Love on the Run (1936) User Reviews

Spies And Weddings

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 18 March 2008]

Love On The Run is yet another example of Louis B. Mayer trying to cash in on the success that eluded him when he 'punished' Clark Gable by sending him to Columbia Pictures for a minor comedy that turned out to be It Happened One Night. For the rest of the decade Hollywood saturated the American public with madcap heiress stories.

When you've got one of the leading players under contract to you however it's a bit easier. Gable is given a rival reporter to contend with in Love On The Run in the person of Joan Crawford's real life husband, Franchot Tone. These two room together, but are ready to do everything short of cutting each other's throats to scoop the other.

Two stories that they are both assigned to cover, heiress Joan Crawford's wedding to a prince, Ivan Lebedeff, and a trans-European flight by Baron Reginald Owen get mixed up together as Crawford gets cold feet and Owen turns out to be an international spy.

Gable and Crawford have done it all before, especially Gable. But I kind of feel sorry for Franchot Tone. If he wasn't in a dinner jacket in his MGM parts he was in a film like this, essentially playing the Ralph Bellamy role. It's a very one sided rivalry Gable and Tone have. It's like the Yankees and Red Sox of the last century with the Yankees constantly coming out on top. No wonder Tone left MGM to try for better acting roles. At MGM he showed what he could do in films like Mutiny on the Bounty and Three Comrades, but even these were in support of bigger stars.

There's some nice performances in the cast from Mona Barrie as Owen's wife, Donald Meek as a most eccentric caretaker and William Demarest as Gable's editor. But no new ground was broken here.

Runaway bride

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 7 August 2020]

So much potential here, and it easily could have been a great film if the second half was as good as the first. Even if the idea for the story was not novel, it sounded really entertaining and intriguing. When Joan Crawford was on form, she blistered. So did Clark Gable, although the likeability of his characters varied he never stopped being likeable as an actor. Franchot Tone was great in the more suave roles. WS Van Dyke did some good films such as 'The Thin Man' and 'I Love You Again'.

'Love on the Run' is not one of Van Dyke's better films though, somewhere slap bang in the middle. Actually enjoyed it quite a bit on the most part and all three stars and the support are on fine form (if not at their best), but 'Love on the Run' is somewhat uneven as an overall whole. Starting off so well and with such amazing promise, but lost focus in the latter stages as a result of trying too hard. Recommendable for fans of this type of film and if seeing all the work of the actors and Van Dyke, yet not a must see.

There are plenty of good things about 'Love on the Run'. It looks attractive, especially the stylish photography with camera angles that clearly loved Crawford (without being too absorbed in her) and the truly elegant costumes, Crawford looks stunning. The sets may not be authentic and somewhat studio-bound but don't look cheap. Franz Waxman was one of the finest film composers at that time and his score is typically lush without being over-scored.. Van Dyke keeps things moving at a lively clip and it is accomplished in the first half.

As said the first half is great, full of sparkling wit, energy and charm. Surprises may not have been many but it wasn't overly predictable at the same time. 'Love on the Run' benefits greatly from a very snappy script that is full of wit and sophistication for a lot of the length. Crawford is photogenic and charm and un-forced comic timing to spare without over-acting. Gable is dashing and suave, his character is not a likeable one but Gable sinks his teeth into the role and does wonders with it. Tone is dapper and doesn't look embarrassed by his material, taking the humiliations with such easy-going charm and professionalism. The chemistry between the three looks genuine and they looked like they were having fun with each other. Donald Meek is hilarious and the supporting cast standout.

Did feel however that the second half wasn't as strong. Would go as far to say that in terms of story and execution it was almost like watching a different and inferior film with too much of a jarring gear-change. The spy subplot too often goes well overboard on the silliness to a ridiculous degree and some of the humour strains too hard for laughs and feels contrived instead.

Pace-wise, the latter stages don't have quite as much of the energy seen in the first half. Due to being bogged down by the writing not being as inspired or as natural. The second half doesn't feel as inspired in terms of its material, and some of it is very predictable as a result of doing little fresh with familiar territory.

Overall, really liked the first half but had problems with the film when it changed gear. 6/10

A runaway bride/madcap heiress comedy of the '30s

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 23 October 2006]

Heiress Joan Crawford runs out on her wedding and becomes involved with reporters, spies, and a castle in "Love on the Run," a 1936 comedy also starring Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, William Demarest and Donald Meek.

