I'm not a big fan of most of Joan Crawford's movie from the '30s. Most of them revolve around dislikable characters, usually involved in stupid love triangles. Here's another winner. Joan's in love with Robert Montgomery, an incorrigible womanizer and liar. We're supposed to find his antics funny I guess. Anyway, Joan marries him knowing he's a louse. Then when he cheats she acts surprised and comes up with a stupid plan to get him back. Franchot Tone figures into this and he's no more likable than in any of his other movies with Joan.
The comedy relief comes mostly from Edna May Oliver and Charlie Ruggles. Oliver was the best thing about the movie, though that seems overstated somewhat by other reviews I've read. She wasn't THAT good. It's not like she saved this sinking ship. For those of us who have seen Oliver in other, better movies, we know she has had better roles than this. But still, weighed against the rest of the cast, she is the best here. Ruggles is awful. He always was a mixed bag. Sometimes I could enjoy him but others he was just annoying. This is the latter, with Ruggles doing a terrible drunk act that got old in the first scene. Just a poor movie. I hated the main characters and didn't care what happened to them. Avoid it unless you're a die-hard fan of the stars and easily forgive their clunkers. Joan Fontaine makes her film debut under the name Joan Burfield.
The comedy relief comes mostly from Edna May Oliver and Charlie Ruggles. Oliver was the best thing about the movie, though that seems overstated somewhat by other reviews I've read. She wasn't THAT good. It's not like she saved this sinking ship. For those of us who have seen Oliver in other, better movies, we know she has had better roles than this. But still, weighed against the rest of the cast, she is the best here. Ruggles is awful. He always was a mixed bag. Sometimes I could enjoy him but others he was just annoying. This is the latter, with Ruggles doing a terrible drunk act that got old in the first scene. Just a poor movie. I hated the main characters and didn't care what happened to them. Avoid it unless you're a die-hard fan of the stars and easily forgive their clunkers. Joan Fontaine makes her film debut under the name Joan Burfield.