I always wondered if I would run across a William Powell movie I didn't like. Well, now I have.
I'll tell you what the problem is with this film: 1930. It is soooooooo slow and sooooooooooo primitive in terms of good film making. With tight editing, the 65 minute runtime could have easily been reduced by a third. The lack of background music would have covered up a lot of that problem, but of course, in 1930 that was rather rare.
The movie is half over before the main plot begins -- a girlfriend (Kay Francis) two-timing defense attorney William Powell, and then her other boyfriend takes the rap when she hits and runs with her car. Of course, Powell defends the bf.
The problem with Powell here is that he hadn't developed his mesmerizing urbanity yet. I guess I'm just not ready for Powell repeatedly calling Francis "baby". For the first half of the film you hardly see Francis at all, but of course she becomes central to the story in the second half of the film. Francis had not yet developed her acting skills here. It's not a good performance.
Do it because you really like either main star, or you'll be bored to death.
I'll tell you what the problem is with this film: 1930. It is soooooooo slow and sooooooooooo primitive in terms of good film making. With tight editing, the 65 minute runtime could have easily been reduced by a third. The lack of background music would have covered up a lot of that problem, but of course, in 1930 that was rather rare.
The movie is half over before the main plot begins -- a girlfriend (Kay Francis) two-timing defense attorney William Powell, and then her other boyfriend takes the rap when she hits and runs with her car. Of course, Powell defends the bf.
The problem with Powell here is that he hadn't developed his mesmerizing urbanity yet. I guess I'm just not ready for Powell repeatedly calling Francis "baby". For the first half of the film you hardly see Francis at all, but of course she becomes central to the story in the second half of the film. Francis had not yet developed her acting skills here. It's not a good performance.
Do it because you really like either main star, or you'll be bored to death.