Kay Francis can't avoid being the harlot. She was an adulterer in "Scandal Sheet," an adulterer in "Transgression," a side chick in "Guilty Hands," and a side side-chick in "Ladies' Man." It's like the producers ask, "Who can we use to play a woman with no self-worth or fidelity?" Then Kay Francis pops her head in and asks who called her name.
In this movie she plays a homewrecker again, one of her favorite roles. She played Natalie, the mistress of Larry Baldwin (Alan Dineheart), a wealthy architect.
Larry was on cloud nine when he was with Natalie and she likewise. The two were perfectly satisfied being secret lovers though they felt their love should not have been a secret.
In fact, Natalie made one of the worst speeches imaginable. When she was confronted by Larry's daughter, Doris (Gloria Stuart), about their illicit relationship Natalie claimed that love was nothing to be ashamed of and since she and Larry were in love it was all good.
What a load of nonsense.
Larry tried to justify it to his daughter by playing to her own convictions. He stepped to her and said, "You told me one time that you didn't believe in the old conventional morals--that you had rather a modern, intelligent, and tolerant attitude."
Ooooh what a slick one. He tried to paint his extra-marital affair as something "modern," "intelligent," and "tolerant." It was game if I ever heard it, except he was gaming his own daughter.
Larry and Natalie's love life was upset by her younger brother, Clark (Allen Vincent). You see, Clark wouldn't approve of such a relationship. He's what you'd call prude or a puritan. Furthermore, Clark was in love with Larry's daughter, Doris. So you can see how that would be a bit of a quagmire if a father and daughter were married to a brother and sister.
Then there was the small matter of Larry's wife, Lois (Marjorie Gateson). She was portrayed as a cold, emotionless woman who only cared about her social image. She wasn't the least bit jealous or upset about her husband stepping out on her, she was only concerned with the optics.
This is an old Hollywood trick. When they want to make the illicit affair more romantic and sympathetic, they make the spouse of the cheater wicked or generally unlikable. Lois fit that bill which made rooting for Natalie and Larry more agreeable. We can feel better about ourselves for wanting Larry to be with Natalie since Lois was such an impassive B.
I, for one, wasn't falling for any of it. In the end this was another fluffy high society movie about trysts, pretentious behavior, and social image.
Free on YouTube.
In this movie she plays a homewrecker again, one of her favorite roles. She played Natalie, the mistress of Larry Baldwin (Alan Dineheart), a wealthy architect.
Larry was on cloud nine when he was with Natalie and she likewise. The two were perfectly satisfied being secret lovers though they felt their love should not have been a secret.
In fact, Natalie made one of the worst speeches imaginable. When she was confronted by Larry's daughter, Doris (Gloria Stuart), about their illicit relationship Natalie claimed that love was nothing to be ashamed of and since she and Larry were in love it was all good.
What a load of nonsense.
Larry tried to justify it to his daughter by playing to her own convictions. He stepped to her and said, "You told me one time that you didn't believe in the old conventional morals--that you had rather a modern, intelligent, and tolerant attitude."
Ooooh what a slick one. He tried to paint his extra-marital affair as something "modern," "intelligent," and "tolerant." It was game if I ever heard it, except he was gaming his own daughter.
Larry and Natalie's love life was upset by her younger brother, Clark (Allen Vincent). You see, Clark wouldn't approve of such a relationship. He's what you'd call prude or a puritan. Furthermore, Clark was in love with Larry's daughter, Doris. So you can see how that would be a bit of a quagmire if a father and daughter were married to a brother and sister.
Then there was the small matter of Larry's wife, Lois (Marjorie Gateson). She was portrayed as a cold, emotionless woman who only cared about her social image. She wasn't the least bit jealous or upset about her husband stepping out on her, she was only concerned with the optics.
This is an old Hollywood trick. When they want to make the illicit affair more romantic and sympathetic, they make the spouse of the cheater wicked or generally unlikable. Lois fit that bill which made rooting for Natalie and Larry more agreeable. We can feel better about ourselves for wanting Larry to be with Natalie since Lois was such an impassive B.
I, for one, wasn't falling for any of it. In the end this was another fluffy high society movie about trysts, pretentious behavior, and social image.
Free on YouTube.