William Haines’ brief run as a top M-G-M star peaked with five films in 1930. Yet only two years on the studio dropped him; presumably for his unapologetic gay lifestyle. And while he limped thru a couple of 1934 indies, Haines largely pivoted (very successfully) to antiques & interior decorating.* (Joan Crawford & Nancy Reagan swore by him.) A tough sell these days, he usually played the scapegrace kid, a scamp whose devil-may-care selfishness got everyone else in trouble. Then, with about a reel & a half left in the pic (at college or on a first job; in the service on land or sea; at Pop’s failing family business), he’d have some sort of short, sharp, shock, see the error of his ways, ‘man up’ and save the day. Forgiven, a twinkle in his eye would hint at fresh bad behavior ‘round the corner. The End. This one’s the same . . . and different. (And with Sam Wood directing, not too sleepy for an M-G-M Early Talkie.) Back from college after manhandling a new girl and her new car (his behavior more appalling than laugh inducing), Haines skips his folks’ anniversary dinner to hit the town with college pals. Scripter Charles MacArthur making a cunning move by showing he’s really no worse than his pals.* An entire generation of self-centered hedonists! Then, MacArthur places the required life-altering crisis not at the end, but in the middle. (Dad dies and the whole family leaves manse for tenement.) Haines, still the supreme Jerk of No Trades, continues to force his affections on an engaged Leila Hyams (it’s 1930 so she encourages the mauling) only to luck out when he nails a seemingly impossible office assignment. This not only leads to a happy ending, it also sets up a one-reel comic duet between Haines and the always astonishing Marie Dressler, fresh off her ANNA CHRISTIE/’30 comeback, as a rich old bat Haines needs to ‘land’ for the bank. When Haines gets top billing, the story is always The Rake’s Progress.
DOUBLE-BILL: *The best iteration of the usual Haines character arc is in George W. Hill’s TELL IT TO THE MARINES/’26 with Eleanor Boardman coming between Haines and co-star Lon Chaney. Alas, Haines’ best film, MEMORY LANE/’26 (John Stahl; Conrad Nagel, Boardman) only exists in a superb, but out of order print that (reel-by-reel) has its scenes grouped not by story continuity but by tinting color!
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *So, what did happen with Haines? Was his carefree character too irresponsible as the Depression took hold? (The economic crisis had yet to fully hit Hollywood in 1930.) Was it simply that what seemed like larky fun in a 20-something became unacceptably cruel in a 30-something slightly thickened by age? Or did synch-sound & dialogue add unattractive realism to his constant ribbing, quips & caustic hijinks? Suddenly the playful jabs really hurt.
CONTEST: *MacArthur lifts his famous ending from THE FRONT PAGE (co-written with Ben Hecht) here. It's the one signified by the line: ’The son of a bitch stole my watch.’ Explain its use here and name another MacArthur/Hecht film classic that reused the same idea. (And no, it’s not Howard Hawks’ gender flip reworking of THE FRONT PAGE as HIS GIRL FRIDAY/’40.)
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