Found a DVD online and decided to see what it was about. First off, I'm a John Payne fan and he is looks quite nice even after a cake fight. Now the movie, it moves quickly and has some contrived plot lines but it is similar to many of the movies of that era. My favorite part was when Bill Adams (John Payne) romances Linda Craven (Stella Adler) by singing "I'd Love to Play a Love Scene" while he dances with her around her elegant apartment. You really don't feel any build up toward the romance but you know from the start that these two will be together. Like many movies of that time, two people from opposite stations in life meet, hate then fall in love. The character of Joe Piso (Luis Alberni) was a little annoying, a bit of a stereotype or maybe it was just the actor. Joe is the one that signs up Bill for a contest for money without telling Bill. Problems start for Bill after he wins the contest. The contest is strange, sort of "The Bachelor" of 1937. Everything just moves fast. John Payne also shows he could have done some comedic movies. Nice movie to watch on a rainy day. Wasn't a waste of my time or money
7 Reviews
The Workings Show In This Mechanical Comedy
boblipton29 June 2019
Publicity woman Stella Adler comes up with a campaign to sell soup: choose a "Mr. Manhattan" and have him fall in love with "Miss Brooklyn", all thanks to the power of soup. Unfortunately for her job, the sparks fly between intended patsy John Payne and her instead of her intended target.
I thought that Miss Adler was a fine hard-nosed publicity woman who knows it's all a sham, but there's something mechanical about the way that John Payne and she fall in and out of love that seemed to be "All, right, in this scene you like her, but she doesn't like you, or some combination of four intersections of "She/he loves me/ she/he loves me not." Perhaps it's the confident way that soda jerk John Payne steps up to a microphone in front of hundreds of people, or tells a whopper to get Miss Adler out of being lynched as a baby thief. Maybe Luis Alberni is channeling Chico Marx too strongly, then gives back the money. Unlike you're doing Marx Brothers comedy, where the comics are utterly insincere and say whatever comes into their head, there needs to be a core of truth in the characters. In the end, I didn't care about the workings out of the plot, which ended with Boy Getting Girl, seemingly, because we've run out of pies to throw at each other, so let's end it here.
Perhaps it was simply a mismatch between Miss Adler, a life time in the Yiddish and Broadway theater, and Mr. Payne, in his fourth movie and a decade younger than she. She could do her job competently, collect her paycheck, then return to the stage and teaching. Mr. Payne had no choice. He had to learn his acting without the advantage of being born to it.
I thought that Miss Adler was a fine hard-nosed publicity woman who knows it's all a sham, but there's something mechanical about the way that John Payne and she fall in and out of love that seemed to be "All, right, in this scene you like her, but she doesn't like you, or some combination of four intersections of "She/he loves me/ she/he loves me not." Perhaps it's the confident way that soda jerk John Payne steps up to a microphone in front of hundreds of people, or tells a whopper to get Miss Adler out of being lynched as a baby thief. Maybe Luis Alberni is channeling Chico Marx too strongly, then gives back the money. Unlike you're doing Marx Brothers comedy, where the comics are utterly insincere and say whatever comes into their head, there needs to be a core of truth in the characters. In the end, I didn't care about the workings out of the plot, which ended with Boy Getting Girl, seemingly, because we've run out of pies to throw at each other, so let's end it here.
Perhaps it was simply a mismatch between Miss Adler, a life time in the Yiddish and Broadway theater, and Mr. Payne, in his fourth movie and a decade younger than she. She could do her job competently, collect her paycheck, then return to the stage and teaching. Mr. Payne had no choice. He had to learn his acting without the advantage of being born to it.
Super soup saleswoman Linda Craven (acting teacher and legend Stella Adler in her first of only three film roles) !
