Tonight's Movie: When Ladies Meet (1933)
Jimmie (Robert Montgomery) loves Mary (Myrna Loy), who only has eyes for her married publisher Rogers (Frank Morgan). When Mary and Rogers arrange to rendezvous at the country home of a friend (Alice Brady), Jimmie arrives at the house unexpectedly with Rogers' wife, Claire (Ann Harding). The fireworks fly WHEN LADIES MEET.WHEN LADIES MEET is a talky but amusing film in the "sophisticated people at a country home" romantic comedy genre. Loy is not especially sympathetic as the woman who repeatedly spurns the devoted Montgomery in favor of a married man, while Montgomery and Harding are charming. It's interesting to see Morgan in a stage of his career when he was still a dashing, if slightly older, ladies' man rather than a character actor. Brady is ditziness personified.
The country house set is wonderful "eye candy," as are the gowns by Adrian. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont; Robert Z. Leonard also worked on the film without credit. The movie runs 85 minutes.
Montgomery and Loy also appeared together in NIGHT FLIGHT and PETTICOAT FEVER; the latter film was reviewed here last year. Morgan and Harding costarred in ENCHANTED APRIL in 1935.
WHEN LADIES MEET can be seen on TCM. Click here to register interest in a DVD release or request that TCM add the film to its schedule.
WHEN LADIES MEET was remade in 1941 with Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Greer Garson, Herbert Marshall, and Spring Byington in the roles originally played on film by Loy, Montgomery, Harding, Morgan, and Brady. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who (as noted above) also worked unbilled on the original film. The remake is available on video.
October 2015 Update: WHEN LADIES MEET is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive in Forbidden Hollywood Vol. 9.
posted by Laura @ 8:12 PM
2 Comments:
It astonishes me that Ann Harding's extremely grounded and nuanced acting, much ahead of its time, has escaped praise, not only from you. Having described as I did I must add she is not dull, she is quite riveting whether in reflective conversation or in the shock of discovery that in other hands would look melodramatic.
Thank you for your feedback, Gary. I'm glad to know you enjoyed this film and especially Ann Harding.
While this early review at my site didn't go into any depth, I did note that Ann was "charming." I have this film on DVD and have been planning to take a fresh look at it, given the passage of time since my first viewing; perhaps I'll write more at that point.
Best wishes,
Laura
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