"Love a la Mode" is an early sound comedy starring a lot of folks you've probably never heard of nor have seen in any movies. It has its moments but it also suffers a bit from some bad cliches
The setting is a posh party at some mansion. Mr. Saunders wants time with his girlfriend so he can propose to her, but her bratty younger sister is always getting in the way. When a bond salesman arrives, Saunders convinces him to woo the sister. If he agrees and keeps her away, Saunders promises to buy a fortune in bonds.
Despite the agreement, the salesman instead tries to woo the faincee to be...and Saunders is naturally angry about this. At the same time, the bond salesman's wife shows up...and is NOT happy about him spending time with another woman.
This set-up is pretty funny and should have worked well. But a few really limp jokes interfered. One was a completely unfunny bit about folks eating alum. Another is the wet paint gag...which has been overused. But the worst is the ending, where the bond salesman's wife starts wildly shooting a gun. This is an OLD bit...made popular in the 1910s by the Mack Sennett films. But by 1930, it was considered passe and unfunny. As a result, the film could have been better but fails in being a must-see movie.
The setting is a posh party at some mansion. Mr. Saunders wants time with his girlfriend so he can propose to her, but her bratty younger sister is always getting in the way. When a bond salesman arrives, Saunders convinces him to woo the sister. If he agrees and keeps her away, Saunders promises to buy a fortune in bonds.
Despite the agreement, the salesman instead tries to woo the faincee to be...and Saunders is naturally angry about this. At the same time, the bond salesman's wife shows up...and is NOT happy about him spending time with another woman.
This set-up is pretty funny and should have worked well. But a few really limp jokes interfered. One was a completely unfunny bit about folks eating alum. Another is the wet paint gag...which has been overused. But the worst is the ending, where the bond salesman's wife starts wildly shooting a gun. This is an OLD bit...made popular in the 1910s by the Mack Sennett films. But by 1930, it was considered passe and unfunny. As a result, the film could have been better but fails in being a must-see movie.