Creaky
"Oh, Don, don't be early Victorian. Divorce does happen. It happened to practically all of our friends, it's not surprising it should happen to us. ... Oh, I know, you expected me to cry my eyes out and make a scene. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. But, you see, modern women don't act like that. We say, 'Oh, our husband wants to go, does he? Very well, then, let him. Maybe next time we'll have better luck and get a really good one.'"
Ah, if only this was the actual reaction Mary Astor's character has when she learns that her husband has met another woman and wants a divorce. Instead she begins deftly plotting to get him back by pretending to be cool with the whole thing and that she's found someone else herself. This could have made for a decent film, but here the concept suffers because her husband (Robert Ames) is so tepid and boring, and Astor has no chemistry with him. And this is the man she's smart to hold on to? If you're hoping for a pre-Code film with a provocative challenge to conformity (or fun, racy banter for that matter), this won't be your film.
Edward Everett Horton plays the guy's business partner, and provides a little comic relief with exchanges like this with the 'other woman's' mother:
Mother: Aren't you having tea Mr. Ross? Billy Ross (Horton): I never touch it. My doctor tells me it's poison! Mother: Really? Billy Ross: I'll get you some.
Horton's wild laugh was also pretty fun to hear, but unfortunately there isn't much to the comedy overall. The film is also quite creaky, with a noticeable audio hum and pops between shot transitions. That doesn't stop the little moment when Astor sings from being adorable, but she's really the only reason to watch this film, and it's not enough to recommend it.
Ah, if only this was the actual reaction Mary Astor's character has when she learns that her husband has met another woman and wants a divorce. Instead she begins deftly plotting to get him back by pretending to be cool with the whole thing and that she's found someone else herself. This could have made for a decent film, but here the concept suffers because her husband (Robert Ames) is so tepid and boring, and Astor has no chemistry with him. And this is the man she's smart to hold on to? If you're hoping for a pre-Code film with a provocative challenge to conformity (or fun, racy banter for that matter), this won't be your film.
Edward Everett Horton plays the guy's business partner, and provides a little comic relief with exchanges like this with the 'other woman's' mother:
Mother: Aren't you having tea Mr. Ross? Billy Ross (Horton): I never touch it. My doctor tells me it's poison! Mother: Really? Billy Ross: I'll get you some.
Horton's wild laugh was also pretty fun to hear, but unfortunately there isn't much to the comedy overall. The film is also quite creaky, with a noticeable audio hum and pops between shot transitions. That doesn't stop the little moment when Astor sings from being adorable, but she's really the only reason to watch this film, and it's not enough to recommend it.
- gbill-74877
- May 2, 2020