A really top cast makes this a winner. There were so many of these nutty heiress comedies in the '30s - "Bringing Up Baby," "Taming the Wild," "The Mad Miss Manton" come to mind without trying. Despite the Depression, there must have been a lot of heiresses around. This particular comedy has shades of another madcap heiress film, "Love is News," but is quite a bit crazier. Crawford plays Sally Parker, who, on finding she must sign a paper giving her new royal husband $3 million, bolts. An attractive man all decked out for the wedding offers to help her escape. It's Mike (Clark Gable) and he's playing an ambitious reporter who actually cheated his main rival, Barney (Franchot Tone) out of this particular story. Mike and Sally take off in a plane intended for two Russians and their highly publicized flight - except that while in the plane, Sally finds a strange-looking map, and Mike realizes these Russian fliers are spies. After a crash landing in Europe, the two spend the night in a palace with a crazy caretaker (Donald Meek). Meek, with his bowing and scraping to what he thinks are two ghosts and petting his imaginary dog, nearly steals the entire movie. He's hilarious, particularly when he checks to see if a gun is loaded by pointing it at his head and shooting.

Eventually the Russians appear trying to get their map and the hapless Barney catches up with Mike, who keeps duping him, and Barney falls for it every time.

It doesn't matter if the basic plot is derivative, it's still energetic fun and highly entertaining. Crawford is excellent and looks smashing in a series of outfits - even one originally worn by the Russian spy - it fits her perfectly! Gable is a charming devil, and Tone, a marvelous actor, plays the comedy to perfection. They all have terrific chemistry with one another, as well they should, with Crawford being Mrs. Tone and having been involved with Gable.

A very funny entry from MGM.

Daffy road comedy stars a gorgeous, glowing Crawford

[tomligon · 17 August 2002]

This one is worth seeing for Crawford's delightful performance: she positively glows as the madcap heiress on the run. Despite the silly story and uneven performance from Gable (his legendary chemistry with Crawford is nonetheless in evidence), there is always the snappy dialogue (much of it written by John Lee Mahin of "Red Dust" and "Bombshell"), to keep the laughs coming. Crawford's then husband Franchot Tone plays Gable's fellow reporter. For anyone who wonders why she is called the ultimate movie star.

I'm stickin' like summer underwear

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 11 January 2014]

A runaway bride (Joan Crawford) gets tangled up with a reporter (Clark Gable) and the two travel together, eventually falling love. Stop me if you've heard this one before. Obviously inspired by It Happened One Night, it's not a remake or a direct ripoff. Just a cash-in like Hollywood has always done. Still, it's actually a pretty nice movie.

Funny, silly, with wonderful chemistry between Gable and Crawford. There's a great scene early on where the two climb into a plane. Gable looks at all the plane's gauges and says "I wonder what all those gadgets are for?" What follows is one of the funniest airplane takeoffs I've ever seen on film. Franchot Tone also stars as Gable's friend and rival reporter. Donald Meek has a brief but memorable part as well. It's a fun movie with snappy dialogue and a great cast. Gable is especially good. It's not without flaws but give it a shot and I'm sure you'll find something to like about it.

Screwball comedy saved by the Donald Meek sequence...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 8 October 2007]

Everything about LOVE ON THE RUN is derivative. It seems like a reincarnation of Gable's role in "It Happened One Night" with him as a newspaper reporter passing himself off as a friend to runaway heiress JOAN CRAWFORD.

It's a bumpy ride most of the way, but there is one exceptionally funny scene in the palace at Fontainbleu involving a batty caretaker (DONALD MEEK) who thinks Gable and Crawford are ghosts and wants to give Gable a tip on his minuet style. He joins forces with Crawford for a charming bit of physical comedy--and then sadly disappears from much of the plot.

CLARK GABLE and JOAN CRAWFORD both exhibit comic ability, with Gable especially amusing in that minuet sequence. FRANCHOT TONE is Gable's rival reporter, always falling for Gable's con man tricks. But their material is thin--and rehashed from dozens of other films the two made either apart or together. Crawford is a harder, edgier version of the runaway gal Claudette Colbert played in "It Happened One Night".

Crawford looks at the peak of her photogenic charm and her chemistry with both stars is excellent.

But overall, it's just another screwball comedy about a runaway heiress and her vexation over being deceived by newspaper reporters.

