Half Marriage

A young couple attempt to conceal their marriage from her wealthy parents so that the woman can continue to receive her allowance. With depression just around the corner, films like this became irrelevant almost as soon as they were released, and, given its mediocrity in all departments, it's no surprise that Half Marriage is largely forgotten. Only a brief but deadly encounter on a roof ledge provides a moment of interest.

Alcohol flows freely at a Greenwich Village party given by brunette beauty Olive Borden (as Judy Page), an art student. While couples cuddle, perky Ann Greenway (as Ann Turner) sings "After the Clouds Roll By". Not yet in camera range, our heroine has sneaked away to snuggle with boyfriend Morgan Farley (as Dick "Dickie" Carroll). The young architect works for Ms. Borden's father. Because he is not yet rich enough to make an ideal husband, Borden suggests a "Half Marriage". This means eloping and keeping their marriage a secret - especially from her parents. Thinking Borden is still single, rival boyfriend Anderson Lawler (as Tom Stribbling) causes trouble for the newlyweds...

That's nothing compared to the trouble Borden has making the transition from "silent" to "talking" pictures actress. Without a suitable lead performance, this "Half Marriage" hasn't half a chance. Borden sounds okay and looks lovely, though. The microphones are most unkind to Ms. Greenway's singing. The film's highlight begins after just under an hour of running time - this is when Borden fights off a drunken advance, which leads to a dramatic moment on a building ledge. All of this probably looked much better in the silent version of "Half Marriage" (also released in 1929). Unfortunately, the silent version (which likely included sound effects and Greenway's song) is not in circulation.

**** Half Marriage (8/10/29) William J. Cowen ~ Olive Borden, Morgan Farley, Ken Murray, Anderson Lawler

Too many musicals like this killed the market for movie musicals for a few years. This mildly racy effort from the newly assembled RKO has a couple of decent songs with tunes written by Oscar Levant and the beautiful Olive Borden going for it. There's a bit of piquancy added as Olive doesn't tell her folks she is married so she can continue to sponge on them.

There are several issues, mostly related to the sound quality and some of the performances, which seem more suitable to the stage than to the movie screen. Also, this plays like a three-act, three-set play, with only enough exteriors shot to open it up slightly. In short, this is another forgettable film musical from 1929 that will be a pleasant time waster for people like me who enjoy such antiques, but not much more than that.

It is an interesting drama, also historically important you can see the beautiful and forgotten by Hollywood (on purpose) Olive Borden, from the time people didn't have TV, not that elaborated to deserve to be seen in theaters today, Germany had better films back in the '20s.

... as it is almost a documentary on sexual and society mores of the roaring 20s right before the stock market crash.

The story is a forgettable maudlin melodrama. Two young people in love - Judy Paige (Olive Borden) , the daughter of a wealthy architect, and Dick Carroll (Morgan Farley), an employee of said wealthy architect, want to get married. Judy wants to get married NOW - you get the feeling she wants everything now and is used to getting it - and insists that she and Dick can live off of her generous allowance and in the NYC studio apartment that already has the rent paid up for several months as long as they stay married in secret. Precisely because Dick is the kind of guy you would want to marry, he says no deal. They must stand on their own two feet.

But then impulse kicks in and the two secretly go to an adjoining state and marry in the middle of the night. Afraid to tell her parents, Judy lets her domineering mother drag her back to the family estate from her studio apartment, vowing to tell her parents about the marriage shortly. Days turn to weeks and weeks to months, precisely because she likes the comforts of home, does not want a confrontation, and most of all does not want that generous allowance cut off. And meanwhile the society guy of whom the parents approve, rich Tom Stribbling, is still chasing Judy. He misunderstands a conversation he overhears and believes Judy is "that kind of a girl". Complications ensue.

The real reason to watch this is to see the lifestyle of people who are not just rich in 1929, but young and upper middle class -those who were once called yuppies. You see a real roaring twenties party and a nightclub scene where some of the young people in Judy's "set" have convened for an evening out. That scene is worth the price of admission alone. There is a Jazz Band, a "Jazz Blimp", and great vaudevillian style entertainment from Ken Murray, more than likely the most recognizable member of the cast, who came from vaudeville to try and break into sound pictures. That never worked out, but he became known as an archivist of old Hollywood with his great home movies. Note that everybody drinks, everybody has their own personal "flask", and nobody cares about Prohibition.

The sad story here is the real life tale of lead actress Olive Borden, ironically named "The Joy Girl". She had been a star in the silent era, but just didn't have a real screen presence in talking film, and was scrubbing floors for a living by the time of her death at age 41 while living in a skid row mission.

Also starring Anne Greenway as Judy's friend in her only credited role, Hedda Hopper as Judy's mother, and Richard Tucker as Judy's father who is not nearly as insightful and wise as he thinks, especially after he gives that speech at the end that shows that he has learned nothing from what has happened.