Every studio by the end of the 1930's was looking back into its archives for stories, and MGM was no exception. This is a remake of a William Powell/Myrna Loy film called "Evelyn Prentice", and while the character names have been changed, the situation is exactly the same. Walter Pidgeon is an overworked defense attorney, one of the best in New York, getting his clients off with last minute surprise testimonies and evidence that the prosecution didn't see coming. He's so good that his female clients (particularly Rita Johnson) are ever so grateful, willing to show their gratitude in ways not in keeping with proper attorney/client etiquette. Pidgeon's beautiful wife (Virginia Bruce) has been devoted to him, but when he cancels their planned trip to Europe for an out of town case, she is briefly tempted by a handsome rogue (Lee Bowman) who is already married (to Ann Dvorak) but bored in his lower middle class existence. Bowman ends up a victim of his own immorality and Pidgeon ends up defending his wife for murder which results in a dramatic declaration at the last minute.
Following the original story almost to the letter, this is still interesting. MGM's "B" films were of "A" quality at other studios, and this is as lavish as anything the other studios were filming as their biggest releases. It is appropriate that Pidgeon would take over for Powell, an irony considering that Powell had played Florenz Ziegeld a few years earlier and that Pidgeon would take on that role in "Funny Girl" many years later. The beautiful Bruce shines as the neglected wife. She had been in films for over a decade, and hadn't aged at all in the past decade. Dvorak, one of the best actresses never to become a superstar, is intense as a murder suspect, and she reveals the inner workings of this unhappy lady who had every reason to want to see her husband dead, no matter how much she loved him.
The only character I couldn't abide here was the one played by Ilka Chase, a trouble-maker who urges Bruce to utilize Bowman's companionship without regards for her supposed friend's marriage. The writing for her is beyond comprehension as she never gets her come-uppance for her involvement in the whole ordeal. There are some silly plot twists and details (how Bruce is discovered by Pidgeon to be "the other woman" is silly beyond belief) but that's what makes these films so much fun. As over the top as they can be, they are always entertaining, and for that are always worth repeat viewings.
Following the original story almost to the letter, this is still interesting. MGM's "B" films were of "A" quality at other studios, and this is as lavish as anything the other studios were filming as their biggest releases. It is appropriate that Pidgeon would take over for Powell, an irony considering that Powell had played Florenz Ziegeld a few years earlier and that Pidgeon would take on that role in "Funny Girl" many years later. The beautiful Bruce shines as the neglected wife. She had been in films for over a decade, and hadn't aged at all in the past decade. Dvorak, one of the best actresses never to become a superstar, is intense as a murder suspect, and she reveals the inner workings of this unhappy lady who had every reason to want to see her husband dead, no matter how much she loved him.
The only character I couldn't abide here was the one played by Ilka Chase, a trouble-maker who urges Bruce to utilize Bowman's companionship without regards for her supposed friend's marriage. The writing for her is beyond comprehension as she never gets her come-uppance for her involvement in the whole ordeal. There are some silly plot twists and details (how Bruce is discovered by Pidgeon to be "the other woman" is silly beyond belief) but that's what makes these films so much fun. As over the top as they can be, they are always entertaining, and for that are always worth repeat viewings.