Pales In Comparison

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 19 May 2022]

This film comes two years after the spectacular success of "It Happened One Night" and it contains the following identical elements: Clark Gable stars as an undercover reporter who goes on the lam with a runaway bride.

What it doesn't have is director Frank Capra or actress Claudette Colbert. Van Dyke is a fine director and Joan Crawford does okay with the part she is given, but it is difficult to catch lightning in a bottle twice, especially when the story is not as charming as the original.

This film is watchable, but "It Happened One Night" has numerous scenes that are memorable.

You have to give Gable credit-his enthusiasm is unflagging. But it's not enough to recapture the magic.

Joan's Adventure

[cdale-41392 · 6/10 · 3 February 2019]

Michael Anthony (Clark Gable) and Barnabus Pells (Franchot Tone) are friendly rival reporters for competing newspapers based in New York City. They are in London to cover a couple of stories. One involves American heiress Sally Parker (Joan Crawford) marrying a European Prince, the other involves the maiden flight of an experimental airplane.

Michael arrives at the church to cover Sally's wedding just as Sally storms out and jumps into a taxi. He follows her back to the same hotel where Barney is going to interview the experimental aircraft pilot. Michael is roped into accompanying Barney for the interview just long enough to see that the pilot and copilot must wear special uniforms, then he breaks away to Sally's room to discover her crying on her bed.

Sally called off the wedding because she found out the Prince was only interested in her money. Now she is being hounded by reporters ... and she hates reporters. Michael pretends that he's just a fan who followed her on the society pages, helps her get out of the hotel (by stealing those fight suits in the pilot's hotel room for disguises), then he whisks her off in the aforementioned experimental aircraft.

He's also going to use this opportunity to grab headlines back home by keeping the NY Chronicle updated via wire on his adventure with Sally.

Once airborne and headed for France Sally finds a map hidden in a bouquet of flowers given to her as she boarded the plane. So, it appears that the pilot and his wife are Russian spies and this whole "experimental" plane thing was a way to smuggle the map out of England.

The rest of the film follows Sally and Michael as they try to avoid the press and outrun the spies. Barney is the only one who catches up to them but he is inevitably restrained and left behind each time.

Overall this is a fun, fast-paced romance / adventure with cookie-cutter spies, incompetent cops, and a very odd caretaker at the Fontainebleau Palace / museum (with the invisible dog Bismarck) who briefly gets caught up in all this.

Recommended.

Please stop screaming

[AttyTude0 · 2/10 · 31 July 2015]

I love old films as much as I despise modern pop culture (which is a lot). I love the glamour in old films, the sophistication, the wit, the lack of foul language, vulgarity and mindless sex.

Unfortunately, and just to prove things are never perfect, one sad characteristic of 1930s film making is that they seemed to believe that comedy should consist of people acting frantically and shouting at the top of their voices. This film is an example. I sat there thinking, "Man, this film started yesterday." Finally, the constant shouting and silly humor got on my nerves and I had to turn it off. Too bad because the cast is top notch. But it just did not do it for me.

I'm no Clark Gable fan, but I liked this movie.

[lindsay_duke · 7/10 · 20 March 2008]

A rich socialite Sally Parker flees her wedding only to fly to France with an undercover newspaper reporter Mike Anthony. Mike knows that Sally hates reporters, so he keeps his vocation a secret. The two are pursued by police, a rival newspaper man, and a sinister Baron ad Baroness. In the midst of all this there's romance and comedy throughout the film.

I don't really like Clark Gable, but I must admit that he is a good actor, and I like this movie because it is a mix between romance, mystery, and comedy. If you ever run across this movie on Cable or in the store I would recommend watching it. Good movie.

Another "Comedy" Pulls a Muscle Trying Too Hard...

[dmh7-1 · 4/10 · 13 May 2013]

Clark Gable is fine as usual, but this film is so obviously struggling to amuse the audience that it becomes painful, then dull, to watch. The reliance on repeated shtick and what is often a wasted talent (Donald Meek's take as the mentally unbalanced caretaker is depressing, as he is usually a reliable character actor, here asked to broaden his approach to paint a personality of bizarre - but not amusing - proportions). I really wanted to enjoy this, but the speed at which it became obvious this was a leap at an "It Happened One Night" clone only made it suffer by comparison. Every frame screamed "love me!"

