This film rather meanders, but it picks up strength in the last half. That's mainly because the dramatic portions are its strengths and its comedic parts are its weaknesses, bordering on the inane at times.
The film opens on Gerry Brokaw (Joan Blondell) going to divorce court to testify against her sister Wanda's (Gloria Dickson) husband, David Holland (Conrad Nagel). You get the feeling - and you'd be right - that this is a rather trumped up divorce. That Wanda is determined to get a divorce she is not even sure she wants, and that her soon to be ex-husband is a nice guy and for sure doesn't want the divorce.
In the process of the divorce, Gerry meets Alan MacNally (Dick Powell). He is also there as a witness, and he is one of Wanda's "fast crowd" friends, although he doesn't act like one. Gerry has an instant dislike for him just because of that, but she gets to know him and of course they fall in love and get married. Problems crop up when Alan passes the bar and begins to represent people in divorces, which is something Gerry absolutely does not like, since she feels that puts him in the role of homewrecker. His legal reputation grows as does the gulf between him and Gerry. Meanwhile Wanda has discovered that she still loves her ex-husband, but that he has moved on. Pretty heavy melodramatic complications ensue.
I don't know why Joan Blondell and Dick Powell could not do comedy together. They had no problem doing it with anybody else. But when they tried doing it together you could tell it was an act. And to paraphrase what Spencer Tracy told a young Burt Reynolds - "Don't ever let them catch you acting". A real surprise here was Frank Faye as the MacNallys ' rather strange friend who is obsessed with fishing, yet always seems to be dressed in formal wear. He's really an asset to the film in this supporting role.
I'd say this is worth your time, especially the second half. It is just bit of a slog getting through the first half.
The film opens on Gerry Brokaw (Joan Blondell) going to divorce court to testify against her sister Wanda's (Gloria Dickson) husband, David Holland (Conrad Nagel). You get the feeling - and you'd be right - that this is a rather trumped up divorce. That Wanda is determined to get a divorce she is not even sure she wants, and that her soon to be ex-husband is a nice guy and for sure doesn't want the divorce.
In the process of the divorce, Gerry meets Alan MacNally (Dick Powell). He is also there as a witness, and he is one of Wanda's "fast crowd" friends, although he doesn't act like one. Gerry has an instant dislike for him just because of that, but she gets to know him and of course they fall in love and get married. Problems crop up when Alan passes the bar and begins to represent people in divorces, which is something Gerry absolutely does not like, since she feels that puts him in the role of homewrecker. His legal reputation grows as does the gulf between him and Gerry. Meanwhile Wanda has discovered that she still loves her ex-husband, but that he has moved on. Pretty heavy melodramatic complications ensue.
I don't know why Joan Blondell and Dick Powell could not do comedy together. They had no problem doing it with anybody else. But when they tried doing it together you could tell it was an act. And to paraphrase what Spencer Tracy told a young Burt Reynolds - "Don't ever let them catch you acting". A real surprise here was Frank Faye as the MacNallys ' rather strange friend who is obsessed with fishing, yet always seems to be dressed in formal wear. He's really an asset to the film in this supporting role.
I'd say this is worth your time, especially the second half. It is just bit of a slog getting through the first half.