Larry41OnEbay-29 May 2020
Super soup saleswoman Linda Craven (acting teacher and legend Stella Adler in her first of only three film roles) gets the job of promoting the hot stuff during a heat wave in New York City. Her no brainer idea is to have a contest to find Mr. Manhattan and Miss Brooklyn. Luis Alberni plays Joe Piso an Italian soda fountain owner who submits an entree for handsome soda jerk Bill Adams (John Payne) without his knowledge. This premise sets up another forgotten screwball romantic comedy complete with snappy dialogue and pie fights. Turns out to be better than expected mostly because Miss Adler is great and reminds this reviewer of fast talking Rosalind Russell from His Girl Friday which would not come out until three years later. John Payne as always is watchable and has a low key charm. The rest of the cast also has some spit and polish: Isabel Jewell has clever lines to deliver; Franklin Pangborn gives us his slow burn and exasperated put-upon fellow; and Arthur Houseman (again) is drunk. Sadly this little Paramount gem is now owned by Universal who could care less. But for a short while it can be seen on YouTube!
Love on Toast
CinemaSerf20 April 2023
The "Sanford" soup company is having a crisis. It sells more in Glendale than it does in New York City and this is causing consternation amongst the board - who want to turn the factory into an ice rink! The company is now owned by the son of the industrious father - "Sandy" (Grant Richards) and he has to come up with a solution. Luckily, he has his press agent "Linda" (Stella Adler) who comes up with the dream solution. A beauty competition that will require people to submit loads of soup labels to be in with a chance of being "Miss Brooklyn" or "Mr. Manhattan". There are no shortages of entries, driving up their sales but also creating an headache for the board members who ultimately select the hunky, but completely disinterested "Bill" (John Payne) and the feisty "Polly" (Kathryn Kane). The idea is that the two will fall head over heels and marry. Somehow we just know that the execution of that plan is never going to turn out so ideally, as the course of true love never runs smoothly. This film starts off strongly, with Adler given pretty much free reign to establish a funny, lively and savvy character. Sadly, though, there is little chemistry between her and the handsome but very much by-the-numbers Payne, and as the plot meanders on the pace runs out and the characterisations revert more and more to type. The wittiness of the script peters out too, and by halfway through we are starting on a borderline farce with an all too predictable ending. It features a couple of unremarkable musical numbers from Sam Coslow and Burton Lane that are actually sung by their actors, but they seem to do little more than further reduce the story to melodrama. It's worth a watch, though, for the first half hour of Adler owning the screen.
silly, but a chance to see the great Stella Adler
blanche-215 February 2021
"Love on Toast" is a 1937 trite comedy starring Stella Adler (here credited as Ardler) as a publicity woman out to sell soup with a "Mr. Manhattan" campaign. "Mr. Manhattan" is supposed to marry Miss Brooklyn. Love gets in the way.
Adler comes off as a Glenda Farrell-Jean Arthur type. She's fast-talking, and her character is quick thinking and energetic. Adler was quite beautiful - I understand in order to break into films, she had a nose job. Whatever, she looks great.
As Mr. Manhattan, a baby-faced John Payne has one of his first film roles; he looks like Robert Taylor here, wearing the same makeup.
Thinking about the incredible contribution Adler made, teaching people like Brando, Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, and Warren Beatty to name a few - it's interesting that, though she tried, she didn't break into the big time in films. Obviously, she was meant for bigger things.
Adler comes off as a Glenda Farrell-Jean Arthur type. She's fast-talking, and her character is quick thinking and energetic. Adler was quite beautiful - I understand in order to break into films, she had a nose job. Whatever, she looks great.
As Mr. Manhattan, a baby-faced John Payne has one of his first film roles; he looks like Robert Taylor here, wearing the same makeup.
Thinking about the incredible contribution Adler made, teaching people like Brando, Harvey Keitel, Robert DeNiro, and Warren Beatty to name a few - it's interesting that, though she tried, she didn't break into the big time in films. Obviously, she was meant for bigger things.
A rare chance to see Stella Adler in a film....but it doesn't have much else to recommend it.
planktonrules13 May 2020
While Stella Adler might not be a name you recognize, she's known to many aspiring actors and actresses as a guru of sorts. She's ultra-famous to these folk and is considered one of the foremost actresses of the 20th century....which is odd as she only acted in three films...and "Love on Toast" is her first film. So why was she so famous? Well, first, she came from a family where her parents and siblings were all actors. And, in total, Stella had over a hundred different roles on stage (wow) and went on to become an acting coach...and a very well respected and famous one. But in regards to movies, she just didn't seem that interested...or, perhaps, Hollywood just wasn't that interested in her. All I know is that this film is a rare chance to see her.
