Based on a play which starred Tallulah Bankhead, Forsaking All Others
(1934) is an absolutely delightful film. With an exceptional cast,
which includes Ms. Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Billie
Burke, and a brief appearance by Rosalind Russell; and a screenplay by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the viewer is given a delightful 84 minutes of
great acting and witty dialogue. Joan's Mary Clay is preparing for her
long-anticipated wedding to her childhood friend Dillon Todd (Robert
Montgomery). The day before her wedding, unsuspecting Jeff
Williams (Clark Gable) returns from Spain, with enough money to propose
to Mary, whom he has loved since they were children. His disappointment
is palpable when he discovers he is too late, but rather than burden the
ecstatic Mary, he agrees to give away the bride. Come the day of the
wedding, however, Mary learns that Dill has eloped with his former
paramour Connie Barnes (Frances Drake). Mary tries to
start over without Dill, but when he renews his pursuit of her, she
begins to succumb to his charms.
The script is just full of little bon mots, like
"I saw [a fan dance] with electric fans once, it was awful" that keep
you giggling through the movie, along with sight gags like Robert
Montgomery sound asleep in a lacy nightie. And you can't do better
than this cast. Gable is just commanding as Jeff. He conveys so much
by just LOOKING; all his hurt and love shine out of his eyes. And
Crawford was never more endearing. Even when she is about to mess up
her life totally by returning to Dill, you still adore her, and just
want her find her way to Jeff. Robert Montgomery, a versatile actor who
played everything from the love interest, lunatic, war hero, and second
banana, walks a very thin rope here. He manages to keep Dill appealing,
while you still want him to lose the girl. A hard job, but Montgomery
is more than up to the task.
Finally, a word about another
performance: that of Billie Burke as Mary's dear friend, Paula. One is
so used to seeing Ms. Burke as a ditz, that it is a pleasure to see her
play someone with some sense. Yes, Paula is still a bit of a nut, but
she is sensible and loving. Her regard for Mary know no limitation, and
she does everything in her power to protect this girl who is nearly her
own child.
This film is not shown enough. It should be shown more. Next time it is around, do see it.
Joan Crawford made two movies named Possessed. We already
looked at the 1947 film (with Van Heflin); this time we look at an
interesting pre-Code film of the same name (from 1931),
co-starring Clark Gable. Crawford is Marion, a factory worker with an
eye towards bigger thing. When she meets a New York playboy while his
train is laying over in her town, she accepts his invitation to come and
see her in NYC, and follows him to the big city. Here, we see their meeting:
Of course, Wally
Stuart (Skeets Gallagher) is not in the least serious about wanting to
see her. Constantly drunk, he barely remembers her, but he decides he
owes her some "good" advice - meet a rich man, and take him for all he
is worth. Though, he - Wally - will not introduce her to any of his
friends. Marion, however takes his advice immediately to heart, and maneuvers herself back into his apartment, where he meets Mark
Whitney (Clark Gable), a wealthy lawyer, with visions of a political
future. Whitney is immediately smitten with Marion, but, the victim in a
bad marriage, he has no intention of wedding again. Instead, he sets
Marion up as a wealthy divorcee, Mrs. Moreland, and she becomes his
hostess and lover.
Crawford's Marion is so very
likeable in this film. Even her machinations to meet Mark are down with
a down-to-earth honesty that makes you truly like her character. The
same is true for Gable's Whitney. He is a man who has been burnt, but
his regard for Marion is true. He does love her, treats her with respect
and love, but is unwilling to risk losing her - he says - by marrying
her.
Another fairly interesting performance is that
of Wallace Ford as Al Manning, Marion's small-town boyfriend. He is
most interesting when we meet him again in the film, after he has become
a success. Watch for the confrontation between the two of them, and
then watch his reaction when he realizes that she has the ability to
make or break him. It is a fascinating turn. We also liked the brief
appearance by Marjorie White as the mistress of one of Mark's
associates. It is a wonderful part, but the way Crawford and Gable
interact with her is just lovely and subtle. Kudos especially to
Crawford here - her silent training - especially her ability to use her
eyes to tell you so much more than the words of the story reveal, are
easy to see.
Two years after Clark Gable followed Claudette Colbert to
Jericho, he was again portraying a reporter in pursuit of an heiress in
1936's Love on the Run. Gable plays Michael Anthony, an
eager reporter in competition with his best friend and roommate Barnabas
Pells (Franchot Tone). The men are unimpressed with the two stories
that they need to cover (an interview with an aviator, or the wedding of
an heiress) - they flip a coin, and Michael loses. Donning top hat and
tails, he heads off to cover the wedding of Sally Parker
(Crawford) to expatriate Prince Igor. However, what begins for Michael
as a bore, becomes an adventure as he watches the bride run OUT of the
church, sans groom, and barricade herself in a hotel room. Michael
convinces her he is NOT a reporter, and the two dash off in a series of
fairly silly adventures, with Barnabas in hot pursuit.
This is nowhere as good a movie as It Happened One Night
(which is what it wants to be. One can almost see L.B. Mayer growling
that he wants Gable reproducing the story for HIM - after Mayer loaned
Gable to Columbia as a punishment!!), but it is fun and Gable and
Crawford are a delightful pairing. Adding to the amusement is the
knowledge that Crawford and TONE were spouses, but clearly - on film -
the spark is with Gable. When they are on screen together, you really
can't take your eyes off them.
One really outstanding supporting performance here - Donald Meek as the caretaker of the Palace
of Fontainbleau. Having lived alone for many years, the caretaker
delights in his imaginary dog, Bismark and looks forward to visitations
from ghosts. Crisp is an absolute riot, and Gable and Crawford
especially join in the fun with him. (Plus, you get Gable dancing in
costume. You can't beat that). We won't go into the fact that three
people are able to break into the Palace and sleep for the night. It is
just a little too outlandish.
All in all, this is a film well worth your time if you would like a little laugh. Here's a trailer to get you started:
