When Mary Astor flunked her talkie test (hard to believe but true) Fox, who had been paying her a top salary, didn't want to know her anymore. After a lean time being rejected for jobs she was picked up by Pathe/Radio where she was reunited with Lloyd Hughes for the distinctly underwhelming "The Runaway Bride". 1930 was a strange year for talkies with most of the studios (especially small ones like Pathe) still fine tuning and finding their way. For example a film from Tiffany - "Extravagance" (also with Lloyd Hughes) to me seemed to be a lot more "filmic" and interesting than this one. It just didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.
The credits began with the jaunty song "Lovable and Sweet" so you thought - romantic comedy!! Even the initial scenes of Mary and Dick (Mary Astor and David Newell, an actor who got lost in the early thirties shuffle) driving off to marriage and happiness. But by the time they reach the motel Mary realises what a sap she has been - Dick is a spoiled rich kid who won't work and whose idea of economizing is ordering 8 suits instead of 12!! He then becomes a caveman and when she won't go through with the marriage, locks her in the apartment. Meanwhile the previous tenant, a jewel robber, has just pulled a job and breaks into his old apartment where a gunfight ensues. There are snatches of action but like all early talkies when people engage in conversation the action stops and everyone stands around hoping the hidden mike will pick up their conversation.
The reason to keep watching is Natalie Moorehead. Mary Astor is completely first class but Moorehead just grabs your attention. Initially she plays a typical maid (in these pre-coders) whose IQ would be stretched if it went to double digits. She informs Mary of a job she has just secured as cook to a wealthy businessman, Mr. Blaine (Lloyd Hughes) and Mary gives her $300 to change identities. She wants to escape her husband-to-be and also the robbers and the police, who think she is mixed up in it. When Moorehead reappears it is in another guise completely. She is now a hard talking gun moll (that's more like the Natalie I know) who is after the pearls she thinks Mary has - of course she is planning to double cross everyone!!!
Suddenly everyone turns up at Blaine's house for a showdown, Mary is kidnapped and Blaine is shot in the arm as he attempts to rescue Mary from the gang's clutches, who also have their hideout at the back of a local hospital. Dick just fades out of the movie.
Mary Astor was clearly an asset to any movie, no matter how dire, and talkies revealed she had a beautiful clear voice. Her next movie was class all the way - she played Ann Harding's materialistic sister in "Holiday".
The credits began with the jaunty song "Lovable and Sweet" so you thought - romantic comedy!! Even the initial scenes of Mary and Dick (Mary Astor and David Newell, an actor who got lost in the early thirties shuffle) driving off to marriage and happiness. But by the time they reach the motel Mary realises what a sap she has been - Dick is a spoiled rich kid who won't work and whose idea of economizing is ordering 8 suits instead of 12!! He then becomes a caveman and when she won't go through with the marriage, locks her in the apartment. Meanwhile the previous tenant, a jewel robber, has just pulled a job and breaks into his old apartment where a gunfight ensues. There are snatches of action but like all early talkies when people engage in conversation the action stops and everyone stands around hoping the hidden mike will pick up their conversation.
The reason to keep watching is Natalie Moorehead. Mary Astor is completely first class but Moorehead just grabs your attention. Initially she plays a typical maid (in these pre-coders) whose IQ would be stretched if it went to double digits. She informs Mary of a job she has just secured as cook to a wealthy businessman, Mr. Blaine (Lloyd Hughes) and Mary gives her $300 to change identities. She wants to escape her husband-to-be and also the robbers and the police, who think she is mixed up in it. When Moorehead reappears it is in another guise completely. She is now a hard talking gun moll (that's more like the Natalie I know) who is after the pearls she thinks Mary has - of course she is planning to double cross everyone!!!
Suddenly everyone turns up at Blaine's house for a showdown, Mary is kidnapped and Blaine is shot in the arm as he attempts to rescue Mary from the gang's clutches, who also have their hideout at the back of a local hospital. Dick just fades out of the movie.
Mary Astor was clearly an asset to any movie, no matter how dire, and talkies revealed she had a beautiful clear voice. Her next movie was class all the way - she played Ann Harding's materialistic sister in "Holiday".