Not a great film - it's got far too many dangling loose ends for that - but decent, and better than its reputation. John Gilbert has some really fine scenes, including stoically reacting to his fiancée (Madge Evans) dumping him when he returns from WWI, and cruelly trying to rid himself of a lower class woman (Lois Moran) he marries out of spite the same evening he meets her. The scene after he sleeps with her is particularly chilling. Moran is fine too, aided in part by her character being so likeable and principled, and also because she's charismatic and really delivers in the scenes where she asserts herself.
Much is made of Gilbert's transition to sound films and the downward trajectory he was on in his personal life, which of course led to his early death less than five years later. From my perspective his voice is just fine, and he suffers only because it may not match the viewer's imagination built up over all of his years as a strong leading man in silent films. The morning after his "gin marriage" in the film, Gilbert plays up the character's alcohol problems by shaking and twitching from the DT's, which is poignant given his own struggles.
Some other things to watch for:
It's really unfortunate that the film was not fleshed out more, and with so many commenting on studio politics and the deliberate sabotage of Gilbert's career, I was left wondering if that played a hand in editing it down to a too-short 67 minutes. It may leave you hanging on several plot points and characters, but it's entertaining nonetheless.
Much is made of Gilbert's transition to sound films and the downward trajectory he was on in his personal life, which of course led to his early death less than five years later. From my perspective his voice is just fine, and he suffers only because it may not match the viewer's imagination built up over all of his years as a strong leading man in silent films. The morning after his "gin marriage" in the film, Gilbert plays up the character's alcohol problems by shaking and twitching from the DT's, which is poignant given his own struggles.
Some other things to watch for:
- The dancing girls in the nightclub lying on their backs and then proceeding to the equivalent of 'the wave' with their legs.
- The moment when the Swedish friend and Chinese servant blissfully discover they enjoy the sensation of rubbing each other's bellies. I was not a fan of how lame and stereotypical the characters were overall, but this playfully gay moment was something only possible pre-Code.
- The really nice scenes with the characters out on horses on the ranch. The moments between Moran and the cowhand (Ralph Bellamy in his first year of appearing in films), and then later Moran and Gilbert are really quite nice, and close to modern romantic comedy, not bad for 1931.
It's really unfortunate that the film was not fleshed out more, and with so many commenting on studio politics and the deliberate sabotage of Gilbert's career, I was left wondering if that played a hand in editing it down to a too-short 67 minutes. It may leave you hanging on several plot points and characters, but it's entertaining nonetheless.