A young wife tries to bring her improvident husband's head out of the clouds before his dreaming spoils their relationship.
What might have been a mere soap opera in other circumstances, here, thanks to high production values & a literate script, comes across as a fine, thoughtful drama. Most especially, however, the film owes a great deal to the trio of excellent performances which raise it above the ordinary.
Kay Francis, crisply articulate, coolly sensual, plays the wife who wants to make a success of her marriage, but is afraid her husband will never come down to reality. George Brent, playfully sophisticated, is the pilot fleeing a terrible personal tragedy, feeling he has cheated death and life from henceforth is mere LIVING ON VELVET. Warren William takes what is essentially a supporting role and turns it into something special. As the wealthy friend of Brent's who loves Miss Francis terribly, he assumes the role of benefactor for the couple, swallowing his own disappointments in an attempt to see them successfully established in marriage. Together, the three stars enact a story well worth watching.
Elderly Helen Lowell portrays Miss Francis' stern aunt. Samuel S. Hinds has the tiny role of Brent's doomed father. Slow-burning Edgar Kennedy helps to liven up a scene as an exasperated diner counterman.
Movie mavens will recognize chubby Harry Holman, uncredited, as a nervous bartender.
The brief & dangerous military air show flying sequence, early in the film, is especially well presented.
What might have been a mere soap opera in other circumstances, here, thanks to high production values & a literate script, comes across as a fine, thoughtful drama. Most especially, however, the film owes a great deal to the trio of excellent performances which raise it above the ordinary.
Kay Francis, crisply articulate, coolly sensual, plays the wife who wants to make a success of her marriage, but is afraid her husband will never come down to reality. George Brent, playfully sophisticated, is the pilot fleeing a terrible personal tragedy, feeling he has cheated death and life from henceforth is mere LIVING ON VELVET. Warren William takes what is essentially a supporting role and turns it into something special. As the wealthy friend of Brent's who loves Miss Francis terribly, he assumes the role of benefactor for the couple, swallowing his own disappointments in an attempt to see them successfully established in marriage. Together, the three stars enact a story well worth watching.
Elderly Helen Lowell portrays Miss Francis' stern aunt. Samuel S. Hinds has the tiny role of Brent's doomed father. Slow-burning Edgar Kennedy helps to liven up a scene as an exasperated diner counterman.
Movie mavens will recognize chubby Harry Holman, uncredited, as a nervous bartender.
The brief & dangerous military air show flying sequence, early in the film, is especially well presented.