You Can't Beat Love

Jimmy Hughes (Preston Foster) is a fun-loving gentleman who will accept any dare. Jasper (Herbert Mundin) is his butler and sidekick. While digging a ditch in a tuxedo for a dare, a campaign bus with the mayor's daughter Trudy Olson (Joan Fontaine) rolls up. It's immediate love-hate at first sight.

This is an early film for Joan Fontaine. She and Foster have a bit of chemistry but they don't have enough time together. The better plot is for them to somehow join forces to uncover this corruption. The ice scene is fun but there isn't enough of them.

The film begins with a knuckle-head (Preston Foster) working on a road crew dressed in a tux in order to win a bet. Apparently, this guy will take on any bet or act on a whim. This becomes very apparent when he disrupts a food giveaway hosted by the mayor's daughter and as a result of this, he announces he's running for mayor--though he seems very much apolitical and has no interest in the job. Later, when he once again meets up with the mayor's daughter (Joan Fontaine) they supposedly fall in love--although there seemed to be little chemistry between them and it made very little sense for Fontaine to suddenly love a guy she so quickly hated at the beginning of the film. Plus, she really had plenty of reason to dislike the guy.

Regardless of the reasoning for announcing he was running for mayor, eventually Foster takes the role seriously and jumps in to the fray--only to see first-hand just how corrupt the police chief is. Foster's job from then on is to expose this crook, though new girlfriend Fontaine doesn't understand and takes it all very personally.

Aside from the appearance by Joan Fontaine in one of her earliest films, there's not a lot to distinguish this film--though it is occasionally fun and is a decent time-passer. You could do worse, but you could also do a lot better.

Playboy lawyer Preston Foster (as Jimmy Hughes) is reluctantly recruited to run against an incumbent mayor, while romancing his daughter, pretty blonde Joan Fontaine (as Trudy Olson). The campaign leads to the uncovering of a gang of racketeering gamblers in the city, with both mayoral candidates, and the city police chief, becoming suspects. "You Can't Beat Love" is a competent, but routine little piece of fluff, which looks to have benefited few of those involved. There are a few likable moments. Thankfully, it was as forgettable as it was routine.

*** You Can't Beat Love (1937) Christy Cabanne ~ Preston Foster, Joan Fontaine, Herbert Mundin

Preston Foster who usually did action/adventure parts dons white tie and tails as a wealthy playboy lawyer who does anything on a dare. This time he's dared to run for mayor of his small city against Frank Thomas. Which brings him into contact with the mayor's daughter Joan Fontaine.

In order that politics not separate them from being future bedfellows, Foster pulls his punches though it is hard to believe he could not know about the crooked dealings of his police chief Berton Churchill and aide Bradley Page. Still as it always love will out.

This RKO programmer sports a really nice and impressive cast. Besides those mentioned Herbert Mundin is Foster's valet, Paul Hurst his campaign manager and former day laborer, Harold Huber and Paul Guilfoyle as a pair of out of town gangsters.

Special mention has to go to Barbara Pepper. She's hired to work the old badger game on Foster instead she does it with Hurst. Identities not easy to mistake but she does it. Her scenes trying to seduce Hurst are a scream.

This is an amusing comedy and no doubt Fontaine was on the way up.

Preston Foster is a good action man but put him in a suit with Joan Fontaine as his romantic lead and he is rather out of his depth.Unfortunately it is the case with films of this nature that firstly you need a good script and secondly you need some chemistry between the lead actors.Alas this film falls flat on both counts.It is a sad waste of the talents of all concerned.I am not saying this is boring but it really is not all that entertaining.I had looked at the films page before viewing and saw that it had a mark of 6.5.Having seen this film all i can say is that maybe i am missing something.Compare this for example with "Bringing Up Baby" made at RKO,the same studio that made this,just one year later.It is a bit like comparing "Hercules Unchained" with "Ben Hur".