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As others have said, 'Letty Lynton' for a long time was a lost, or at least an unavailable, film and banned at the time for legal reasons. At long last it was re-discovered and is now available, though deserving of a much better print than it has and it is easy to see why it became notorious and also why others have become fond of it. 'Letty Lynton' had so much going for it, especially the cast and also that it was directed by Clarence Brown who did direct some great films.

It also did not deserve to be made unavailable for so long and even though it has been positively received since it deserves to be better known. Absolutely agree with others about 'Letty Lynton' being surprisingly very good, considering that quite a lot of lost but then re-discovered are not particularly good this film actually surprised me pleasantly at how good it was. Although it is not perfect, 'Letty Lynton' is among the better lost then found films seen and is a great representation of all involved.

'Letty Lynton' may have some soapy dialogue in places.

Some of it is also not always realistic, although the premise was very interesting and very intriguingly and entertainingly executed on the most part it is not always easy to follow as in real life it would not always realistically happen (though it can do).

The cast though are exemplary. Joan Crawford, my primary reason for seeing it, never resorts to histrionics in my opinion yet also seems to be fully immersed in the drama, nothing is going through the motions like. Robert Montgomery's character is underwritten but he is charismatic and dashing, making the most of what he has. Nils Asther is a seductive but sinister villain that one loves to hate. And there are great supporting turns from the likes of May Robson and Lewis Stone, Robson is especially wonderful (fully embodying a type of role that she excelled in) and Stone gives his usual reserved and sympathetic performance. Brown's direction is sophisticated, sympathetic and graceful, he understands Crawford's strengths and accomodated them just as well as he did with Greta Garbo.

Moreover, 'Letty Lynton' looks fantastic. Absolutely loved the glossy glamour of the photography, clearly loving Crawford (without being self-indulgent) who in this stage of her career is possibly at her loveliest visually. Crawford's gowns are stunning and how she wears them also makes a big impact, there is a reason as to why one in particular is famous making for some very striking imagery. On the most part, 'Letty Lynton' is thoughtfully scripted and flows more naturally than most dialogue in lost then found films. The story never felt dull, and has a good deal of thrills, as well as having entertainment value and emotional investment. The ending is a vivid one and stays with you.

Overall, surprisingly very good and well worth tracking down. 8/10

Letty Lynton is unfortunately barred from being formally released due to a lawsuit, a shame because it is a good early Crawford film. The story revolves around Letty Lynton (Joan Crawford), a woman whose past with Emile (Nils Asther) makes her a less than desirable woman. She falls in love with Jerry (Robert Montgomery) who loves her in return and intends to make her his wife. But he doesn't know of her past and that Emile has come to claim her.

Crawford looked best in these early talkies with fabulous wardrobes by Adrian and a gorgeous face. As an actress, she is natural and enthusiastic. She has chemistry with both the seductive Asther and the charismatic Montgomery, making for a more interesting story.

There are several funny scenes in the film as well as plenty of drama, making it accessible by wider audiences, that is, if one can find a copy.

Letty Lynton (Joan Crawford) had men coming out of her ears. Everywhere she went men were clambering for her. One particular man, Emile Renaul (Nils Asther), whom she met abroad, was determined to possess her at all costs. She was once madly in love with him, then his veneer finish slowly faded and she was no longer in love with him, yet he was certainly still in love with (or infatuated with) her.

Letty peeled free of Emile in Rio de Janeiro and headed home for New York. On the ship she met Jerry (Robert Montgomery) who'd also fall in love with her. By the end of their two week voyage they were engaged to be married. Things got dicey for Letty when Emile was waiting at the dock for her in New York. Now she had to figure out a way to push Emile away for good while not letting on to Jerry she had such a relationship.

In this movie Letty was painted as the sympathetic character. She'd had a fling and was now indefinitely tied to this man whom she loved no more. The drama and suspense wasn't that of a "Fatal Attraction" or "Sleeping with the Enemy" in that Emile was going to do her bodily harm, the drama and suspense was in his ability to expose Letty. She was from a wealthy upstanding family and in the 30's, as I have learned, image is everything to high society. Letty's image would've been indelibly tarnished if Emile revealed to the world their tryst.

The problem I had with the "drama" was that I didn't see it as that big of a deal. Letty didn't want to lose Jerry, hence she wanted to keep Emile a secret. We, as the viewers, were supposed to feel the pain, angst, and desperation Letty had as she sought to free herself from Emile. I just couldn't feel it. I agree, it sucked to be in her position, but a big part of me was thinking, "Cut him off and deal with whatever he decides to reveal." I thought that because A.) I'm sure that the embarrassment would only be temporary B.) I believed Jerry would stick around and C.) Letty and Jerry's relationship never moved me. They met on a boat, had some good times, and decided to marry. The relationship was too simple for me to have any strong feelings about its survival.

Letty would deal with things her own way and find out just how much love she had, or didn't have, from Jerry.

In Letty Lynton, Joan Crawford gets involved in a dangerous gangster, Nils Asther while in South America. Then, on the boat sailing home, she falls in love with clean, noble Robert Montgomery. They get engaged but Joan lives in constant fear that someone from her past will surface and Bob won't want her anymore if he learns she's had other men in her life. It's a theme that was common in many other 1930s films but it doesn't carry over in modern audiences. In this movie, it's supposed to be believable that Robert Montgomery thinks a woman who fell head over heels for him while on a cruise ship is respectable and completely innocent.

Because of the dated plot, which was carried out far more effectively in other films, this movie didn't make it to my favorites list. I'm not really a Joan Crawford fan anyway, and it's hard to believe anyone would be stupid enough to think she was innocent. If someone was that stupid, then chances are if he heard a rumor or personal testament to the contrary, he still wouldn't believe it.

There's a parallel from Letty Lynton to the same year's Faithless, in the scene where the heroine feels helpless as the villain carries her to the bedroom. Both Joan Crawford and Tallulah Bankhead laugh hysterically in their sorrow, but where Tallulah's outburst feels genuine, Joan's feels like it's the tenth take and she's trying to laugh loud enough for the entire studio to hear her. This movie was very obviously made in 1932 and could even be imagined as a silent movie. If you are a stickler for very good quality films, look elsewhere tonight.

Long unreleased (and it's still hard to find a decent print), and thus notorious, "Letty Lynton" does not quite live up to this notoriety. It does have a great ending, the kind of pre-code ending that makes you want to sit up and clap, and a hard-to-watch scene of Joan Crawford being slapped around by a man, but otherwise it's an undistinguished story, unimaginatively presented. **1/2 out of 4.