Bette Designs

Con man Sherwood Nash (William Powell) decides to forgo financial scams in favor of fashion scams when he meets would-be designer Lynn Mason (Bette Davis). Using Lynn's talent for sketching and eye for successful dresses, Nash "borrows" dresses en route from Paris to New York design houses, and sells cheap copies ("designed" by Lynn) to low-end competitors. He then convinces the New York designers to send him to Paris to do the same for them - get the  Fashions of 1934 (1934) to them at a lower price.

Part of the AFI Silver Theatre's Library of Congress Film Preservation Showcase. Fashions of 1934 was projected with a newly restored 35mm print of this film. Like it's sister film, In Caliente, Fashions of 1934 is an excuse for elaborate musical numbers as well as stunning dresses exhibited in various fashion shows. If you've seen The Women, you are familiar with this kind of scene - lovely, period dresses, but the kind no member of the film audience would probably ever be able to afford. However, add a little Busby Berkeley magic, and you've got production numbers that you will long remember.

The biggest number involves human harps - yes, you read that right. The image below will give you just an idea of the piece. The trailer will show you another - lovely ladies with feather fans that are used to create gorgeous shapes. There's no way these routines would ever be on a stage at a fashion show, but I doubt anyone really cared.

William Powell is delightfully suave as the con man extraordinaire "Sherry" Nash. The part is reminiscent of the role he played in Jewel Robbery (1932). Even though he's unabashedly dishonest, the audience roots for him - he's just charming. He also has quite a good rapport with his two female co-stars, Bette Davis and Verree Teasdale (Grand Duchess Alix/Mabel McGuire), two very different actresses with extremely different acting styles.  With Mr. Powell there, you don't notice a change of tone.

Not surprisingly, Bette Davis was not thrilled to be in this picture. She wanted meatier parts, and this certainly was not what she was looking for. She stated that she was "all done up like a third-rate imitation of the MGM glamour queens. That isn't me. I'll never be a clothes horse or romantic symbol." (TCM article). Regardless of her discomfort with the part, she acquits herself well (though she is much better looking as a brunette). As for her desire for better parts, she would get her wish later that year, when she FINALLY was given permission to play Mildred in Of Human Bondage (1934) (The Lonely Life: An Autobiography by Bette Davis).

Verree Teasdale is amusing as Hoboken native and faux countess Alix. Ms. Teasdale started on Broadway, ultimately performing in 13 plays between 1924 and 1932; she appeared in her first film in 1929, and worked fairly steadily until 1941; thereafter, she did some radio work, often with her husband, Adolphe Menjou. Their marriage lasted from 1935 until his death in 1963 (they had one child). Ms. Teasdale died in 1987 at the age of 83.

In a part reminiscent of his character in One-Way Passage (1932),Frank McHugh plays Snap, a photographer - and con man/thief - who is Sherry's right-hand man.  Mr. McHugh makes the most of what he's got, though the part is mostly comedic.  It must be mentioned that, as intriguing as his little cane camera is, it's odd that he has to constantly hold it up to his eye to get pictures - resulting in the "secret camera" being not very secret.  There is an emphasis on this particular gimmick, and our reaction was that you'd have to be particularly stupid to not figure out what he is doing.

Several other character parts are worth mentioning - Hugh Herbert (Joe Ward) is actually not annoying in this film.  Reginald Owen (Oscar Baroque) and Henry O'Neill (Duryea) as part of the fashion industries in Paris and New York (respectively) are frankly as dishonest as Sherry and his crew.  Arthur Treacher makes a brief appearance as - what else - a butler.

Originally titled King of Fashion (AFI Catalog), this is a pleasant film with some lovely Berkeley numbers. Certainly, it is reminiscent of other films released around the same time, but with William Powell delivering the dialogue, you barely notice that it's typical.  I'll leave you with a trailer from the film (and a preview of one of the amazing dance routines.

