trying to help each other get ahead. This is one of the best romantic comedies I've ever seen!

Watching Carole Lombard makes the whole film worth seeing, but it is not an otherwise pleasant experience.

There are touches one must see, such as the expression on the face of Peter, butler to Allen Macklin, as the manicurist departs. That should reach the heart of any empathetic viewer.

Ralph Bellamy has one of his best roles, though it's a thankless one.

Fred MacMurray looked great and his character could have been likable, except he really isn't -- at least to me.

Seeing Marie Prevost in her role as Nona was rather shocking, at least to one who had seen her as "The Godless Girl." She showed she had a lot of talent for character roles.

Watch it, sure, but be prepared to be disappointed in the movie as a whole. Director Leisen has done better, much better.

Once again Ralph Bellamy plays the sad sack role, and here he has the added burden of not being able to walk. Robert Osborne called this role a "Ralph Bellamy" role and who more perfect for the ignored/dumped love interest than he? He is infatuated with hotel manicurist Lombard (sparkling as always) and is rich into the bargain. However, she falls for playboy MacMurray, whose family has lost its money, and who is looking to marry into it so he can continue his aimless yet pampered existence. Lombard wants to marry money, too, but curiously overlooks puppy-eyed Bellamy in this regard. The plot involves MacMurray missing the boat he is taking to Bermuda while his fiancée's family plan the wedding. He misses the boat due to a zany night out with Lombard and ends up needing to board with her for the week so his fiancée thinks he's in Bermuda. The usual falling-in-love-despite-themselves ensues.

This is called a screwball comedy, but I found it more sad than comical, especially with the character Bellamy plays. MacMurray has no sex appeal for me despite workable chemistry with Lombard. I cannot help but picture the pipe-puffing, cardigan-wearing dad, Steve Douglas, on "My Three Sons," and how utterly dopey he looks works against his being taken seriously as a sexy guy. No one has yet mentioned that William Demarest, who later played Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons" with MacMurray, shows up as a suitor to take Lombard out who gets cosmetically chased away by MacMurray in one of the funnier scenes in the film.

Tragic Marie Prevost plays Lombard's manicurist pal Nona. I thought she had a fine comedic presence, and it's a shame she didn't go on to more best-friend, Patsy Kelly type roles.

I don't think this is one of Lombard's best but not a complete waste of time. Not as zany or fantastic as "My Man Godfrey" but watchable nonetheless.

...then you ought to rent this movie. She is just adorable, and charming beyond belief, as avowed gold-digger Regi Allen. All the supporting players here are wonderful. However, male lead Fred MacMurray comes off -- at least to me -- as a very cold fish. His endless "humorous" comments have an angry undercurrent, and the script, while admitting the guy is very shallow (shallow, angry -- sounds like a keeper), also insists he's this wacky dreamboat.

When you get down to it, all he has to offer Regi over the love-struck, crippled Allen Macklyn (Ralph Bellamy, playing what I think is the first of his many second male leads dumped by the leading lady for the first male lead) is that he can walk.

"Hands Across the Table" is a delightful light comedy starring Fred MacMurray, Carole Lombard, Ralph Bellamy, and Marie Provost.

Lombard plays Regi, a manicurist determined to marry for money and lots of it. She gives manicures in the hotel where she works to a very wealthy gentleman in a wheelchair (Ralph Bellamy.

She seems to only be friends with him; she sincerely likes him and loves talking with him. He, however, is madly in love with her.

When Regi meets playboy Theodore Drew and he asks her out, she thinks she's found the motherload. Unfortunately, he's engaged to be married.

Worse than that, he's broke, and this marriage is supposed to bolster the family bank account. We all know what happens.

MacMurray and Lombard have decent chemistry, and both were good at light comedy. Someone on this board said MacMurray had no sex appeal. He didn't.

I liked his character, but I felt sorry for Ralph Bellamy who always seemed to lose out. The nice thing about his character, though, is that he is philosophical and only wants the best for Regi.

Lombard absolutely sparkles. She was a vivacious, beautiful, and charismatic actress.

