You Can't Beat Love (1937) User Reviews

Making strange bedfellows

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 22 October 2018]

Preston Foster who usually did action/adventure parts dons white tie and tails as a wealthy playboy lawyer who does anything on a dare. This time he's dared to run for mayor of his small city against Frank Thomas. Which brings him into contact with the mayor's daughter Joan Fontaine.

In order that politics not separate them from being future bedfellows, Foster pulls his punches though it is hard to believe he could not know about the crooked dealings of his police chief Berton Churchill and aide Bradley Page. Still as it always love will out.

This RKO programmer sports a really nice and impressive cast. Besides those mentioned Herbert Mundin is Foster's valet, Paul Hurst his campaign manager and former day laborer, Harold Huber and Paul Guilfoyle as a pair of out of town gangsters.

Special mention has to go to Barbara Pepper. She's hired to work the old badger game on Foster instead she does it with Hurst. Identities not easy to mistake but she does it. Her scenes trying to seduce Hurst are a scream.

This is an amusing comedy and no doubt Fontaine was on the way up.

A decent and occasionally fun time-passer

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 25 October 2007]

The film begins with a knuckle-head (Preston Foster) working on a road crew dressed in a tux in order to win a bet. Apparently, this guy will take on any bet or act on a whim. This becomes very apparent when he disrupts a food giveaway hosted by the mayor's daughter and as a result of this, he announces he's running for mayor--though he seems very much apolitical and has no interest in the job. Later, when he once again meets up with the mayor's daughter (Joan Fontaine) they supposedly fall in love--although there seemed to be little chemistry between them and it made very little sense for Fontaine to suddenly love a guy she so quickly hated at the beginning of the film. Plus, she really had plenty of reason to dislike the guy.

Regardless of the reasoning for announcing he was running for mayor, eventually Foster takes the role seriously and jumps in to the fray--only to see first-hand just how corrupt the police chief is. Foster's job from then on is to expose this crook, though new girlfriend Fontaine doesn't understand and takes it all very personally.

Aside from the appearance by Joan Fontaine in one of her earliest films, there's not a lot to distinguish this film--though it is occasionally fun and is a decent time-passer. You could do worse, but you could also do a lot better.

early Joan Fontaine

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 2 June 2022]

Jimmy Hughes (Preston Foster) is a fun-loving gentleman who will accept any dare. Jasper (Herbert Mundin) is his butler and sidekick. While digging a ditch in a tuxedo for a dare, a campaign bus with the mayor's daughter Trudy Olson (Joan Fontaine) rolls up. It's immediate love-hate at first sight.

This is an early film for Joan Fontaine. She and Foster have a bit of chemistry but they don't have enough time together. The better plot is for them to somehow join forces to uncover this corruption. The ice scene is fun but there isn't enough of them.

film code fluff

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 12 July 2022]

Ahh.. the peaceful years just before world war two. Preston foster and joan fontaine. When attorney hughes takes a dare to get a hard, blue collar job, he gets more than he bargained for. And drags his butler along. Now he's running for mayor, and the current mayor doesn't like it, so it's war! Pretty silly. There are two characters that are clearly doing mae west and w.c. Fields impersonations.... the girl's name is even may smith. What have they gotten into?? It's a fun, wacky 62 minutes. Directed by christy cabanne... had started in the wee early days of silents, directed right on up to 1948. Story by olga moore. Really silly story line, but it's all in good fun.

Dreary stuff...RKO giving Fontaine the starlet treatment...

[Doylenf · 4/10 · 8 November 2005]

A man runs for mayor on a bet. The mayor's daughter meets him at a political campaign and it's hate at first sight. The chill only lasts until their next encounter, but by then we know this is a formula romantic comedy and they'll both be in love for the windup. After a few more misunderstandings, PRESTON FOSTER and JOAN FONTAINE walk off arm in arm and the simple plot is over in an hour.

