"Honor Among Lovers" is a film that is rarely shown on TV and it just happens that the Criterion Channel currently has the film. It stars Claudette Colbert and Frederic March...which is more than enough reason to see the movie!
Julia (Colbert) is the private secretary for Jerry (March), a very successful businessman. They get along great and she doesn't realize he's smitten on her. Eventually, he gets up the nerve to tell her his feelings...though he does it very poorly. Instead of sounding like a proposal for marriage, it sounds more like a proposition...and she naturally refuses. Unfortunately, instead she decides to marry her boyfriend, Philip (Monroe Owsley). I say unfortunately because Philip turns out to be a major pusillanimous rat...and treats Julia contemptibly. What's next? See the film and learn for yourself.
The morals in this story are much what you'd expect from many pre-code films. After all, Jerry seems to be asking Julia to become his mistress (he soon asks her to be his wife), Philip is an adulterer and films of the Production Code era clearly would NOT endorse divorce and remarriage! But it still is a most enjoyable story...well worth seeing and featuring some really nice performances by March, Colbert and Owsley.
Overall, a very good film that has one minor problem.... Jerry's behaviors late in the movie are just too nice to be realistic. Seriously! But in spite of this it's a most enjoyable movie and well worth your time.
Julia (Colbert) is the private secretary for Jerry (March), a very successful businessman. They get along great and she doesn't realize he's smitten on her. Eventually, he gets up the nerve to tell her his feelings...though he does it very poorly. Instead of sounding like a proposal for marriage, it sounds more like a proposition...and she naturally refuses. Unfortunately, instead she decides to marry her boyfriend, Philip (Monroe Owsley). I say unfortunately because Philip turns out to be a major pusillanimous rat...and treats Julia contemptibly. What's next? See the film and learn for yourself.
The morals in this story are much what you'd expect from many pre-code films. After all, Jerry seems to be asking Julia to become his mistress (he soon asks her to be his wife), Philip is an adulterer and films of the Production Code era clearly would NOT endorse divorce and remarriage! But it still is a most enjoyable story...well worth seeing and featuring some really nice performances by March, Colbert and Owsley.
Overall, a very good film that has one minor problem.... Jerry's behaviors late in the movie are just too nice to be realistic. Seriously! But in spite of this it's a most enjoyable movie and well worth your time.