Looking at the two tragic stars of "Hands Across the Table" (1935), one can't help but watch this film with a twinge of sadness. Carole Lombard would die in a plane crash seven years later.

One of her costars, Marie Provost, died of alcoholism and malnutrition two years after this film. Another Hollywood dieting story, like Laird Cregar, Provost had trouble managing her weight and was having trouble getting roles like she had previously.

It seems she crash- dieted as well as turning to alcohol. She gives a nice performance here as Regi's good friend.

Definitely worth seeing.

Pleased this has been released on DVD as part of the poorly packaged but great value for money Carole Lombard The Glamour Collection. Mitchell Leisen was an extremely talented Hollywood director but as others have commented unfortunately not so many of his movies have made it on to commercially available DVDs (or even VHS).

Enjoyed it thoroughly. Leisen does a great job in keeping the movie moving right along. Seems to be very much of its time with the wealthy and ex wealthy being dominant in the story. The plot is unsurprising but you are drawn into the characters (except there is something oddly unappealing about Fred MacMurray's role). As per usual Carole has a crying scene.

Not sure if you could call it "screwball" as I can't remember it going zany like for instance Easy Living does. It fits in however with Leisen's often use of assertive go getting women (Lombard's character's name is Reggie) and less directional men as a statement on gender and getting away from stereotypes.

Unpretentious, a minor work, but good.

An amusing Depression-era comedy, "Hands Across the Table," like its intended audience, is focused on money and those who have it and those who want it. A young gold-digging manicurist, who looks to bag a wealthy husband, runs into a seemingly daffy young man hopscotching in a hotel corridor. However, the good-looking guy is from a family ruined by the Crash, and he is about to marry a rich woman and regain his life of leisure. Romance ensues between the unlikely pair with predictable results. With Carole Lombard as the manicurist and Fred MacMurray as Theodore Drew III, the routine screwball screenplay is enhanced by the star power and offers a few laughable moments and enough entertainment to fill the short 80 minute running time.

Pleasant, but bland, Ralph Bellamy is on hand as a wealthy wheel-chair-bound invalid smitten by Lombard to add a romantic triangle to the plot. Ruth Donnelly as the manager of the barbershop where Lombard works and William Demarest as another of Lombard's potential suitors both have brief, but memorable comic roles that add to the film's appeal. Under the direction of Mitchell Leisen, Lombard displays her comedic skill as Regi Allen, even if her talents as a manicurist leave poor Drew with bandaged fingers. At age 27, MacMurray was already leading-man handsome and, with a few beef-cake shots as a bonus, he well plays the dual comedy and romantic sides of his character.

Ted Tetzlaff's black and white cinematography is soft at times, but offers a few dramatically-lit scenes that stand out. Mix a sham cruise to Bermuda, a cringe-worthy sun-lamp session, and a funny if painful manicure session for a decent second-tier screwball comedy. However, Lombard and MacMurray are worth the price of admission, and the slick and likeable movie is a minor treasure, if only for the enduring charms of its stars.

On top of being a huge fan of classic film for goodness knows how long, my main reason for seeing 'Hands Across the Table' was Carole Lombard. A lovely and always well worth watching actress who died tragically, in one of the worst and most tragic ways to die, far too young with so much more to give. It is always interesting too to see older films with a mix of comedy and romance.

'Hands Across the Table' is another one of Lombard's four (too few as they worked so well together) teamings with Fred MacMurray, in fact it was actually their first. The others being 'The Princess Comes Across', 'True Confession' and 'Swing High, Swing Low'. Of the four, 'Hands Across the Table' gets my vote as the best of them. Although the other three had much to enjoy without being flawless of course, this, while not perfect, was on the most part an utter delight. It may not be quite one of the greatest screwball comedies, but it certainly shows why witty and sophisticated comedy appeals to me so much and does it with class and charm.

Maybe it does get a little over-serious towards the end and it slows down slightly at this point, but there is very little at all to criticise with 'Hands Across the Table'.

