User Reviews

John Miljan stars in this film and his effortless performance manage to make a sub-par film worth seeing. The main problem with TWIN HUSBANDS is that the plot really makes no sense and is very contrived. In addition, the film is often quite talky...yet it still is worth a look.

The film begins with a guy waking up from a bump on the head. The people around him try in vain to convince him that five years have passed and that he's a rich guy. However, none of this makes sense to the character played by Miljan AND none of it makes any sense to the audience...none. After this plot is quickly abandoned, the film begins to get better.

It seems that a wife and her business partner are trying to use Miljan as a double for her estranged and missing husband. That's because they want him to sign for some securities and give them to the wife---$200,000 worth of securities! However, when convincing him he IS the missing man didn't work, they work out this business arrangement with Miljan--admitting they are trying to commit fraud but offer him $10,000 to help. What they don't know is that Miljan has other plans--and his own agenda. In the end, he's able to outsmart everyone as well as help himself. What exactly happens next, though tough to believe, also is fun to watch.

The bottom line is that Miljan was not a particularly famous actor and often played heavies. Here, in a change of pace, he proves he was much more capable an actor than you usually had a chance to see in other films. And, he's rather funny in this odd leading role.

I had to double-check if this poverty row drawing room caper drama (with lots of comic elements) was based on a play. It does in fact seem rather theatrical. In fact, it is set up to appear that a bunch of actors have been gathered together to perpetuate some kind of scheme. Once you realize that is not the case, you can find your way back to the real plotline.

This involves a professional cracksman (John Miljan) who wakes up in a house he is not familiar with and finds that he is being utilized to play the missing husband of society dame Shirley Grey. Shw is in the midst of a scheme to run away with stolen bonds owned by her husband who is nowhere to be found, only a financial adviser and phony butler around as supporting characters in this convoluted scam.

The light-hearted moments are greatly appreciated in this rather short but elegant caper film that fortunately has enough witty dialogue to move the plot along and keep the audience interested. Miljan and Grey play nicely off each other, and Wilson Benge, as the phony Butler gets some funny moments as well, sort of a poor man's Eric Blore. It's easy to forget a twisted plot like this when the execution is so good, especially since the two leads offer a lot of charm.

With a title like "Twin Husbands" I was thinking it was going to be a comedy something akin to "Lonely Wives" (1931) in which Edward Everett Horton played two different characters trying to fool his wife. "Twin Husbands" was not a comedy and John Miljan did not play two different characters (technically he did but I'll explain).

John Miljan played Jerry Van Trevor, an unsuspecting man who was identical to a man named Jerome Werrenden. John was unwillingly involved in a scheme hatched by Chloe Werrenden (Shirley Grey), Jerome's wife, and Colton Drain (Monroe Owsley), Jerome's secretary. They needed Jerry to pretend to be Jerome Werrenden long enough to receive $200,000 in bonds from a man named Col. Gordon Lewis (Hale Hamilton) who was holding the bonds for Mr. Werrenden.

Once Jerry got involved, he was involved.

Jerry turned out to be something of a handful. He was not a simple sap afterall.

I didn't like the movie because of my own personality. If I sense trouble I'm trying to remove myself from it ASAP. In this case, Jerry thrust himself fully into it not even knowing the full scope of what or who he was dealing with. Obviously, writers Robert Ellis and Anthony Coldeway made Jerry such a character to make a movie. There could've still been a movie had Jerry been like most people, but the writers may have had to be even more creative in having a resolution to the conflict. As it was, Jerry was a suave thief named the Sparrow (unbeknownst to anyone) and also the eventual love interest of Chloe Werrenden. I guess since it worked so well with William Powell and Kay Francis they figured they could do a similar thing with John Miljan and Shirley Grey.

Jerry found himself willingly pretending to be Shirley's husband to save her husband (whom he didn't know) from being taken advantage of. Then he found that Shirley actually had good intentions (of course as the only woman in the film) which made him want to assist her as well.

As intricate and clever as "Twin Husbands" tried to be I still wasn't a fan. A lot of times I just boil movies down to their essence. Sometimes the clever red herrings and misdirections will help, and sometimes they're nothing more than distractions. At Twin Husband's essence it was a mulit-person swindle/con, with every person having a different goal, and a love story.

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I'm a real fan of pre-code poverty row films. Most are just average but Twin Husbands really shines. The set-up has been used before and, famously, much later in 36 Hours. However, the main character's reaction is not. Taking the situation in hand he works through the situation with efficiency and humor. The plot has many twists and turns which he uses to his advantage. Eventually we find he is a master thief dealing with amateurs. He solves at least 3 crimes and wins the girl.

John Miljan is terrific in the role. I've seen him as heels and good guys, mostly in supporting roles but always effective. Here he has a role that seems written exactly to his strengths. As an honorable thief we like him almost immediately, root for him and forgive him his past. I've seen quite a few stars try this turn and not carry it off as well. Highly recommended.

Jerry van Trevor awakes on the lounge to find it is now 1938 and with an identity he doesn't know - he questions the butler who convinces him that he is indeed the owner of this palatial Long Island estate!! But it seems it is all an elaborate hoax - the butler isn't even a butler, the family are too cheap to hire one!! He is a telegraph officer and he explains to the now confused Jerry the idea was to make him think he was hallucinating!! It has all been concocted by Colton Drain (wouldn't you know it's Monroe Owsley), the family accountant, to try and secure the inheritance left to Chloe's abusive but now missing husband, Jerry Werrenden. He finds van Trevor (John Miljan) at a hotel, and is taken with his resemblance to the missing Jerry. Once it is ascertained that he will not be missed, he is drugged and bought to the house!!

It didn't happen very often but it always gives me a real kick to see John Miljan who had a patent on unscrupulous lawyers, fight promoters, managers etc play a regular guy. His Jerry is a carefree con man who first gets the butler eating out of his hand and then Chloe (Shirley Grey) - she actually wanted to secure the inheritance for her missing husband but is being railroaded by the unscrupulous Drain. Add to the mix the Colonel, a trusted family friend who is acting as an executrix but has in reality been bleeding the estate dry to the tune of $100,000!!!

Hale Hamilton who usually plays solid family friends etc, is very funny as the bumbling fraudster who desperately wants to pay the money back but doesn't know how!!! Add some of Jerry's cronies, Robert Elliot playing.... no spoilers!! Let's just say most of the actors must have had a ball playing against their usual characters - all except Monroe Owsley who came to the movies recreating his role as the likable drunken brother in the film version of "Holiday"(1930) but was doomed by his supercilious looks and manner to only play rats and weaklings. I've never seen Shirley Grey look lovelier, she doesn't have a lot to do but she does it nicely. She was an actress who for some reason became mired in programmers and couldn't find her way out.