Joan Gets Married

Stood up again by her philandering boyfriend, Sheridan "Sherry" Warren (Robert Montgomery), Marcia Townsend (Joan Crawford) resolves to never see him again. He convinces her to give him another chance, but it turns out to be another another night of Sherry's dalliances, and Marcia leaves. Realizing Sherry is about to lose her, he proposes, and against her own, and her grandmother Fanny Townsend (Edna May Oliver)'s better judgement, Marcia agrees to marry him. But Sherry is no more committed to monogamy than he was before the marriage, so Marcia decides it's time for No More Ladies (1935)

The positives of this film are the excellent cast - Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery, Franchot Tone, Edna May Oliver, Gail Patrick, Charlie Ruggles, Reginald Denny, and Joan Burfield aka Joan Fontaine (in her screen debut). The negative is it's an awful script. Based on a 1934 Broadway play, which starred Ruth Weston, Lucile Watson, and Melvyn Douglas, the film is long and ultimately boring. (Ms. Weston and Ms. Watson were originally supposed to reprise their roles in the film (AFI catalog)).

One major problem is the character of Sherry Warren. Sure, Mr. Montgomery is extremely attractive but Sherry is a womanizer, and everyone knows it. He's already broken up one marriage, he uses and dumps women regularly, so what Marcia could possibly see in him is never really clear. She's got the equally attractive Jim Salston (Franchot Tone) pursuing her, so why settle for a man who is never going to be a husband? Tis a mystery.

The actor that stands out in the film is Edna May Oliver. She gets the best lines and as always, has the most fantastic delivery. Born in 1883, Ms. Oliver was already on Broadway by 1916. By 1932, she had appeared in 11 musicals and dramas, including the original Show Boat (1927) in which she played Parthy Hawks. Her film career began in 1923; she would appear in 48 films, including A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) (for which she was nominated as Best Supporting Actress), David Copperfield (1935), and 3 films as amateur sleuth Hildegarde Withers. Quite frankly, she always managed to steal the film, even though her parts were usually supporting roles. She died at age 59 in 1942.

We always enjoy seeing Gail Patrick (Theresa German), but she's wasted in this film. She, however, was grateful for the part - she'd been suggested by Ms. Crawford, who looked after her on the set, having her own makeup man work with Ms. Patrick. (TCM article). Why Ms. Patrick is asked to sing and play the ukulele, is beyond our ken. She's a lovely woman and an excellent actress, but she can't sing (and her repertoire seems inappropriate for this society party).

Franchot Tone and Joan Crawford had already appeared in three of their seven films together, and were married the year this film was released. They only have a couple of scenes together, but even with that little screen time, they seem like a better match than Marcia and Sherry. Their marriage would last until 1939, but their (eventual) friendship lasted til the end of Mr. Tone's life, with Ms. Crawford caring for him when he was dying of lung cancer. 

Charlie Ruggles as Sherry's continually drunken friend Edgar Holden is amusing in the beginning, but the character begins to wear thin after a few scenes. And with the exception of one scene towards the middle of the film (when Edgar is someplace he's not supposed to be), it's a mystery why he is even there. The scriptwriter keeps trying to find ways of incorporating him into the action. All it does is slow the film down further. Arthur Treacher appears briefly as Lord Knowleton - whose unintelligible English accent is shown twice - then he speaks perfectly normally. The question again is why?

Since this is an MGM picture, we also have the benefit of outstanding set direction by Cedric Gibbons, and lovely costumes by Adrian. But it's not enough. The New York Times review by Andre Sennwald is dismissive "Out of the labors of the brigade of writers who tinkered with the screen play, there remain a sprinkling of nifties which make for moments of hilarity in an expanse of tedium and fake sophistication."  Sadly, we agree. So, unless you are a complete-ist for one the actors involved, this is one to pass on. Below is a clip from the beginning of the film.

