In the midst of the Great Depression films often focused on the antics of the idle rich, with the best of these being made at Paramount. This film is about a wealthy family that is thrown into chaos when the son wants to marry a chorus girl (Carole Lombard) and the daughter (Miriam Hopkins) wants to marry a mechanic (Charles Starrett). Even though Carole Lombard is second billed in this film, she is practically a statue here -beautiful to look at, but having only a line here and there. This is really Miriam Hopkin's film as Marion Lenox, and she does a great job as the poor little rich girl that doesn't know what she wants until she meets the man of her dreams that turns out to be the family's newly hired mechanic. Frank Morgan plays his part as the father, Bronson Lenox, with all the befuddled flair we've come to expect from him. The whole film comes to a head when Bronson and his brother meet the chorus girl fiancée of Bronson's son at a roadhouse intending to convince the chorus girl to leave his son alone. Unfortunately Bronson's son shows up at the same roadhouse that night as well as Bronson's daughter with the mechanic in tow. There is a big scene between all involved that is only interrupted by a raid on the establishment.
Ilke Chase, as Carole Lombard's close friend and fellow chorus girl, is a great comic touch. The story calls for Carole's character to be sober and responsible, so Ilke is added as a counter to all of that. She physically resembles 30's Warner character actor Aline McMahon, but she has the wildness of all of the Gold Diggers of 1933 rolled into one with Winnie Lightner thrown in for good measure. Her vamping of Bronson Lenox's emotionally embalmed brother is hilarious.
One of the forerunners of the screwball comedies of the 1930's, ironically Miriam Hopkin's part here reminds me a bit of the part that Carole Lombard plays in 1936's "My Man Godfrey". Very entertaining and highly recommended if you run across this one.
Ilke Chase, as Carole Lombard's close friend and fellow chorus girl, is a great comic touch. The story calls for Carole's character to be sober and responsible, so Ilke is added as a counter to all of that. She physically resembles 30's Warner character actor Aline McMahon, but she has the wildness of all of the Gold Diggers of 1933 rolled into one with Winnie Lightner thrown in for good measure. Her vamping of Bronson Lenox's emotionally embalmed brother is hilarious.
One of the forerunners of the screwball comedies of the 1930's, ironically Miriam Hopkin's part here reminds me a bit of the part that Carole Lombard plays in 1936's "My Man Godfrey". Very entertaining and highly recommended if you run across this one.