8. Libeled Lady
Libeled Lady is a movie that just embodies the classic screwball comedy. It's also got a star-studded cast, which makes it even more memorable.
The basic premise of the film is that Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) is a newspaper man who has been putting off his marriage to Gladys (Jean Harlow) for quite some time. It's time for another go-round at the beginning of the film, but it turns out that the paper has published a false story about an heiress (Connie, played by Myrna Loy) stealing someone's husband and a few issues have gotten into circulation! Haggerty, looking quite fetching in just a shirt and boxers and sock garters (!), walks out on his wedding again to deal with the mess, much to Gladys's dismay.
It turns out that the newspaper owner was responsible for keeping the heiress's father from getting into politics, and he files a libel suit for FIVE MEEELLION DOLLARS! Well, back in 1936, that must have been a lot of cash. Haggerty must stop the libel suit or else the paper will go under, and he'll be out of a job. So he thinks of Bill Chandler (William Powell).
In a nutshell, Bill ends up marrying Gladys so that when he romances Connie, the paper can claim that Connie's a homewrecker and stop their libel suit. But things are never that easy -- Bill ends up falling in love with Connie and vice versa. But inbetween, there are some hilarious moments when Bill learns how to fish so that he can impress Connie and her dad. Eventually, the two couples end up together happily.
I had seen the inferior remake of Libeled Lady (Easy to Wed, which was made ten years later, but is miles away in terms of quality), so I already knew the plot. But the actors in this version! Wow! Harlow is really excellent as Gladys, and her comic timing is superb! She is also not quite as blonde as I would have expected, and was a very good match for Tracy. Spencer Tracy is also wonderful, and it makes me like him even more! He is definitely not in "serious actor" mode in this film, and his scheming newspaper man was perfect. And Myrna Loy and William Powell! What can I say about them? They're a perfect couple, and are utterly convincing when spouting the witty dialogue that is the signature of a screwball comedy.
This is definitely a film I will be keeping, and I think I enjoyed it even more than The Thin Man!
The basic premise of the film is that Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) is a newspaper man who has been putting off his marriage to Gladys (Jean Harlow) for quite some time. It's time for another go-round at the beginning of the film, but it turns out that the paper has published a false story about an heiress (Connie, played by Myrna Loy) stealing someone's husband and a few issues have gotten into circulation! Haggerty, looking quite fetching in just a shirt and boxers and sock garters (!), walks out on his wedding again to deal with the mess, much to Gladys's dismay.
It turns out that the newspaper owner was responsible for keeping the heiress's father from getting into politics, and he files a libel suit for FIVE MEEELLION DOLLARS! Well, back in 1936, that must have been a lot of cash. Haggerty must stop the libel suit or else the paper will go under, and he'll be out of a job. So he thinks of Bill Chandler (William Powell).
In a nutshell, Bill ends up marrying Gladys so that when he romances Connie, the paper can claim that Connie's a homewrecker and stop their libel suit. But things are never that easy -- Bill ends up falling in love with Connie and vice versa. But inbetween, there are some hilarious moments when Bill learns how to fish so that he can impress Connie and her dad. Eventually, the two couples end up together happily.
I had seen the inferior remake of Libeled Lady (Easy to Wed, which was made ten years later, but is miles away in terms of quality), so I already knew the plot. But the actors in this version! Wow! Harlow is really excellent as Gladys, and her comic timing is superb! She is also not quite as blonde as I would have expected, and was a very good match for Tracy. Spencer Tracy is also wonderful, and it makes me like him even more! He is definitely not in "serious actor" mode in this film, and his scheming newspaper man was perfect. And Myrna Loy and William Powell! What can I say about them? They're a perfect couple, and are utterly convincing when spouting the witty dialogue that is the signature of a screwball comedy.
This is definitely a film I will be keeping, and I think I enjoyed it even more than The Thin Man!
posted by Rebecca at 11:39 AM
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