Tonight's Movie: It's a Wise Child (1931) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Last year I attended two days of the Cinecon Classic Film Festival, but I was disappointed I was unable to catch IT'S A WISE CHILD (1931), a rarely seen pre-Code comedy starring Marion Davies.

Very happily IT'S A WISE CHILD has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

Like LETTY LYNTON (1932), which is due out in the immediate future, the underlying play by Laurence E. Johnson has fallen into the public domain, clearing the path for release.

Davies plays Joyce Stanton, a free spirit who has managed to become engaged to an elderly banker (Robert McWade) while also dating one of his clerks (Lester Vail).

Joyce exasperates her family's loyal attorney and trustee Steve (Stanley Blackmer), who has secretly loved her for many years and continues to bail her out of various scrapes.

Joyce ending up in jail after the police raid a roadhouse is bad enough, but when she's spotted visiting a maternity nurse soon thereafter, the town gossips go crazy, starting with the banker's sister (Emily Fitzroy).

The thought is that Joyce "needs to get married" immediately...but who's the "lucky" man?

Meanwhile, Joyce is actually covering up for her brother Bill (Ben Alexander), whose brief secret marriage to housemaid Annie (Marie Prevost) has led Annie to expect a future blessing. But Annie and Bill are no longer in love, and Annie's old flame, ice man Cool Kelly (James Gleason), is mooning after Annie...

Needless to say, this is a very "pre-Code" plot; the characters dance around using specific terms like "pregnant," but the scandalous goings-on are made quite clear.

There is a *lot* of plot packed into this 83-minute film, which occasionally betrays its stagebound origins, with characters entering and exiting the house "stage"; that said, the film keeps things moving at a sprightly pace, though it's slightly overstuffed with characters. Joyce's sister and brother-in-law (Hilda Vaughn and Johnny Arthur) are fairly extraneous to the proceedings and could easily have been excised.

On the other hand, what's not to love about Polly Moran's long-suffering housemaid Bertha, who constantly shuffles back and forth to both the front and back doors to admit a variety of characters. She's very funny, and she amused me more as the film went along.

As for Davies, I've come to realize over time that she's an underrated comic gem. Yes, Joyce can be a thoughtless pill, but rather in the way of some of Deanna Durbin's characters, you forgive her simply because she's Marion Davies! A scene where she accompanies Steve's rundown of her bad behavior with melodramatic piano chords was especially funny.

I associate Sidney Blackmer with older characters, such as Tracy Lord's father in HIGH SOCIETY (1956), so I enjoyed seeing him in this as a relatively young -- mid 30s -- romantic lead. His constant care for Joyce was endearing, and I loved his happy ending. (I trust this isn't a spoiler; after all, this is a romantic comedy!)

Speaking of happy endings, there's also an adorable proposal scene between Gleason and Prevost.

If you blink you might miss it, but Clara Blandick's family matriarch is addressed as "Auntie Em," which was a jolt given that's the role she would become known for just a few years later, in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939).

IT'S A WISE CHILD was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and filmed by Oliver T. Marsh.

The Blu-ray print is from a 1080p HD master from a new 4K scan of the "best preservation elements." It's slightly soft, as one would expect from a film of this vintage, but it looks very good and is free of skips, crackles, or lines marring the picture. The Warner Archive can always be counted on to present films in the best possible light.

I had to turn my TV volume up rather significantly past the spot where I usually set it for Warner Archive Blu-rays, but other than that the sound was fine, with clear dialogue. Optional English captions are included.

Disc extras consist of two shorts with Polly Moran: The 16-minute CRAZY HOUSE (1930), in two-strip Technicolor, and THE ROUNDER (1930), a 20-minute short costarring Jack Benny. Also included are the cartoons BOSKO'S FOX HUNT (1931) and BOSKO'S SODA FOUNTAIN (1931).

IT'S A WISE CHILD had me chuckling as I watched this new Blu-ray, and I hope I have the chance to watch it with an appreciative audience at a future film festival.

Classic film fans, especially those who love pre-Codes and/or Marion Davies, will want to check out this disc; what a treat to have this movie readily available in a nice print at long last!

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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