Luxury Liner

This is one of those multi-plot movies set in a location where people of all ranks of life mingle: a sort of GRAND HOTEL on water, although the movie based on Vicki Baum's novel would not come out until the fall of that year. George Brent is a doctor who takes over as ship's doctor because he is in pursuit of his wife, who has run off with millionaire Frank Morgan, who already has an eye for opera singer Verree Teasdale. Meanwhile, Alice White wants to wheedle her way up from third class to first, and is the conduit for news that Morgan is buying shares in a company.

It's fun to see actors out of their stereotypical roles, including the always wonderful C. Aubrey Smith as a cynical busted millionaire, fresh out of prison, who's on his way to America, traveling in steerage "because they don't have fourth class." However the plots are pure melodrama and the film shows signs of having been cut severely to bring it down to second feature length. This was director Lothar Mendes' last film for Paramount on his contract, and although he did very well for himself, winding up directing THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES for Korda, there's little doubt in my mind it's because of his lack of success in Hollywood.

Luxury Liner is a terrific, entertaining drama from 1933 with a very talented cast. Alice White gives a delightful performance and the movie is worth watching just to see her.

As the film begins we see a large ship ready to depart from Europe to America and we meet some of the passengers. There is Dr. Thomas Bernard (George Brent) who is trying to win back his ex-wife (Vivienne Osborne), Miss Morgan (Zita Johann) is the ships nurse who never dates, Milli Stern (Alice White) a third class passenger who desperately wants to be in first class, Edward Thorndyke (C. Aubrey Smith) a former millionaire who's just been released from jail, and Alex Stevenson (Frank Morgan) who wants to romance an opera singer.

While Dr Bernard fights to get his wife back, Milli comes up with a scheme to make money in stock market. Of course there is a lot of drama and fighting and a little romance.

Luxury Liner is a 1933 film starring George Brent, Zita Johann, Frank Morgan, Alice White, Vivienne Osborne, and C. Aubrey Smith.

A doctor, Thomas Bernard (Brent) boards an ocean liner and demands to travel on it, which is good news for the ship's doctor who hasn't had a chance to visit with his family.

Bernard is on the ship for one reason - to see his wife Sybil (Vivienne Osborne), who has left him for a wealthy man, Alex Stevenson (Morgan). Meanwhile, he is very helpful to the people on board ship who need him, and he has the help of a nurse (Johann), who seems to have a crush on him.

It all gets pretty messy when Stevenson meets an opera star (Veree Teasdale) he admires on board and wants to leave Sybil.

There are two other subplots, one involving Alice White as a gold- digger dying to get to first class, and C. Aubrey Smith as a former wealthy man stuck in third class.

Very dated and filled with a lot of old acting style - actors used to pause in the middle of a line for emphasis. "Does it make you feel...like a god?" That was done constantly, and the lines are somewhat weighty.

It is interesting nonetheless and the acting for the most part is okay. Alice White, whose story would have made a better movie, is quite funny, George Brent does a good job, and Zita Johann, who looks a little like Sylvia Sydney, is very good as the nurse.

I think it's always worth seeing these precodes, to see how the acting has changed, how the stories were different and emphasized wealthy people, and to see actors like Brent early on. And I liked reading about people I was less familiar with. Teasdale was married for 28 years to Adolphe Menjou, and the two had a popular radio show for some time. Zita Johann was married to John Houseman. And Alice - read her bio.

Interesting little B/W oldie:Dr. Bernard finds out his wife is sailing for the states with the super wealthy Mr. Stevenson-the good Dr. secures passage as ships surgeon to confront his wife. Meanwhile we meet Millie who only wants to live life on the top deck,but has to find a way up there from 3rd class,she first gets help from Mr. Thorndyke who used to live that life but is now busted out.(he is asked why he is traveling 3rd class and his reply is "because there is no 4th class")Millie does work her way up,and when finally in the company of a gem merchant she has to make a decision between the offered rhinestones or diamonds.Back to the main plot line,when the DR.,his wife and Mr. Stevenson meet, Stevenson is the one pretending to take some high moral road-which is absurd because he has spent the whole film chasing after some opera diva he met on board. And all the while Nurse Morgan does her duties and quietly suffers in the background of this 5 sided triangle.I have to say,I always enjoy C.Aubrey Smith's performances in any film I have seen him in-here he plays Mr. Thorndyke, and he is wonderful. The female leads are all lovely-you ought to read Alice White's bio on IMDb-quite a story.

This is a very moralistic story warning you of the perils of sin. Thou shall not commit adultery, kill, bear false witness and not covet are all laid out for us, showing what befalls us if we break these rules.

Coveting - or greed is probably the main theme in this none too cheerful little picture. Besides the adultery, dishonesty, revenge and killing stuff happening upstairs, the folks down in third class are not the happiest bunch in the world either. Unlike in TITANIC, where the stuffy unpleasantness of first class was contrasted with the happy-go-lucky earthy fun down below, on this ship, everyone is miserable. Our third class passengers are all consumed with jealousy and greed. The greed is so strong that for some bizarre reason they all try to club together and invest all their money in the on-board stock market! (Which is presumably next to the all-day breakfast bar?)

There's a very common trope running through 30s Hollywood films which is unusual for the so-called land of opportunity; the dangers of ambition or wanting the luxuries enjoyed by others. This is ultimately expressed in THE WIZARD OF OZ where despite experiencing the wonders of Oz, Dorothy comes to realise that there's no place like home. She knows her place in society and knows better than to try to rise above where Shea's placed. In this picture greed consumes the third class passengers so much that they are willing to gamble everything they have to get rich. You just know that this is not going to work out well. Only good old C Aubrey Smith, in a role that's a nice change from his usual pompous character, playing an ex-con, might be able to save the day?

The other person slumming it in steerage worthy of note is Alice white. Only a few years earlier Alice White was a huge star - she was the ultimate flapper and quite possibly the prettiest, cutest and loveliest actress in Hollywood. As the depression-soaked 1930s progressed 'the flapper' was no longer in fashion so she found herself in small supporting roles like this. She was also a pretty poor actress but with looks like that, who cared! In this picture she's actually got quite a meaty part and despite her acting limitations, she's probably the most well written character - and also adds a bit of fun.

There's not much fun elsewhere in the film. George Brent is his usual dull self, Zita Johann looks like her cat's just died, the other ladies are simply unpleasant and I think Frank Morgan wishes he'd missed this particular boat. The direction is fairly pedestrian but competent enough to keep your interest.

And now that we know not to rise above our stations, let us sing, All things bright and beautiful paying special attention to this lovely verse to keep us all in our places: The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them, high and lowly, And ordered their estate.