Others speak of the chemistry between Gable and Crawford, but I do not see how it translates to the screen; I never once thought they were meant for one another, and was not entertained by the time it took to get there. The entire film - although spotted with good dialogue - failed to convince me that there was a guiding intelligence behind the tale, that the creators were convinced of its vitality as a comedy, or that it was meant as anything other than a desire to cash in on Gable's award-winning role in a better film. The slapstick is painful, the male rivalry unconvincing, and Tone particularly grievous, as he mugs and screams his way through this "comedy."

kind of silly but lots of fun

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 18 March 2006]

This movie is an obvious re-working of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT and is a couple steps below it in quality. However, considering that Clark Gable, Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone do such a good job with the material, it's still an excellent film. That's because despite the familiarity of the material, the movie is so much fun to watch. The dialog is snappy and the pacing is great. And, despite the film being pretty predictable (as most were of the era), I didn't mind and felt myself being caught up in the movie.

Joan is a runaway bride and Gable is the cad pretending to help her but he's got a secret agenda. In the end, they are head-over-heels and the movie closes. Sounds familiar? Of course, but who cares--it's still lovely to watch.

two stars movie

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 July 2021]

In London, American reporter Mike Anthony (Clark Gable) gets all dressed up to do a story on heiress Sally Parker (Joan Crawford) during her wedding day. She's a runaway bride and he follows her. He lies to her and helps her on her escape.

It's a lot of screwball chaos. The story has plenty of twists and turns. It's a wacky, action, banter movie. There is no secret here. This movie is powered by its two big leading stars and it's really all about them. It's not great when compared to the best titles of the era. It's still nice to see a couple of legendary movie stars doing a stupid rom-com caper.

Gable and Crawford still got it, but oh that ridiculous spy story.....

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 15 December 2018]

It's been said that screwball comedy was not Joan Crawford's forte, but she does have great comic timing if not the dizzy personality to go with it. It's another n this time Crawford who has discovered that her fiance was only after her money. pretending to be a longtime admirer of hers, Gable helps her escape from the press (particularly rival reporter Franchot Tone) and they hide out in a French Museum where the deliciously insane Donald Meek mingles with them as if they were the ghosts of past French aristocrats. then there's the Spy story, involving Reginald Owen and Cora Witherspoon who are after a map they believe that Gable and Crawford stole off a plane Gable was flying.

The first half of this movie is extremely enjoyable, but when Owen and Witherspoon show up after all of the antics in France, the film goes awry. It's ironic to see Crawford with former lover Gable and then husband Tone, with Gable much more dominating and Tone presented in a role that Ralph Bellamy in the screwball comedy genre was typecast in. The screenwriters really could have cut out the spy subplot because there was enough going on, and funny stuff that is, to where that part of the story was not really needed. Indeed that makes the film seem much longer than it was, although it was obvious that Gable and Crawford were having a lot of fun making this. The secret to their chemistry is the fact that they mix romance with humor, and even with his macho personality, Gable seem to consider Crawford his equal. The two stars and the MGM gloss, plus the hysterical performance by Meek, makes this an enjoyable if mixed screwball comedy that suffers only from unnecessary plot twists that distract from the main story.

A very good comedy film from MGM

[SkippyDevereaux · 28 February 2001]

This is a very good film and I enjoyed it very much. Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone give great performances.

One of the highlights of this film is the delightful comedy cameo by that great character actor, Donald Meek as the batty caretaker at the Palace of Fontainebleu!! His scenes alone are priceless!! Don't miss this film, as it is a very good comedy--not so much a slapstick comedy, or a comedy that overdoes it with hammy performances, but it is a winner all the way!! Be sure and try to catch it next time it is on television--it is very good and you won't be disappointed from it!!

Watchable, unoriginal

[cherold · 6/10 · 13 April 2017]

This is basically a more complicated retread of Gable's "It Happened One Night." Once again, a reporter hooks up with an heiress to get a big scoop, and in spite of initial antagonism, their high level of physical attractiveness inevitably leads to love. But in this one there's also professional rivalry and a few spies.

Gable has a lot of charm, but his character is really pretty awful. Screwball stars are often a bit obnoxious, but for me, he seemed particularly conscienceless. He casually commits major crimes and treats his rival (well played by Franchot Tone) worse than I would treat an enemy, yet this is all played as harmless hijinks.

There are some cute scenes, most notably one in a castle, and it's certainly watchable, but I just found this movie both mildly amusing and mildly objectionable.

