In some ways I really liked this film, and in other ways not so much.
I thought both the beginning (about 14 minutes) and ending (a couple of minutes) were very weak. The reason I didn't like the beginning was that it started out as one of the many Depression Era films where we were going to have to watch a bunch of rich elites act foolish. The reason I didn't like the ending was that the errant husband got off the hook waaaaaaaaaaaay to easy, and if you watched just the last couple of minutes, you might have assumed the film was a comedy...which it wasn't.
Okay, so putting those roughly 15 minutes aside, I really liked this film, and mostly because of some very strong performances.
Let's start out with the 2 leading actors. I've always enjoyed Herbert Marshall, and he was excellent here, as usual. This was when he was still a leading man type, rather than the later character actor we came to know. His leading lady, Ann Harding, was excellent here, as well. Despite all the old movies I've watched, I haven't given enough attention to Ann Harding.
I also wasn't very familiar with Margaret Lindsay, who completes the romantic triangle. I wasn't as impressed by her as I was with Marshall and Harding, but she did reasonably well here.
Walter Abel, as "the other man" in Harding's character's life, has long been a favorite of mine. Sometimes he was more a light comedy actor, but here it is a romantic character. I enjoyed his performance here.
Edward Ellis as Marshall's father here absolutely steals the show. What a charmer in that crusty old way. I've noticed him as a character actor before, but he really stands out here.
I give this film a strong "7", despite the beginning and very ending.
I thought both the beginning (about 14 minutes) and ending (a couple of minutes) were very weak. The reason I didn't like the beginning was that it started out as one of the many Depression Era films where we were going to have to watch a bunch of rich elites act foolish. The reason I didn't like the ending was that the errant husband got off the hook waaaaaaaaaaaay to easy, and if you watched just the last couple of minutes, you might have assumed the film was a comedy...which it wasn't.
Okay, so putting those roughly 15 minutes aside, I really liked this film, and mostly because of some very strong performances.
Let's start out with the 2 leading actors. I've always enjoyed Herbert Marshall, and he was excellent here, as usual. This was when he was still a leading man type, rather than the later character actor we came to know. His leading lady, Ann Harding, was excellent here, as well. Despite all the old movies I've watched, I haven't given enough attention to Ann Harding.
I also wasn't very familiar with Margaret Lindsay, who completes the romantic triangle. I wasn't as impressed by her as I was with Marshall and Harding, but she did reasonably well here.
Walter Abel, as "the other man" in Harding's character's life, has long been a favorite of mine. Sometimes he was more a light comedy actor, but here it is a romantic character. I enjoyed his performance here.
Edward Ellis as Marshall's father here absolutely steals the show. What a charmer in that crusty old way. I've noticed him as a character actor before, but he really stands out here.
I give this film a strong "7", despite the beginning and very ending.