Kept Husbands

Last week I watched Joel McCrea turn in an absolutely stunning performance in Merian Cooper and Earnest Schoedsack's brilliant 1932 thriller, "THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME" and again he reminds me here of just what an underrated actor he was during the Golden Age of Hollywood. His natural blond good looks (he pioneered surfing during the sport's early days in Los Angeles) and extremely competent acting on the heels of his residency at the nearby Pasadena Playhouse stand out in stark contrast to other leading men in an era when Billy Haines, George Arliss and Ramon Navarro were still representing America's young marrieds getting into jams as they get on their feet in the early days of The Great Depression. Dorothy Mackaill has the tricky job of playing a spoiled brat who is also in many ways by 2004 standards a modern woman whose doting industrialist father isn't making her emancipation any easier--but she pulls it off, and we wind up liking her! Sounding a little at first like one of the most outlandish stars of the day, Paramount's Mae West knock-off Peggy Hopkins Joyce, Mackaill proceeds to give a spot-on performance that represents some of the most natural acting I have seen out of anyone from the early talkies era; her knows-what-she-wants character Dot is effected flawlessly. I forgot that I was watching an actress perform, so finely tuned is her sense of timing. An Ex-Follies girl who came to the US from England at the age of 18, she is at ease before the camera, apparently aware of the fine line she is walking in a part which few other performers from that shaky time in the industry would have been able to master with such seamless grace. I am surprised and disappointed that her film career was in its twilight and that soon thereafter she would be serving full-time as a caregiver to her disabled mother. The writing and direction are both deserving of praise here, as well. The intelligent dialogue (including the contemporary slang, which I find fascinating whenever I can find it) stands the test of time remarkably well: it is real, never banal or contrived despite the familiar conflicted Depression-era highbrow-working class storyline aspect. When Dot asks her father to pay her new husband $50,000 a year, the kindly industrialist explains that he cannot comply, reasoning quite correctly that "it would hurt the organization"--having served a hitch in B-school, I liked that wise old man and contemporary manager right off the bat! Motherhood receives a tender treatment and ever so effectively. The lighting has a definite early Warners'-First National look to it. Sound recording, almost always a liability in those days, is accomplished neatly, as is the makeup: lips appear to be real rather than painted on and during the proposal scene McCrea's wholesome tan face appears not only untouched but luminescent. Rarely have the actors of 1931 looked quite so good. Helpful Trivia: At the time of production, Miss Mackaill was 28; cowpuncher McCrea, 25.

Nearly a century old, this romantic dramedy starring Dorothy Mackaill and Joel McCrea is surprisingly fresh and heartwarming, thanks to the utter sincerity of the performances, and a terrific commitment to tried and true dramatic arcs. What a breath of fresh air compared to current facetious and downright silly trends in rom-coms.

McCrea is one of the great actors who is taken for granted, no cult for him, and not a name bandied about among Hollywood legends. I suppose his sin was being hard-working and rising to the occasion when cast in great roles -at least the '30s through '60s filmmakers knew his talent, ranging from Preston Sturges all the way to Sam Peckinpah.

The revelations here for me were the actresses: Mackaill as his wife and Mary Carr as his mother. The vivacious and rather amazing performance by Dorothy - captivating in the early reels, then downright hissible with her selfishness later on, on;y to bring a tear near the end - that's a style that would be worth bringing back -she really poured her heart into it. And in a sentimental role, I was with Carr 100% as the bedrock underneath all the film's frivolity.

This is surefire Depression Era entertainment (with a solid director of that era, Lloyd Bacon, in charge). One can't help but immediately identify with Joel's all-American boy character and live vicariously in the glamour of the upper class during the Depression, while the script carefully makes clear their shortcomings. Dorothy's bad behaviour and comeuppance are expertly delineated, and the lack of censorship only adds to the power of certain risque scenes, such as their wedding night and her dalliance with a scoundrel at Joel's lowest moment.

Joel McCrea is a steel worker whose valor moves his boss to invite him to dinner. The boss's wife and daughter are terrible snobs and think this a hilarious idea. It turns out he was a star football player from Harvard, despite his humble origins. And the daughter sets her sights on them.

(All this occurs in the first 15 minutes.) McCrea, one of my great favorites, is not the star he was soon to become. He's a fine actor and looks good but his image is not yet set.

The daughter is a very disagreeable character, in my view. What better catch could anyone want than McCrea? And she doesn't always appear to appreciate him.

This is the story of Dick, he plays a football hero turned steel worker. He is of humble (poor) beginnings, but has drive an ambition. He saves some workers at the plant and does not accept the thousand dollar reward for doing so, garnering an invitation to his admiring boss's home for dinner. At dinner, he meets his boss' daughter, Dot. She is selfish and spoiled and while initially prepared to mock and make fun of this poor blue collar steel worker...happens to glance the fob on his pocket watch realizing he is a well-know man local football hero! This changes everything for her and suddenly she is throwing herself at him.

These two are completely unsuited for one another.

"There isn't a man in the world that a woman can't land if she wants to."-Dot

"She's about as useful as a little silky kitten. That's what they should have called her-kitten."-Dick

This doesn't stop Dot from aggressively pursuing Dick even to the point of proposing, at which time she agrees to live on his salary and everything. A promise she clearly never intended as immediately upon their marriage they go on a European honeymoon where she is buying fur coats and dresses that are far, far beyond Dick's means. When back home the partying lifestyle and spending doesn't end. It really hits the fan when she tries to prevent Dick from going on a business trip her father is sending him on (and he wanted her to go with...but she didn't want to miss out on the local parties!!!!)

"There is only one thing I'll keep-my self respect!"-Dick

I am glad it had the ending it did...but I was a little surprised at his mother:

"All women keep their husbands, some with money others with love."-Mrs. Brunton

It was clear this was not a live match at least on Dot's part which made this whole film a bit depressing for me. Mixed feelings if I would recommend. I would say proceed at your own risk.

Long forgotten, Dorothy Mackaill was a Ziegfeld girl who was big in pictures in the late silent and early talkie periods. Then she disappeared. Kept Husbands is a great little film that showcases her talent as an actress. It also boasts a very young Joel McCrea. Racy for its time, it's the story of a spoiled rich girl who proposes to a working man and then runs rampant over his life until the big blowup. Fast paced and funny in spots, this little gem is sure worth watching. The stars are terrific and attractive. Supporting cast includes Robert McWade as the indulgent father, Florence Roberts as the snooty mother, Ned Sparks as comic relief, Mary Carr as McCrea's mother, former silent great Clara Kimball Young in an embarrassing turn as the bitchy society woman, and Bryant Washburn as the creep.

Filled with funny lines and double meanings, this is a swell little pre-Code film. Mackaill is terrific as the spoiled "kitten" and was a solid actress (see her in Safe in Hell also); McCrea is also very good as the bewildered husband; Mary Carr is also noteworthy as the doting mother. Clara Kimball Young was a sensational star of the teens. She was 41 when she made this film and is just AWFUL. She worked for another decade.

NOTE: The IMDb lists Llewellyn as being played by Freeman Wood. I think it was Lucien Littlefield, who was also listed in the film's opening credits.