Tonight's Movie: Lovin' the Ladies (1930) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

I've continued working my way through the films of Richard Dix with LOVIN' THE LADIES (1930), available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

LOVIN' THE LADIES is a diverting 65-minute country house farce. The movie feels like a filmed stage play, which it is, but it's nonetheless enjoyable.

Wealthy Jimmy Farnsworth (Allen Kearns) bets his friend George (Selmer Jackson) that he can make any two people fall in love, and selects as his targets his electrician Peter (Dix) and wealthy Betty (Renee Macready). Jimmy offers Peter half of the $5000 bet if he will play along and court Betty.

Peter could use a cash infusion for his brother's education and agrees, but the first wrinkle comes when Peter meets and falls in love with Jimmy's fiancee Joan (Lois Wilson). What's more, Betty is attracted to Jimmy's Oxford-educated butler, Brooks (Anthony Bushell).

Further complicating matters are Louise (Rita LaRoy), who throws herself at Peter in an attempt to scuttle the bet, and Joan's maid Marie (Virginia Sale), who's aware Peter isn't the "gentleman" he claims to be.

The movie has the feel of one of those films transitioning out of the silent era, with intertitle cards setting the change of scene from time to time. Between that and the filmed play aspect, the movie has a certain quaintness, but it's overcome by Dix's good-natured working man and Wilson's sweetness. Dix and Bushell's discussions about Shakespeare and the silliness of their wealthy employers are also a lot of fun. The movie made for a pleasant and enjoyable hour and five minutes.

LOVIN' THE LADIES was directed by Melville W. Brown and filmed by Edward Cronjager.

The print of this 1930 film shows its age but on the whole is in good shape. There are no extras.

Previous reviews of Richard Dix films: THE PUBLIC DEFENDER (1931), HELL'S HIGHWAY (1932), ROAR OF THE DRAGON (1932), HIS GREATEST GAMBLE (1934), THE ARIZONIAN (1935), SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR (1936), YELLOW DUST (1936), IT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD (1937), BLIND ALIBI (1938), SKY GIANT (1938), TWELVE CROWDED HOURS (1939), MEN AGAINST THE SKY (1940), THE ROUNDUP (1941), TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE (1942), and THE KANSAN (1943).

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive releases are MOD (manufactured on demand) and may be ordered from Amazon and other online retailers.