Nan Reynolds encourages her copywriter husband Bill to open his own agency. Nearly out of business, he finally gets a client. Former girlfriend Patricia Berkeley writes a very successful com... Read allNan Reynolds encourages her copywriter husband Bill to open his own agency. Nearly out of business, he finally gets a client. Former girlfriend Patricia Berkeley writes a very successful commercial for the client and heats up their old romance. Wife and girlfriend battle over Bil... Read allNan Reynolds encourages her copywriter husband Bill to open his own agency. Nearly out of business, he finally gets a client. Former girlfriend Patricia Berkeley writes a very successful commercial for the client and heats up their old romance. Wife and girlfriend battle over Bill.
- Krueger
- (as Joe Cawthorne)
- Buddy's Dog
- (uncredited)
- Girl in Nightclub
- (uncredited)
- Nan's Lawyer
- (uncredited)
- Clerk
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
In "Housewife," she plays Pat, who has always had a mad crush on Bill (Brent), but Brent is married to Nan (Dvorak), and they have a son. Apparently this doesn't matter to her or Brent, as he starts working late at the office and enters into an affair with her. In one party scene, it's pretty obvious that they're a couple - and that's in front of his wife. His wife, well played by Ann Dvorak, refuses to give him a divorce. He doesn't know what the big deal is, apparently forgetting they have a child. All very odd - or is it the script.
This is a pretty typical and not very good B movie enlivened by the cast. I like Brent better without his mustache. Wonder why he grew one.
Pure soap opera and not of the highest quality, with a silly ending. But no Bette Davis fan will want to skip her earlier efforts; it makes one appreciate what came later.
** (out of 4)
Boring melodrama from Warner has a copyright expert (George Brent) becoming successful and leaving his wife (Ann Dvorak) for a vamp (Bette Davis). If you watch Turner Classic Movies late at night of early in the morning then you'll discover all sorts of lesser known titles and this is one of them but it's also like most of the melodramas they show. The film is predictable from start to finish if you've seen at least one movie like this. The film takes place in the pre-code era but sadly the movie doesn't try to do anything dangerous and instead just plays everything pretty straight. The story is your typical dumb guy gets famous an leaves for someone he thinks is better than his wife but none of this works and it just leads to one of the dumbest endings in film history. I'm really mixed when it comes to Brent because he's really hit and miss with me. I'd have to call his performance here one of the misses because he's really bland throughout and doesn't bring any energy to the role. Davis is somewhat better in the film but the screenplay doesn't do her character any justice. Dvorak is the best thing in the film but again, she isn't given too much to do.
Bette's not in the title role, she's the infamous 'other woman' of this Warner Brothers soap opera. The title role is played by Ann Dvorak, wife of George Brent, mother of Ronnie Cosbey. She tells Brent that he's not exactly showing a certain amount of get up and go needed to succeed in the world. That sends Brent off in the direction of Davis who is a career woman who just started working at Brent's advertising agency.
In the meantime Dvorak ain't taking this philandering lying down, she shows she's got some worldly ways after all and even gets an admirer in the person of John Halliday sniffing around.
But this is 1934 so films like this can only follow certain specific formula guidelines. All these people are so terribly civilized about all this infidelity.
1934 was the year Bette Davis finally got a breakthrough part in Of Human Bondage. Yet Warner Brothers would still cast her in fluff like Housewife. No wonder she took off for Great Britain.
Nothing much happens of much consequence except that for awhile Brent thinks he's in love with Davis, a hard-working office gal who takes his mind off his marriage to Dvorak, but doesn't stand a chance by the time the script gets to the tacked on happy ending after a brief courtroom scene.
The main acting chores go to Ann Dvorak and she does a good job of playing the loyal wife who helps her hubby up the ladder of success and sees him turning to a new love before things get patched up rather hastily.
George Brent does his usual good-natured job as the leading man who is caught between his loyal wife and "the new kid in the office" who has her own plans for their future. The courtroom ending seems tacked on and things are resolved in rather hurried fashion for a happy ending.
Nothing much, just a programmer for three dependable Warner workers early in their respective careers.
Did you know
- TriviaThis film has been preserved by the Library of Congress.
- GoofsEarly in the film when Bill goes into Sam Blake's office, he is shown opening the office door twice between shots.
- Quotes
Patricia 'Pat' Berkeley: Well, I've done all right. I suddenly found out I had some brains and decided to use them.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Bette Davis/Richard Pryor (1983)
- SoundtracksCosmetics by Duprey
(1934) (uncredited)
Music by Allie Wrubel
Lyrics by Mort Dixon
Sung by Phil Regan at a radio rehearsal
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 9m(69 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1