It's a nice film - that's about all that can be said about this. Hardly a classic, hardly memorable but nevertheless somehow it's still quite entertaining.
It's a well made, well directed and well acted lightweight romance. It's packed with the usual early thirties escapist tropes: tuxedos, silk evening gowns and champagne but what makes this rise above the predictable inconsequential flotsam of the era is Clarke Gable. This is his film and Clarke Gable does what Clarke Gable does - plays the smooth talking, ridiculously charming scoundrel. Not too sure how good an actor he actually was, but whatever it was he did, he did it brilliantly. Just watching him do whatever he does is all the evidence you need to explain why he was the world's biggest movie star. Carole Lombard on the other hand however is clearly a good actress; her eyes can really say a million words and the on-screen chemistry between her and her future husband is electric.
Originally Marion Davies was to star in this but when Clarke Gable got the part to play opposite her she knew that he, not her would get top billing so opted out. That was a situation she was not prepared to live with (and being the executive producer, she could do that). She knew that nobody could compete his his volcano of charisma. It's that charisma alone which makes this otherwise banal story just about worth watching.
It's a well made, well directed and well acted lightweight romance. It's packed with the usual early thirties escapist tropes: tuxedos, silk evening gowns and champagne but what makes this rise above the predictable inconsequential flotsam of the era is Clarke Gable. This is his film and Clarke Gable does what Clarke Gable does - plays the smooth talking, ridiculously charming scoundrel. Not too sure how good an actor he actually was, but whatever it was he did, he did it brilliantly. Just watching him do whatever he does is all the evidence you need to explain why he was the world's biggest movie star. Carole Lombard on the other hand however is clearly a good actress; her eyes can really say a million words and the on-screen chemistry between her and her future husband is electric.
Originally Marion Davies was to star in this but when Clarke Gable got the part to play opposite her she knew that he, not her would get top billing so opted out. That was a situation she was not prepared to live with (and being the executive producer, she could do that). She knew that nobody could compete his his volcano of charisma. It's that charisma alone which makes this otherwise banal story just about worth watching.