Margaret Hires a Maid

Having not been paid by her employer for four months, housekeeper extraordinaire Lizzie (Ruth Donnelly) quits her job and heads off to an employment agency. She meets Joan Smith (Margaret Lindsay), a young married woman who is searching for a maid. But with her limited income, Joan can't really afford a maid of Lizzie's qualifications. Lizzie, however, is intrigued by Joan and  her son Bobby (Ronnie Crosby), and agrees to take a pay cut to work in the household. Lizzie has a plan to bring Joan and husband Jimmy (Warren Hull) up to her employer standards. This week, we're discussing Personal Maid's Secret (1935).

Every once in a while you fall into a film you've never even heard of, and that provides low expectations.  Personal Maid's Secret is one of them. Originally entitled Living Up to Lizzie, (AFI catalog), it is in fact a delightful little comedy. While the plot is pretty transparent, the acting is so good that you warm to the film almost immediately. Leading the cast (though she got fourth billing) is Ruth Donnelly. Her Lizzie is a practical sort - she leaves her current employment confident that she can secure another position immediately. While she is qualified for a much more well-paid position, she takes on the job with the Smiths because she has a good feeling about them - and because she feels she can help them. Finally Lizzie is a woman with a past - we know it from the start, and when we discover the truth about her, she becomes even more endearing (we wondered if perhaps the film was originally written before the code, as some of the early hints about Lizzie's past suggest a bit of hanky-panky).

Margaret Lindsay gets first billing and is engaging as the young wife trying to help her husband make his way in the world of business. Jimmy is an insurance salesman, and as such, needs contacts. Lizzie suggests to Joan that the best way for Jimmy to get ahead is for the Smith's to entertain. But to do that, they'll need to have a display of affluence. Using her pin money and some ingenuity, Joan is able to get the ball rolling. Ms. Lindsay plays the part with warmth - there is never a suggestion that Jimmy needs to succeed to make her life easier. Their marriage is a partnership, and his success is hers as well.

It's not often that one gets to see Frank Albertson (Kent Fletcher) play a good guy, but he does here, and is quite appealing as Joan's inventor-brother. As with the other characters, there is no hint of grubbiness - Kent lives with his sister because it is expedient for both of them. He is working - and working to develop a new engine carburetor, which he hopes will increase gas mileage. When he becomes enamored of Diana Abercrombie (Anita Louise), you root for him to get the girl. Ms. Louise is lovely as the wealthy young lady whose life is about to change. And it's nice to see Arthur Treacher (Owen) - as always, playing Arthur Treacher!

One 21st Century problem with the film is the character of Bobby. Bobby is fascinated by "colored" people (in the 1930s, "colored" was a polite term. Think of the NAACP). The Smiths had a maid who was African-American at one point, and Bobby clearly adored her. So, he's decided that he wants a friend who is African-American. But what makes his constant queries interesting is that Bobby doesn't really see race - he asks the very white Palmers (Henry O'Neill and Lillian Kemble Cooper) if their son is colored. So, while his questions can be a bit unnerving, it's also an interesting comment on the ability of children to accept regardless of race. The song "You've Got to be Carefully Taught" comes to mind.

Our villain, Warren Sherrill, is convincingly played by Gordon Elliott. If he seems familiar, you might know him from his later career as a Western actor and the role Red Ryder - Will Bill Elliott. Born on a ranch in Missouri, Mr. Elliott came by his Western expertise naturally. He became a horse breeder, and retired to a ranch in Nevada after his retirement. He died in 1965 at the age of 61.

Given that this was a B movie, the set design and costuming are outstanding. The Smith's home needs to reflect their life, and the work done by Carl Jules Weyl are an important part of the story.  Orry-Kelly did the costume design, and, as always, it is impressive.

The film was not widely reviewed, but Variety gave it a very positive review (Wild Bill Elliott: A Complete Filmography by Gene Blottner), as did the Sydney Morning Herald, which complimented Ruth Donnelly for "the warmth with which she plays this part and the perfectlon of the portrait's detail," and said the film itself is" shrewd and humorous and the conversation is so natural that the spectator is able to forget the plot, which contains no surprises." There ARE a couple of slight surprises, though by and large it's a convention plot; but with such fine acting and such appealing characters, you won't care.

We'll leave you with a trailer and a suggestion that you seek this one out.