Note that James Stewart, in his first leading role, is missing from our poster. Under contract at M-G-M, who couldn’t figure out what to do with this tall, gangly (make that alarmingly thin), unconventionally attractive fellow; loaned out to Universal who had just the thing for him On the other hand, they failed at make-up 101. Check out the lip-rouge on his enormous lower lip. Yikes! Had Stewart been roughhousing with roommate Henry Fonda? A lucky punch, too, since co-star Margaret Sullavan (that’s her on the poster) had just amicably divorced Fonda, and specifically asked for his roommate in the part. Perfect together, they’d pair up for three more films.* Here, with director Edward H. Griffith (best known for stage reliant transfers on Philip Barry’s HOLIDAY/’30 and THE ANIMAL KINGDOM/’32) along with gifted lenser Joseph A. Valentine faking unusually atmospheric NYC & Europe locales on studio sets (plus an uncredited Preston Sturges taking a pass on the script), they play out a difficult two-career/sperate lives marriage that’s unusually intelligent & modern for 1936. Each following their bliss to success as Foreign Correspondent (him) and stage star (her). While waiting in the wings, respectful third-wheel Ray Milland. (Looking ridiculously handsome, it was, along with next year’s EASY LIVING/’37, his breakthru role after seven years.) The film goes soft and sentimental in the last reel (which is fine for this sort of thing), but also narratively convenient to tidy up all the moving parts (which ain't). But so much better than you expect, it’s something of a find.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: *Second pairing, THE SHOPWORN ANGEL/’38, now looking a bit shopworn itself, but 3 & 4 are contrasting masterpieces: Borzage’s THE MORTAL STORM/’40; Lubitsch’s THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER/’40. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-mortal-storm-1940.html
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