I imagine Warner Bros. thought titling the film "Times Square Playboy" with Warren William starring would bring in more business than the title of the play upon which the movie is based - the more aptly named "The Home Towners", and they were probably right.
You can tell that after the production code era began in 1934 Warner Bros. just didn't know what to do with Warren William. William plays a 40ish man of means, Vic Arnold, who invites an old hometown friend (Gene Lockhart as Ben Bancroft) to be best man at his wedding in New York City, which is where Vic has been living all of these years. This is more a story of city cousin/country cousin than anything else. When Ben first arrives in New York from his rural hometown he finds the whole thing exciting, but after he meets Vic's fiancée's brother, Ben gets the idea that Vic's fiancée is just marrying his friend for his money and the financial support she can get can for her entire family rather than for love. I found this part of the film hard to follow because I really didn't see anything in the action or speech of the brother-in-law-to-be that would suggest he or anyone else was gold digging.
The rest of the film is just about all of the trouble caused by some misspoken insulting words from Ben to Vic's fiancée's family, and quite frankly it seemed like much ado about nothing. Lockhart was good in this rare leading role, but the character was just too obnoxious and true to his nickname of "pig-head" to like, and Warren William was just too easy going about the whole thing. That's the problem with these first production code era high society comedies - the censors took away all of their ammo, rendering them unable to develop some interesting misunderstandings with punch, and it would be two or three years more before the movies could adapt to this very un-brave new world.
I like Warren William a great deal, and I highly suggest the movies he made during 1934 and before for a taste of him at his precode best, and I also recommend the films he did as the Lone Wolf at Columbia in the late 30's and early 40's, by which time Hollywood figured out how to convey the sophisticated sassiness of Warren William without crossing the censors. This one just disappoints on all elements of substance. I give it five stars for having great style but a story that misses the bullseye completely and wastes Warren William's talent.
One touch that I really liked: Barton MacLane, usually playing a bad guy, as Vic's not so gentle gentleman's gentleman.
You can tell that after the production code era began in 1934 Warner Bros. just didn't know what to do with Warren William. William plays a 40ish man of means, Vic Arnold, who invites an old hometown friend (Gene Lockhart as Ben Bancroft) to be best man at his wedding in New York City, which is where Vic has been living all of these years. This is more a story of city cousin/country cousin than anything else. When Ben first arrives in New York from his rural hometown he finds the whole thing exciting, but after he meets Vic's fiancée's brother, Ben gets the idea that Vic's fiancée is just marrying his friend for his money and the financial support she can get can for her entire family rather than for love. I found this part of the film hard to follow because I really didn't see anything in the action or speech of the brother-in-law-to-be that would suggest he or anyone else was gold digging.
The rest of the film is just about all of the trouble caused by some misspoken insulting words from Ben to Vic's fiancée's family, and quite frankly it seemed like much ado about nothing. Lockhart was good in this rare leading role, but the character was just too obnoxious and true to his nickname of "pig-head" to like, and Warren William was just too easy going about the whole thing. That's the problem with these first production code era high society comedies - the censors took away all of their ammo, rendering them unable to develop some interesting misunderstandings with punch, and it would be two or three years more before the movies could adapt to this very un-brave new world.
I like Warren William a great deal, and I highly suggest the movies he made during 1934 and before for a taste of him at his precode best, and I also recommend the films he did as the Lone Wolf at Columbia in the late 30's and early 40's, by which time Hollywood figured out how to convey the sophisticated sassiness of Warren William without crossing the censors. This one just disappoints on all elements of substance. I give it five stars for having great style but a story that misses the bullseye completely and wastes Warren William's talent.
One touch that I really liked: Barton MacLane, usually playing a bad guy, as Vic's not so gentle gentleman's gentleman.