The good things are a great many, and in terms of quantity they are absolutely great. 'Hands Across the Table' is a great looking film, it's sumptuously shot with beautiful costumes and the camera clearly loves Lombard. The music fits amiably and doesn't sound stock or at odds with the film. Mitchell Leisen directs with a very light and sure-footed touch that stops 'Hands Across the Table' from getting too heavy.

Absolutely loved the script, which sparkles in its wit and the sophistication is elegance personified, nothing distasteful or vulgar here. The story is a slight one with not many surprises perhaps, but it is adroitly paced and never less than charming and sweet without being cloying. The ending is really quite beautiful and packs a punch.

Lombard expectedly is wonderful, exuding glamour and enjoying herself to the hilt, her trademark zaniness and delicacy perfectly captured. MacMurray is in an early role here and for me he did have good comic timing and avoided playing the role too heavily or overly-seriously, even if became more comfortable and even more assured in his later films and in his later outings with Lombard. Their romantic chemistry works a charm and is more than believable throughout. The supporting cast are just as strong, Ralph Bellamy and Ruth Donnelly marvellous.

In conclusion, a lovely, delightful film and treats for admirers of Lombard. 8/10

A delightful, light, Depression-Era rom-com starring Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray. She's the gold-digging manicurist at a posh hotel hoping that one of her rich clients will marry her and make her a lady of leisure. That said, she certainly knows how to look a gift horse in the mouth as she can't see that her pet customer, gentlemanly, wheelchair-bound Ralph Bellamy, who we know is well-off as he's waited on hand and foot by his own butler, is obviously in love with her and is working himself up to a proposal.

Then she happens on MacMurray's recently impoverished rich boy as he nonchalantly plays hopscotch in the corridor of the hotel where she works. They both want the same thing, a free pass to a life of wealth and ease and he too has a pre-paid ticket to the top in the form of super-rich society girl Astrid Allwyn who's prepared to overlook Fred's recent come-down and marry him anyway given the lustre of his family name before the Wall Street Crash.

With snappy dialogue and neat comic interplay between the two leads, it's all winningly brought to a happy conclusion which pleasingly doesn't involve either stumbling miraculously onto easy street. This couple are literally going to have to work to make their marriage a success, a sentiment which must have chimed in well with contemporary audiences.

Miss Lombard is delightful as the upwardly mobile nail-girl to the wealthy - who knew that male-grooming wasn't just a contemporary phenomenon? MacMurray is similarly adept as the fast-talking, wise-cracking loafer who belatedly learns he has to make his own bread out in the real world, while Bellamy too makes a good impression as Lombard's lovelorn but ultimately big-hearted paraplegic suitor.

Nicely directed by genre-specialist Mitchell Leisen, I especially liked the telephone scene where Lombard sabotages MacMurray's face-saving call to his suspicious fiancée and later the bathetic, high-perspective shot from Lombard's viewpoint as she watches MacMurray leave her apartment in the early morning.

Brief as it is, this is an understated, naturally-played and warmly engaging feature. Don't be put off by the dull title, this is a polished (sorry!) and entertaining little movie well worth catching.

"Hands Across the Table" is one hilarious gem of a movie and a fine love story. Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray were paired in four films in the 1930s. This was the first of three comedies, and they really click in all three. Lombard died in a 1942 plane crash returning to California from a war bond appearance. At 33, she had become the highest paid entertainer in Hollywood by the end of the 1930s. She was a super talent with prospects for many years of wonderful films.

Lombard could play dramatic roles and mystery-thrillers as well as comedy. But, comedy was her forte. In all her films with various leading men, she seems to bring the best out of her male co- stars as well. She was getting top billing for most of her films, as she has in this film. And, in her lead role here, Lombard has some fine dramatic moments as Regi Allen, a woman in love. So, this film is a step above a comedy romance.

MacMurray shines with a peppy, lively and very funny role as Theodore Drew III. The 27-year-old MacMurray has twinkles in his eyes and frequent smiles on his face. He laughs often and leads Regi and others to laugh as well. This is a fine look at the talented actor who would develop a more reticent and dour persona for humor in later life.

