Jeux de mains

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.

"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".

...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.

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.