Love on Toast

While Stella Adler might not be a name you recognize, she's known to many aspiring actors and actresses as a guru of sorts. She's ultra-famous to these folk and is considered one of the foremost actresses of the 20th century....which is odd as she only acted in three films...and "Love on Toast" is her first film. So why was she so famous? Well, first, she came from a family where her parents and siblings were all actors. And, in total, Stella had over a hundred different roles on stage (wow) and went on to become an acting coach...and a very well respected and famous one. But in regards to movies, she just didn't seem that interested...or, perhaps, Hollywood just wasn't that interested in her. All I know is that this film is a rare chance to see her.



In this film, Adler plays Linda Craven, a press agent who is trying to increase a soup company's sales in the New York City area where the soup has surprisingly poor sales. She comes up with the idea of creating a contest where the company will crown a Mr. Manhattan and a Miss Brooklyn. Unfortunately for her campaign, the guy they select as Mr. Manhattan (John Payne) has no interest in the contest nor becoming famous. It seems someone entered him in the contest and didn't tell him! What's next? See the film if you'd like.

So is the film any good? Well, it's okay...neither good nor bad. Payne was a good actor but here he didn't have much to do other than sing and act grumpy. And, as far as Adler was concerned, it was a competent job of acting but didn't seem particularly special...nor did the plot.

By the way, if you look at the closing credits you'll see that they misspelled Adler's name...calling her Stella Ardler!

Super soup saleswoman Linda Craven (acting teacher and legend Stella Adler in her first of only three film roles) gets the job of promoting the hot stuff during a heat wave in New York City. Her no brainer idea is to have a contest to find Mr. Manhattan and Miss Brooklyn. Luis Alberni plays Joe Piso an Italian soda fountain owner who submits an entree for handsome soda jerk Bill Adams (John Payne) without his knowledge. This premise sets up another forgotten screwball romantic comedy complete with snappy dialogue and pie fights. Turns out to be better than expected mostly because Miss Adler is great and reminds this reviewer of fast talking Rosalind Russell from His Girl Friday which would not come out until three years later. John Payne as always is watchable and has a low key charm. The rest of the cast also has some spit and polish: Isabel Jewell has clever lines to deliver; Franklin Pangborn gives us his slow burn and exasperated put-upon fellow; and Arthur Houseman (again) is drunk. Sadly this little Paramount gem is now owned by Universal who could care less. But for a short while it can be seen on YouTube!

Publicity woman Stella Adler comes up with a campaign to sell soup: choose a "Mr. Manhattan" and have him fall in love with "Miss Brooklyn", all thanks to the power of soup. Unfortunately for her job, the sparks fly between intended patsy John Payne and her instead of her intended target.

I thought that Miss Adler was a fine hard-nosed publicity woman who knows it's all a sham, but there's something mechanical about the way that John Payne and she fall in and out of love that seemed to be "All, right, in this scene you like her, but she doesn't like you, or some combination of four intersections of "She/he loves me/ she/he loves me not." Perhaps it's the confident way that soda jerk John Payne steps up to a microphone in front of hundreds of people, or tells a whopper to get Miss Adler out of being lynched as a baby thief. Maybe Luis Alberni is channeling Chico Marx too strongly, then gives back the money. Unless you're doing Marx Brothers comedy, where the comics are utterly insincere and say whatever comes into their head, there needs to be a core of truth in the characters. In the end, I didn't care about the workings out of the plot, which ended with Boy Getting Girl, seemingly, because we've run out of pies to throw at each other, so let's end it here.

Perhaps it was simply a mismatch between Miss Adler, a life time in the Yiddish and Broadway theaters, and Mr. Payne, in his fourth movie and a decade younger than she. She could do her job competently, collect her paycheck, then return to the stage and teaching. Mr. Payne had no choice. He had to learn his acting without the advantage of being born to it.

"Love on Toast" is a 1937 trite comedy starring Stella Adler (here credited as Ardler) as a publicity woman out to sell soup with a "Mr. Manhattan" campaign. "Mr. Manhattan" is supposed to marry Miss Brooklyn. Love gets in the way.

Adler comes off as a Glenda Farrell-Jean Arthur type. She's fast-talking, and her character is quick thinking and energetic. Adler was quite beautiful - I understand in order to break into films, she had a nose job. Whatever, she looks great.

As Mr. Manhattan, a baby-faced John Payne has one of his first film roles; he looks like Robert Taylor here, wearing the same makeup.

Thinking about the incredible contribution Adler made, teaching people like Brando, Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, and Warren Beatty to name a few - it's interesting that, though she tried, she didn't break into the big time in films. Obviously, she was meant for bigger things.

Fast paced. Never a dull moment. Lots of unexpected characters and plot twists. The leads are surprising at every turn. Gives a fascinating view into the 30's. The male lead has depth and is very appealing. Stella Adler is radiant and quite atypical. Little details like the lead's soda jerking ability and his passion for aviation design are unexpected delights. Loved that what might have been a throwaway character - Miss Brooklyn - turns out to be a great singer with another unexpected attraction to men in uniforms with lots of buttons. The closing soda fountain fight is one of the best food fights on film, especially the final shot of "ice skating" on the slippery floor. So much rich detail and above all the perfect constantly fun pacing.