Changes gears from a Rom-Com to a Spy movie.

[rickrudge · 7/10 · 31 January 2017]

Love On The Run (1936)

W.S. Van Dyke, who's famous for doing great madcap, romantic, screwball comedies, like the Thin Man series, did an okay job with this one too. Crawford and Tone were recently married in real life and Gable has been friends (and more) with Crawford for many years.

Two competing reporters, Michael Anthony (Clark Gable) and Barnabas Pells (Franchot Tone) chase down the story of a runaway bride heiress Sally Parker (Joan Crawford) who recently married and then jilted a European Prince Igor (Ivan Lebedeff).

Naturally, you know that Sally is going to fall in love with Michael despite her hating reporters. Barnabas is slowly catching up though. Later they meet the Baron and Baroness Spandemann (Reginad Owen and Mona Barrie) who, as it turns out, are international (Nazi?) spies. Then the story veers off into a totally different direction.

Name all the movies that feature fast-talking, fast-scooping newspapermen!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 22 April 2018]

Producer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Copyright 16 November 1936 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Corporation. New York opening at the Capitol: 27 November 1936. Australian release: January 1937. 8 reels. 81 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Two rival newspapermen (Clark Gable and Franchot Tone) pursue a scatty American heiress (Joan Crawford) halfway across Europe. Their romantic misadventures are curtailed by an encounter with a German spy (Reginald Owen) who kidnaps the unfortunate rich girl. The reporters, each in their own way, set out to rescue her.

COMMENT: This M-G-M attempt to cash in on the success of It Happened One Night looks as if it was shot on the run too. Back at his home studio, Gable is playing the hard-bitten reporter once more, while this time Joan Crawford assumes the Claudette Colbert role of the escaping-from-an-unwanted-marriage heiress. No doubt to forestall any Columbia claim for outright plagiarism, Metro has been forced to make the situations far more outlandish, complete with a brace of comic-opera spies plus a competitive "buddy" for the reporter. As a result, a good deal of the humor seems rather forced--a problem often intensified by the players themselves who try to make up in aggressive delivery what the script often lacks in genuine wit.

Nonetheless, Gable manages to impress his usual creditable performance upon his characterization of the fast-talking, double-crossing reporter (we like the scene where he dances and fools around in period costume). Crawford looks beautiful and acts adequately. Tone is wasted. He really hasn't much to do. He's just a foil.

A fine assemblage of support players is also on hand, led by Reginald Owen as the bogus baron, Donald Meek as a loony caretaker, and Billy Gilbert as a put-wise headwaiter.

Oddly, Love on the Run lacks Director Van Dyke's usual skilful polish. The film editor should be congratulated for the clever job he often does in disguising some very clumsy camera set-ups-including a crowded tracking shot that Van Dyke went ahead and printed anyway, even though it missed the marks for Mona Barrie and Reg Owen! (Now there's a wonderful example of his penchant for hasty and just tear-ahead shooting).

The film was produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Two or three particularly snappy rejoinders in the dialogue were no doubt contributed by him. And maybe he did a lot more. It wouldn't surprise me if producer and writers made up the script as the film rolled along. It certainly sounds that way.

A lot of money has been expended on the movie. The sets look astoundingly (but attractively) lavish, and there's a nice music score too (including the song, "Gone").

Doubtless owing to the director's insistence on celerity, Marsh's lighting photography, however, is less artistically stylish than his customary approach.

Extremely silly

[HotToastyRag · 1/10 · 4 June 2019]

In Love on the Run, a spoiled heiress runs away from her wedding and hides out with a man who's secretly a reporter. Sound familiar? Yes, this is a shameless remake of It Happened One Night, and even more shameless is that Clark Gable once again plays the reporter! However silly the original was, this 1936 version makes it look like Gone With the Wind. I had to turn it off two or three times, and I only finished it because I was honoring Joan Crawford as Hot Toasty Rag's Star of the Week.

When Joan initially runs away from her wedding, Clark Gable drags her to an airfield and into a private plane. "I wonder what all those do," he says as he looks at the controls. Since this is a very silly movie, he manages to fly the plane and land it without either passenger getting killed. Franchot Tone plays a rival reporter whom Clark repeatedly tricks and makes a fool out of. In one scene, he ties him to a chair, in another he hangs him on a coat rack and locks him in a closet. It's a humiliating role, and it's very sad to see Franchot forced to play it.