Strictly an RKO programmer that passed the time in '37, a time when JOAN FONTAINE was being promoted as a new RKO starlet but given material that would have defeated any other ingenue. There is nothing here that suggests she would go on to an Oscar-winning career. PRESTON FOSTER carries the main burden, as does Herbert Mundin as his timid valet, and the whole thing has the look of a B-film that nobody had much faith in.

Interesting only to see the two leads in their prime but with very little chemistry between them.

Trivia note: Whether it's because his make-up is too dark or not, even in B&W Foster's eyes come across as bluer than Paul Newman's.

Poor romcom

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 11 August 2005]

Preston Foster is a good action man but put him in a suit with Joan Fontaine as his romantic lead and he is rather out of his depth.Unfortunately it is the case with films of this nature that firstly you need a good script and secondly you need some chemistry between the lead actors.Alas this film falls flat on both counts.It is a sad waste of the talents of all concerned.I am not saying this is boring but it really is not all that entertaining.I had looked at the films page before viewing and saw that it had a mark of 6.5.Having seen this film all i can say is that maybe i am missing something.Compare this for example with "Bringing Up Baby" made at RKO,the same studio that made this,just one year later.It is a bit like comparing "Hercules Unchained" with "Ben Hur".

Election Day

[jotix100 · 5/10 · 8 November 2005]

The only reason for watching this film was the allure of watching Joan Fontaine in her third picture. RKO obviously had no clue what to do with this budding young talent. Pairing her with the dashing Preston Foster didn't get the intended results.

In fact, the film, as directed by Christy Cabanne doesn't hold the viewer's attention. The plot doesn't make too much sense, as it appears to have been done as a B movie to fill a double bill, so popular at the time.

The best thing in the movie are some of the supporting cast members. Herbert Mundin makes the best impression as the faithful valet. Alan Bruce, William Brisbane, and Paul Guilfoyle are seen in minor roles.

As far as Joan Fontaine, one wouldn't have guessed how far she would go judging for her participation in the film.

Watch it as a curiosity.

Love and politics don't mix, especially when they are rivals.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 27 September 2018]

Never being one to turn down a dare, well to do man about town Preston Foster agrees to work on a ditch digging project in his tuxedo, and as a result, ends up being photographed as a mayoral candidate, working for the people, after the current mayor's daughter (Joan Fontaine) shows up and challenges him. When the photographer and reporter who had previously dared him to swing a pick ax dare him to accept the challenge for running against the incumbent (Frank M. Thomas), this sets into motion the attempts of both sides to discredit each other and the obstacles that the attraction between Foster and Fontaine feel in spite of his being her father's rival.

The film's best moments involve the sudden appearance of the blowsy Barbara Pepper, doing a Mae West impression as part of a set-up to discredit Foster that backfires hysterically. The very young Fontaine, who had a few other minor film credits under her belt, isn't the waif like fragile ingenue of her parts in "The Women" and "Rebecca", but a determined young lady with a mission that hits a wall by the undeniable chemistry she has with her father's political rival. Certainly, this is nothing that can be considered a classic, but as a glimpse into the timeline of Fontaine's rise to stardom (never to the caliber of her sister Olivia de Havilland's legendary status even with her Oscar just four years later), it is interesting and even important viewing. Foster is quite likable, and Herbert Mundin provides amusing, droll asides as Foster's cynical but devoted valet.

Don't Even Try

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 12 August 2008]

Playboy lawyer Preston Foster (as Jimmy Hughes) is reluctantly recruited to run against an incumbent mayor, while romancing his daughter, pretty blonde Joan Fontaine (as Trudy Olson). The campaign leads to the uncovering of a gang of racketeering gamblers in the city, with both mayoral candidates, and the city police chief, becoming suspects. "You Can't Beat Love" is a competent, but routine little piece of fluff, which looks to have benefited few of those involved. There are a few likable moments. Thankfully, it was as forgettable as it was routine.

*** You Can't Beat Love (1937) Christy Cabanne ~ Preston Foster, Joan Fontaine, Herbert Mundin