Modest to a fault social comedy/romance, from S. N. Behrman’s modestly successful B’way play about a Nightclub singer (Carole Lombard, doing her own singing) who marries a High Society swell (blander than bland Gene Raymond) over his family’s objections. The gimmick is that she’s got the work ethic and he’s the wastrel, happy to live, party & drink off the family teat. If she could only get him a job at his dad's bank or even make an honest salesman out of the guy. (Ugh.) It’s pretty dull stuff, and dully directed by David Burton, with a couple of interesting elements on the sidelines. First, busy character man Arthur Hohl, usually cast as a heel, in a rare nice guy role, nursing an unrequited yen for Lombard, and even playing cupid at the finish. Sweet. And second, smooth Donald Cook, Raymond’s older, more successful brother, confessing he’s no more interested in work than his kid brother, happy to sign a couple of documents every day for a fat paycheck and let everyone think he’s an executive workhorse. Now there’s a fellow worth a play.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: That’s Monroe Owsley as BFF and irritating bad influence on Raymond’s weak character. Always pushing for another round of drinks, another pointless party run, another day at the track. In the original production, the role was stunt cast with the B'way acting debut of America’s best-loved (and equally reviled) drama & literary critic, Alexander Woollcott of Algonquin Round Table & MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER fame.
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