As if those scenes weren't silly enough, Clark and Joan spend the night in a museum where the caretaker Donald Meek thinks they're ghosts of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. The three of them minuet together until someone thinks it's cute to start jitterbugging. I don't think you need any more examples of the silliness in this movie.

Once upon a time America was overrun . . .

[oscaralbert · 5/10 · 22 October 2020]

. . . by a Fifth Columnist movie studio catering to The Fuhrer's Core Supporters making up his 40% Base of total traitors in our USA Homeland. LOVE ON THE RUN fiendishly contrives to "humanize" the Prussian scum about to slaughter 100 million souls in pursuit of a thousand year Reich, portraying them as Keystone Spies anyone would be dying to have over for a few beers. While that courageous Champion of Democracy Warner Bros. was producing a string of uncannily far-sighted warnings against Tyranny such as CASABLANCA and CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY, their rivals with the Menacing German Mob were busy spouting National Socialist Party propaganda such as LOVE ON THE RUN and GASHED WITH THE WHIP. Not surprisingly, Axis of Evil Arch Demon Clark Goosestep headlines BOTH of these blathering morale busters. Tragically, Fate did not catch up to this cowering Quisling until THE MISFITS.

Crawford, Gable and Tone doing comedy.

[PWNYCNY · 8/10 · 24 January 2015]

Let me tell you why this movie is good: It shows that Joan Crawford and Clark Gable were great comic actors. There is no question that if I Love Lucy had been re-casted with Crawford and Gable as Lucy and Ricky, the results would have been hilarious. Also, Franchot Tone gives one the more hilarious performances as Gable's news reporter chum and rival. Tone would have played an extremely amusing Fred Mertz. The story is so upbeat and so amusing that it is virtually impossible to find anything about it to dislike. The story has snappy dialog, farcical plot, engaging characters and excellent cinematography. Any movie that features Crawford, Gable and Tone running around France and getting into all kinds of silly trouble is a movie that will entertain.

There's a difference between a screwball comedy and a film being ludicrous...

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 5/10 · 12 April 2017]

...and this movie is plain dumb.

The whole plot is stupid! 2 London-based American newspapermen (Gable and Tone) are rivals for covering hot stories...including one about a millionairess (Crawford) who bolts out of her own wedding, afraid of newspapermen. Meanwhile a baron involved in aviation (but really a spy) gets involved in the story, and Crawford and Gable fly off...even though he's not a pilot. She doesn't realize he's a reporter. They crash land and hitch a ride on a cabbage truck, and before long Tone has caught up with them, only to lose out on the story again. Crawford and Gable spend the night at the Palace of Fontainebleau and then discover they are in love. Then Crawford learns that Gable is a reporter using her for a good story. Then the spies show up again and eventually Crawford is kidnapped. Of course, they all live happily ever after. YES, IT REALLY IS THAT DUMB.

Gable plays Gable; which is good. Now, after watching the television mini-series "Feud", it' difficult for me to take Crawford seriously any longer, although she is pleasant enough here. I liked Franchot Tone here, but he certainly got the short end of the stick. Reginald Owens as the baron and William Demarest (as the newspaper editor and whom I usually like) just come across as buffoons in this film. A bright spot is Donald Meek, as adorable as ever.

Ludicrous. Not recommended except for die-hard fans of Gable and Crawford (and I am quite a fan of Gables).

super cast

[dm032 · 3 August 2000]

Enjoyable piece as society dame falls for reporter in disguise. Road trip is a tad contrived, something about spies and secret plans, but who cares - this movie is powered by the sparks flying between Crawford and Gable. Sidekick Tone is great as the wisecracking nuisance.

Chasing Through Europe

[lugonian · 5/10 · 9 November 2020]

LOVE ON THE RUN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1936), directed by W.S. Van Dyke, stars Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, best known for their dramatic performances, in their only screwball comedy of their eight film team efforts. Co-starring Franchot Tone, then Crawford's off-screen husband and frequent co-star of her movies since 1933, including the Crawford, Gable and Tone collaboration to the backstage musical DANCING LADY (1933), appears as the secondary character and frequent foil to Gable's antics. As much as the material might have favored more in the performance of a Carole Lombard, Crawford demonstrated her ability in comedy, but not in the same league as fellow comediennes as Jean Arthur or Claudette Colbert. LOVE ON THE RUN has the distinction of being Metro's attempt for another screen variation used favorably for Gable and Colbert's 1934 Academy comedy, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, dealing with a reporter assisting a runaway heiress. For IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, it was a venture on a bus followed by a walking road trip. For LOVE ON THE RUN, it is a venture first in a stolen airplane, oxcart and a stolen automobile. Overall, LOVE ON THE RUN failed to recapture the classic comedy antics of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, regardless of its strong casting trio of Crawford, Gable and Tone, along with some familiar character actors in smaller roles.

