User Reviews

It is sad to think of those stars who we know were good but died young or too soon. But the ones we normally thing about are stars who left a rich legacy of film that we have access to: Laird Cregar, Montgomery Cliff, Heath Ledger, Natalie Wood, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Judy Holiday, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard. Even with his seemingly paltry three films James Dean lucked out - they were three of the biggest hit movies of the 1950s, and Dean also appeared in small roles in several other films and on plenty of early television.

What happens when you have a case like that of Robert Williams?

Williams made a total of six films in his career, two of them obscure silent movies, and four early sound films. When PLATINUM BLOND was made he got the male lead role, and was directed by Frank Capra. His co-stars were the up-and-coming Jean Harlow and the up-and-coming Loretta Young. The cast included veteran scene stealers like Reginald Owen, Louisa Closser Hale, Claude Alister, Walter Catlett, and Halliwell Hobbes. And Williams proved the master of them all.

The reason in part is some miscasting (which has been pointed out on some of the comments here). Before MGM began to realize how to properly show Jean Harlow as a sexy and fun loving woman the studios kept showing her as what she was not: a blue-blood. Not only in PLATINUM BLONDE but in the earlier HELL'S ANGELS and in THE PUBLIC ENEMY she played wealthy socialites. She was far closer to the type in THE GIRL FROM MISSOURI or DINNER AT EIGHT (there a trophy wife for fellow vulgarian Wallace Beery) than to these. As for young Loretta Young, her earthy warmth was hidden in the part of the frustrated "Gallagher" in this film, wherein she pines of Williams' "Stu Smith" but doesn't say or do anything until the end. The role called for a tougher type to be the newspaper gal "Gallagher" is. It reminds me of an actress who would soon co-star with Harlow in CHINA SEAS: Rosalind Russell would have been better in the role, or Claudette Colbert for that matter.

The others are not miscast as badly, and several have their moments. Owens is as good as ever as the family lawyer and friend of the Schuylers (the family Harlow and Hale are members of). He tries to be friendly but is just too stupid to realize when Williams outmaneuvers him again and again. Hale is one of the army of elitist grand dames in 1930s comedy, led by Margaret Dumont and May Robson. Here Hale is in such a constant tizzy by the antics of her children she blames them for her gastritis (this was a pre-code film). Hobbes has several choice moments showing Williams how he putters around the house, or discovering there is a ghost (actually an echo) in the mansion, or getting plastered and telling off Owens and Hale. Alister discovers that it is not worth being a good valet to an unappreciative Williams if it might cost him a broken jaw. Catlett makes a lucrative but insulting offer to Williams regarding a news column, gets socked in his face, and goes to his paper to write the story up.

The plot deals with Williams getting involved with the Schuylers and getting a juicy scandal scoop thanks to the cretinous Owens. However he falls for Harlow, and they elope. Later he is told that the marriage will ruin him as a newspaperman. He actually finds it is slowly sapping him, as he finds himself ensconced in the mansion's left wing, given a valet, taken to meet all the socialites his in-laws associate with (some he refers to as "pansies" - again this is before the code). He gradually realizes that his city editor was right to call him "a bird in the gilded cage". And he is desperate to get out.

Williams had a nice easy going delivery, and a sharp one. He knows when to speed up for comic affect (or to react for comic affect). Yes he would have been a terrific addition to the galaxy of male stars in the golden age of the movies. His loss that same year is a bitter tragedy.

This is a decent little comedy--very good for 1931, though not as entertaining as many of Jean Harlow's and Loretta Young's later pictures. One of the main reasons I did not love this film was its odd casting. Having Jean play a society girl whose family is made up of apparently old money is odd, as her accent betrays her more urban and less sophisticated roots. Later, you never would have seen her playing such a role. My assumption is that Hollywood still didn't know what to do with her, so they stuck her in such an improbable role.

The film is about society dame Jean meeting and falling in love with low-brow reporter, Robert Williams. Williams is in a totally different league and Harlow has visions of molding this guy into the man of her dreams--a "stuffed shirt" who likes dull society parties. However, Williams is afraid of becoming the proverbial "bird in a gilded cage" and fights for his independence. Neither is willing to give very much and during all this arguing, poor old Loretta Young just stands by--waiting and hoping that eventually Williams will notice her. In a very Pre-Code moment, at the end, Williams leaves Harlow for Young--something you never would have seen in a Post-Code film.

The film has decent acting, though Robert Williams is a bit obnoxious--playing a character much like Lee Tracy would play in subsequent years. Williams, tragically, died just after the premier of this film and Tracy looked and acted in a manner very suggestive of Williams.

The bottom line is that this doesn't quite compare to the quality of later films, though for 1931, it's pretty good. A definite must for old movie fans who love Pre-Code films or anyone interested in seeing Williams in one of his only film appearances.

056: Platinum Blonde (1931) - released 10/31/1931; viewed 5/21/06.

Dick Tracy makes his debut in the comic strips.

BIRTHS: Larry Hagman, Angie Dickinson, John le Carre, Mickey Mantle, Jim Bunning, Dan Rather. DEATHS: Thomas Alva Edison.

KEVIN: Despite the presence of Jean Harlow and director Frank Capra, I wasn't expecting much from Platinum Blonde. I found myself thoroughly enjoying it, thanks to the fantastic energy of star Robert Williams and the emotional resonance of Loretta Young. It took me a good twenty minutes before I realized we're really not supposed to like Stew (Williams) with his snide wisecracking and dated opinions on women. He tells his best friend Gallagher (Young), "You're my pal, right? Then don't turn female on me." There's a scene were Loretta Young really shines. He sits with her talking about being married to the rich Ann Schuyler (Harlow), what his plans are for moving in and making friends, while she sits beside him and we see what he doesn't, that her heart is breaking right in front of him and she does everything she can to hold back her fresh tears. I like how Stew keeps saying he's a struggling playwright, until Gallagher suggests the perfect solution, one I'm surprised I don't hear more often, basically, why don't you write the play that you're IN RIGHT NOW? Which he does, leading to the film's final scene as he professes his love to his best friend in a really sweet and amusing way, as we're not immediately sure if he's talking about himself or just the characters in the play.

DOUG: While Dick Tracy makes his debut in the funny books, we now take in our first Frank Capra film, The Platinum Blonde, a little film starring Loretta Young, Jean Harlow, and a little-known but extremely charming actor named Robert Williams. And a good film it is, though far from great. Interesting that Young gets top billing over Williams, since he seems to be in much more of the film than she is (and has about 50% of all the dialogue in the movie), and it really seems like his film. It's quite a shame that he died just after the film's release; if not for this film, he'd surely be forgotten today. He dominates this little comedy of manners as reporter Stew Smith with his sarcastic, wisecracking, sleepy-eyed charm, and he is the reason the movie is as good as it is. Young is quite good as well playing Stew's friend Gallagher; watch her closely in the scenes where Stew goes on about Anne (Harlow); her acting is very subtle, as she's clearly extremely uncomfortable hearing a man she likes talk about another woman, although he doesn't notice at all. She manages to bring significant depth to an underdeveloped character, and anyone can see that these two characters have a perfect chemistry. Jean Harlow, usually playing the good girl, plays snotty heiress Anne, who marries Stew and engages in a battle of wills as they both try to change the other's lifestyle. I look forward to seeing more from the whole cast, including Halliwell Hobbes, who plays Smythe, the butler who shows Stew the fine points of puttering. Overall, this is some good early work from Frank Capra, though far from his best.

Last film: Monkey Business (1931). Next film: The Champ (1931).