In this film, Adler plays Linda Craven, a press agent who is trying to increase a soup company's sales in the New York City area where the soup has surprisingly poor sales. She comes up with the idea of creating a contest where the company will crown a Mr. Manhattan and a Miss Brooklyn. Unfortunately for her campaign, the guy they select as Mr. Manhattan (John Payne) has no interest in the contest nor becoming famous. It seems someone entered him in the contest and didn't tell him! What's next? See the film if you'd like.
So is the film any good? Well, it's okay...neither good nor bad. Payne was a good actor but here he didn't have much to do other than sing and act grumpy. And, as far as Adler was concerned, it was a competent job of acting but didn't seem particularly special...nor did the plot.
By the way, if you look at the closing credits you'll see that they misspelled Adler's name...calling her Stella Ardler!
In this film, Adler plays Linda Craven, a press agent who is trying to increase a soup company's sales in the New York City area where the soup has surprisingly poor sales. She comes up with the idea of creating a contest where the company will crown a Mr. Manhattan and a Miss Brooklyn. Unfortunately for her campaign, the guy they select as Mr. Manhattan (John Payne) has no interest in the contest nor becoming famous. It seems someone entered him in the contest and didn't tell him! What's next? See the film if you'd like.
So is the film any good? Well, it's okay...neither good nor bad. Payne was a good actor but here he didn't have much to do other than sing and act grumpy. And, as far as Adler was concerned, it was a competent job of acting but didn't seem particularly special...nor did the plot.
By the way, if you look at the closing credits you'll see that they misspelled Adler's name...calling her Stella Ardler!
Toast with champagne rather than raisins.
mark.waltz28 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In her only film lead, stage great Stella Adler proves herself to be an able comedian in the tradition of Carole Lombard, Miriam Hopkins and Constance Bennett. She's a serious publicity agent whom soda jerk John Payne compares to a walking adding machine when shoe manipulates pin into becoming involved in the Mr. Manhattan contest as part of her soup company publicity scheme. he isn't having any of her efforts to embarrass him publicly after she gets a cake in the face via his hard right, referring to live a life of take me to and hard work rather than become a publicity machine joke. Payne is indeed a perfect specimen of manhood, arguably even better looking among 1930's matinee idols than Robert Taylor and Tyrone Power. Thanks to her publicity, he ends up in a phony engagement and this creates an animosity between the two that leads to sparks that of course leads to romance.
The only issue I had with this film other than the fact that it'srather silly and often unbelievable is that Adler begins to doubt her place as a woman of the world as a woman in business. She is certainly smart enough to be able to have a career as well as a romantic relationship, and the film gives the insinuation that she only has the career. however, the script is smart, funny and daring, never letting the audience catch their breath for a second with all the wisecracks, pratfalls and even a bit of music. The supporting cast includes Benny Baker, Luis Alberni and Isabel Jewell, all able comic players and even some surprises along the way with minor roles, including briefly Franklin Pangborn who has a wisecrack made at his expense that I'm surprised passed the code. Perhaps Adler saw the writing on the wall that she wasn't going to be able to get past standard Hollywood fare even if her film has stood the test of time.
The only issue I had with this film other than the fact that it'srather silly and often unbelievable is that Adler begins to doubt her place as a woman of the world as a woman in business. She is certainly smart enough to be able to have a career as well as a romantic relationship, and the film gives the insinuation that she only has the career. however, the script is smart, funny and daring, never letting the audience catch their breath for a second with all the wisecracks, pratfalls and even a bit of music. The supporting cast includes Benny Baker, Luis Alberni and Isabel Jewell, all able comic players and even some surprises along the way with minor roles, including briefly Franklin Pangborn who has a wisecrack made at his expense that I'm surprised passed the code. Perhaps Adler saw the writing on the wall that she wasn't going to be able to get past standard Hollywood fare even if her film has stood the test of time.
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