Taken from a story by Alan Green and Julian Brodie, the scenario starts off in England where rival American reporter correspondents, Michael Anthony (Clark Gable) of the New York Chronicle, and Barnabas W. "Barney" Pells (Franchot Tone), of the New York Dispatch, are assigned to cover what they feel are tame assignments. Michael ends up covering the upcoming wedding of madcap heiress, Sally Parker (Joan Crawford), to Prince Igor of Taluska (Ivan Lebedeff), a fortune hunter, while Barney's assignment goes to Baron Rudolph Spandermann (Reginald Owen), a noted stratosphere flier, along with his wife, Hilda (Mona Barrie). Sally leaves Igor at the altar and returns to the hotel where the Baron is also staying. Michael follows Sally to get a story. After meeting the Baron through Barney, Michael goes to Sally's hotel room. Learning she despises newspaper men and wanting to live the simple and quiet life, Michael keeps his identity a secret and pretends to be a man wanting to help her. Through pilot disguises stolen from the Baron and Baroness, Michael and Sally break through the crowds in the hotel lobby, taking a cab to the location of the Baron's private airplane site and fly away. While on the plane, they find a map that exposes the Baron and spouse to be international spies out to obtain British fortification secrets. Aside from Barney chasing through Europe after Sally and Michael to Paris and then a train to Nice, Italy, the Baron and his wife end up doing the same to prevent the trio from being exposed for their espionage operations, to amusing results.

Others in the cast include William Demarest (Burger, the City Editor); Billy Gilbert and Charles Judels. The almost unrecognizable Donald Meek as the caretaker of the Fontainebeau Palace, a former residence of kings and queens of France, stands out a bit as a nutty caretaker who talks to his invisible dog and friends, thus mistaking Michael and Sally as King Louis and Madame De Maintenon.

Though LOVE ON THE RUN has potential for a classic comedy, most of the antics are either a hit and miss. What Gable does to Tone is a somewhat reminder of the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in the 1940s, which works out better for them than Gable and Tone. The results for Tone would gather more sympathy or more feel from viewers for being a fool for constantly believing and falling for Gable's trickery. With much chasing through Europe during its 80 minutes, the story takes time to get one song interlude, "Gone" by Franz Waxman and Gus Kahn, sung by an unknown/ uncredited vocalist.

Formerly available on video in the 1990s and later DVD, LOVE ON THE RUN gets its cable television broadcast run on Turner Classic Movies. (**)

Mike and Barney love Sally!

[ramawv · 8/10 · 2 May 2013]

Joan Crawford and producer Joseph Mankiewicz snapped out of the solemnity of the movie "Gorgeous Hussey" for this movie where she is back in the arms of Clark Gable again. Mike Anthony (Gable) and Barny Pells (Franchot Tone) are both friends and fellow press reporters who are in love with the same woman, Sally Parker (Crawford). Both are on her heels in one long chase where Mike, as expected wins over Sally. There is considerable action and popular gagging, but overall entertaining. Gable, as usual outwitting the slower-moving competitor, promises to fill the void in the life of the abused heiress, Sally Parker. She has just deserted a fortune-seeker at the altar, and the two newspapermen see the opportunities in making a series of reports exposing the rich lady's reactions to real romance. Reginald Owen is ingratiating as the suave spy chief and his wife Mona Barrie makes a nice assistant. Donald Meek strains hard to make a nitwit caretaker part humorous.

This is a romantic comedy and W.S. Van Dyke has directed the movie with true professionalism. Reginald Owen and Mona Barrie in the supporting roles helped the lead characters make this movie a box office success. Joan Crawford went on to make eight movies for Mankiewicz that included; The Bride Wore Red; the Gorgeous Hussy; Mannequin; Reunion in France; the Shining Hour; Strange Cargo and Love on the Run.