A very good small supporting cast contributes nicely to the humor. Ralph Bellamy's Allen Macklyn is a wealthy resident of the hotel who has been confined to a wheelchair since a plane accident four years before. His role fills out a love triangle with Regi and Ted. Ruth Donnelly plays Laura, the beauty shop receptionist. Marie Prevost, who plays Regi's manicurist friend, Nona, had a long career in silent films. She got her start in 1915 and appeared in more than 100 films. But, a little over a year after this film came out, Prevost died of extreme malnutrition and alcoholism. She was just 40 years old.

This is one of the great 1930s comedies that is a must for any movie library. Like most of the other films of that time and genre, it is good viewing for the whole family.

Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more funny dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.

Laura, "1502's been phoning for a manicure since 8:30." Regi Allen, "1502? Up where the rich live. Who is it?" Laura, "A Mr. Macklyn." Regi, "Married?" Laura, "That makes two things I forgot to ask him on the phone - what he had for breakfast and whether he's married or not. "

Nona, "1502 is really an awful lucky number for you. Five and one is six, and six and two are eight."

Allen Macklyn, "Some people play golf to pass the time, some go in for tap dancing, some destroy clay pigeons. I have manicures."

Allen Macklyn, "Would you care for a drink, Miss Allen?" Regi Allen, "Oh, no. The day's just started." Allen Macklyn, "What a fresh point of view. To me, the night's just ended."

Theodore Drew III, after Regi's manicure job has drawn blood on a few of his fingers, "Are you doing anything tonight? Would you mind feeding me? I'm... I'm afraid I'm going to have to have a nurse."

Regi Allen, "Do you dream?" Ted Drew, "No." Regi Allen, "You should. You meet a better class of people."

Regi Allen, "You must have a lot of friends that could give you a job." Ted Drew, "That'd be a fine friend who'd give you a job. No friend of mine had better try anything like that on me."

Previous reviewer boblipton agrees with me that this film falls short of greatness but cannot figure out why. May I suggest a certain mean spiritedness as the primary reason "Hands" gets a seven instead of a nine or ten? Don't know about you but I find jokes about domestic abuse (when Fred MacMurray's character is having a gay ol time pretending to physically assault Carol Lombard to scare away suitor William Demarest), making fun of Japanese peoples' accents, and automatically relegating Ralph Bellamy's character to the realm of the sexless because he is disabled highly resistible. Give it a B minus, mostly for Roland Anderson and Hans Dreyer's art direction, Ted Tetzlaff's cinematography and the performances of Lombard, Ruth Donnelly, and especially Marie Prevost.

Carole Lombard is a manicurist on the hunt for a rich man. She confesses this to rich man Ralph Bellamy, who is stuck in a wheelchair and in love with her, though she doesn't seem to notice. She gets a date with Fred MacMurray, who turns out to be dead broke -- "Remember the Crash? That was us" -- and scheduled to marry ten million dollars worth of Astrid Allwyn.

It's a handsome, cynical comedy that pretty much admits that class in America is defined by the size of your bank account. It also cast Bellamy and Allwyn as the ones who lose out, which would be their stock-in-trade for quite a while. I can't figure out what stops it from being great. Perhaps it's the lack of physical comedy. With Ruth Donnelly, Marie Prevost, and William Demarest.

Oddly enough, it's Fred MacMurray who plays the more "screwy" part in this screwball comedy. Carole Lombard shows a fine performance combining lighter moments with and undercurrent of drama and seriousness.

As usual, Fred MacMurray remains a mystery to me. The camera is no fan of his, he's not that attractive, and he doesn't have the style and panache to pull off this very Cary Grant-like role.

Ralph Bellamy is excellent as the kind friend coming back to life through his relationship with Lombard's character. One can only wonder why her character wouldn't want his gentle, reassuring love instead of the almost certain doom of MacMurray's ineptness. But that's Hollywood!

The picture almost works but misses the mark, primarily due to MacMurray's performance. It would've been lovely to see Grant or even Clark Gable in his role. Lombard and Bellamy are largely believable and likable; MacMurray is stiff and makes you want to keep him at arm's length.