In this coming of age romance drama from Fox, we follow the various trials and tribulations of four young friends. They have just graduated from college and head to New York City together. Right out of the gate, the film gives us a somewhat implausible premise. I had a lot of friends in college, but I don't remember any four in our group taking the exact same path after graduation. I think this would have worked better if they were all graduating from high school together and going off to the same college, but even that would have stretched credibility.
I suppose the writers had to keep these four as having just finished college, since the stars cast in the main roles could not convincingly play teens. And in fact, two leads, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell were even beyond the age that one usually completes a four-year college degree. Gaynor was 27 going on 28, and Farrell was 33 going on 34. This was the last Fox collaboration for Gaynor and Farrell who had already appeared in about a half-dozen hits for the studio. In all these films, they pair off romantically.
Because we know Gaynor and Farrell have to wind up as a couple, to continue the formula already familiar to audiences, I don't quite buy the obstacles thrown in their path. After they get to New York, the meek gal played by Gaynor silent pines for Farrell. In fact, she suffers and suffers, when he seems more interested in the other female in this foursome (played by Ginger Rogers). Part of the story has Farrell go off with Rogers, who of course, is not as virtuous as Gaynor, and Farrell lives to regret it.
Meanwhile Gaynor has been spending time with the fourth member of the group, nice and dependable James Dunn. To add more complications to the plot, Dunn falls for Gaynor and proposes to her, but she naturally turns him down because he's not her dream man (Farrell).
When Farrell returns without Rogers, who ditched him for a wealthier man, he has become quite ill. But don't worry, Gaynor will nurse him back to health.
While I found all of the main performances decent, especially Ginger Rogers who played her bad girl to the hilt...I couldn't quite enjoy this film because it seemed so formulaic. Most of the time there was very little originality. We know that Farrell will overlook Gaynor in the beginning to increase her emotional pain, that he will choose Rogers who will then cause him pain. Then Dunn will get his heart broke, before Gaynor finally has a chance to love and be loved by Farrell. There are no surprises here.
A more realistic and better film would have had Gaynor be a noble, valiant and long-suffering heroine, realizing that Dunn was the better man for her and getting Farrell out of her system for good. We don't have that type of story or any semblance of logic or reality, because this is a Hollywood product in which Gaynor is supposed to swoon forever and finally end up with the most handsome man in the cast. Farrell is meant to be the one who has a change of heart, but it would have worked better, been more believable, if Gaynor was the one who had experienced a change of heart.
I suppose the writers had to keep these four as having just finished college, since the stars cast in the main roles could not convincingly play teens. And in fact, two leads, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell were even beyond the age that one usually completes a four-year college degree. Gaynor was 27 going on 28, and Farrell was 33 going on 34. This was the last Fox collaboration for Gaynor and Farrell who had already appeared in about a half-dozen hits for the studio. In all these films, they pair off romantically.
Because we know Gaynor and Farrell have to wind up as a couple, to continue the formula already familiar to audiences, I don't quite buy the obstacles thrown in their path. After they get to New York, the meek gal played by Gaynor silent pines for Farrell. In fact, she suffers and suffers, when he seems more interested in the other female in this foursome (played by Ginger Rogers). Part of the story has Farrell go off with Rogers, who of course, is not as virtuous as Gaynor, and Farrell lives to regret it.
Meanwhile Gaynor has been spending time with the fourth member of the group, nice and dependable James Dunn. To add more complications to the plot, Dunn falls for Gaynor and proposes to her, but she naturally turns him down because he's not her dream man (Farrell).
When Farrell returns without Rogers, who ditched him for a wealthier man, he has become quite ill. But don't worry, Gaynor will nurse him back to health.
While I found all of the main performances decent, especially Ginger Rogers who played her bad girl to the hilt...I couldn't quite enjoy this film because it seemed so formulaic. Most of the time there was very little originality. We know that Farrell will overlook Gaynor in the beginning to increase her emotional pain, that he will choose Rogers who will then cause him pain. Then Dunn will get his heart broke, before Gaynor finally has a chance to love and be loved by Farrell. There are no surprises here.
A more realistic and better film would have had Gaynor be a noble, valiant and long-suffering heroine, realizing that Dunn was the better man for her and getting Farrell out of her system for good. We don't have that type of story or any semblance of logic or reality, because this is a Hollywood product in which Gaynor is supposed to swoon forever and finally end up with the most handsome man in the cast. Farrell is meant to be the one who has a change of heart, but it would have worked better, been more believable, if Gaynor was the one who had experienced a change of heart.