The message of this movie is so awful, I almost hate to give it any attention by reviewing it at all. But, since it's Clark Gable week here at Hot Toasty Rag, here I go:
The start of the movie is very sad, setting the stage for the titular melodrama. Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Butler are on a boat with their families for an afternoon party, when suddenly a fire breaks out. The boat is destroyed and several people are dead; Mickey and Jimmy are orphans. Adopted by a kind man whose son was killed, the boys grow up together but with different values. Mickey gets into trouble and Jimmy studies hard in school. As the years pass, they turn into Clark Gable, who owns a speakeasy, and William Powell, the district attorney about to throw his hat in the ring for governor of New York.
Clark's girlfriend is Myrna Loy, but she's decided she wants a change. She's no longer satisfied with living the high life of a gangster's moll; she wants to become respectable and settle down. Clark's not the man for her, so as quick as lightening, she switches her affections to Bill. The audience is supposed to be okay with it because Clark was supposed to meet both of them for dinner but was irresponsible and didn't show up; snooze lose? Although Bill rattles off a hilarious line as they're getting to know each other, "I was born at home, because I wanted to be near Mother at the time," I still couldn't root for him. He was a traitor to his brother!
The movie continues to be rigged against Clark and for Bill's ridiculous ethics. He supposedly values the law and integrity more than anything else, but how is the audience supposed to applaud him when he ends up hurting so many people in the process? He's a terrible person; and there were so many easy fixes along the way that could have prevented him from making the wrong choices, but I don't think the audience was supposed to have figured those plot holes out.
I hated this movie, and I wouldn't recommend anyone watch it. Not even if you love Bill and Myrna from the Thin Man movies and want to see another pairing. They made 14 movies together, so pick something else. If you love Clark Gable, don't even think about renting it. He gets betrayed and thrown under the bus so many times I lost track.
The start of the movie is very sad, setting the stage for the titular melodrama. Mickey Rooney and Jimmy Butler are on a boat with their families for an afternoon party, when suddenly a fire breaks out. The boat is destroyed and several people are dead; Mickey and Jimmy are orphans. Adopted by a kind man whose son was killed, the boys grow up together but with different values. Mickey gets into trouble and Jimmy studies hard in school. As the years pass, they turn into Clark Gable, who owns a speakeasy, and William Powell, the district attorney about to throw his hat in the ring for governor of New York.
Clark's girlfriend is Myrna Loy, but she's decided she wants a change. She's no longer satisfied with living the high life of a gangster's moll; she wants to become respectable and settle down. Clark's not the man for her, so as quick as lightening, she switches her affections to Bill. The audience is supposed to be okay with it because Clark was supposed to meet both of them for dinner but was irresponsible and didn't show up; snooze lose? Although Bill rattles off a hilarious line as they're getting to know each other, "I was born at home, because I wanted to be near Mother at the time," I still couldn't root for him. He was a traitor to his brother!
The movie continues to be rigged against Clark and for Bill's ridiculous ethics. He supposedly values the law and integrity more than anything else, but how is the audience supposed to applaud him when he ends up hurting so many people in the process? He's a terrible person; and there were so many easy fixes along the way that could have prevented him from making the wrong choices, but I don't think the audience was supposed to have figured those plot holes out.
I hated this movie, and I wouldn't recommend anyone watch it. Not even if you love Bill and Myrna from the Thin Man movies and want to see another pairing. They made 14 movies together, so pick something else. If you love Clark Gable, don't even think about renting it. He gets betrayed and thrown under the bus so many times I lost track.