The 1930s were the years that Joan Crawford came into her own as a star, and by 1934 her movies were a must-see. She had already charmed audiences in the previous decade by playing increasingly endearing performances in silents, breaking out as a jazz-baby right at the brink of the stock market crash, and moving into talkies.
In those days, an actor was given the roles the studio believed he or she could play best in order to maintain a level of success in the box-office. Joan, unfortunately, worked at MGM, and Norma Shearer was the indisputable Queen of MGM by marriage to Irving Thalberg: hence, she had the choice roles to play, and Joan Crawford got only the rejects that Shearer refused to make. Somehow, she managed to make the best of her roles, but they were always a slight variation on the same the same theme -- the young, aspiring secretary/shop girl/heroine who wants to find love, rebukes the attention of one man for another one who will give her a more financial position. The lead frequently was Clark Gable; the second lead an equally secondary movie star -- Robert Young, Franchot Tone.
Once the formula began to wear itself to shreds, Joan tried to get better roles but only got the same material. This is one of the clones of her movie roster of the 30s, complete with a heavy melodrama and Adrian gowns which make their required appearances and further his reputation. One thing must be said, though -- Crawford for once is unsympathetic from start to sappy finish. Here she is pretty hell-bent on marrying rich and continuing her ruse albeit the circumstances, which seems to foreshadow the kind of power driven roles she would play in the early 50s.
The movie is in its entirety decent (and Dorothy Arzner must have really been fond of Crawford as she photographs her strikingly well), the plot is unbelievable, and Crawford's do is one solid page-boy, refusing to get mussed up even after a fall from a (relatively short) cliff after a verbal tangle with Tone.
In those days, an actor was given the roles the studio believed he or she could play best in order to maintain a level of success in the box-office. Joan, unfortunately, worked at MGM, and Norma Shearer was the indisputable Queen of MGM by marriage to Irving Thalberg: hence, she had the choice roles to play, and Joan Crawford got only the rejects that Shearer refused to make. Somehow, she managed to make the best of her roles, but they were always a slight variation on the same the same theme -- the young, aspiring secretary/shop girl/heroine who wants to find love, rebukes the attention of one man for another one who will give her a more financial position. The lead frequently was Clark Gable; the second lead an equally secondary movie star -- Robert Young, Franchot Tone.
Once the formula began to wear itself to shreds, Joan tried to get better roles but only got the same material. This is one of the clones of her movie roster of the 30s, complete with a heavy melodrama and Adrian gowns which make their required appearances and further his reputation. One thing must be said, though -- Crawford for once is unsympathetic from start to sappy finish. Here she is pretty hell-bent on marrying rich and continuing her ruse albeit the circumstances, which seems to foreshadow the kind of power driven roles she would play in the early 50s.
The movie is in its entirety decent (and Dorothy Arzner must have really been fond of Crawford as she photographs her strikingly well), the plot is unbelievable, and Crawford's do is one solid page-boy, refusing to get mussed up even after a fall from a (relatively short) cliff after a verbal tangle with Tone.