 "Top flight fun" | 2009-10-07 |
| - Reviewed By C. Calkins |
| Classic 1930's comedy with top notch catch of Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, William Powell, and Jean Harlow. If you love classic comedies, this one will delight you. |
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 ""I Thought that was Rather Clever of Me." "I Thought You Thought So."" | 2009-06-11 |
| - Reviewed By Mark Baker from Santa Clarita, CA United States |
Today is the day that Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracey) is finally supposed to marry long time fiance Gladys (Jean Harlow). But he escapes this horrible fate when a crisis erupts as the New York Star where he is the managing editor. Seems his paper has run an item about flamboyant heiress Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) claiming she is a husband stealer. Connie is planning to sue the paper for five million dollars (which was quite the sum when the movie was released in 1936).
Haggerty comes up with a brilliant plan to stop the suit. He hires ladies man Bill Chandler (William Powell) to marry Gladys then turn around and sweep Connie off her feet. That way, the story in the paper will be true and Connie will have to drop her suit. Will it work? Or will complications overwhelm everyone involved?
I had never even heard of this comedy until my boss started raving about it. And he was right; it was very enjoyable. Once the premise is set up, you are in for some fun times. The plot didn't quite go as I thought it would from the start, which drew me into the story. As it progressed, I got more caught up in the complications. There is a fishing scene that is absolutely hysterical. The ending was a bit rushed and, honestly, not completely believable. But it works.
I think what really got me were the characters. While I never did really warm up to Haggerty, I loved the other three. All the actors did a superb job bringing them to life. They provided a spark that kept me entertained even in the slower early scenes.
As others have noted, this DVD release is disappointing with way too much dust and defects in the picture. The sound is fine, however.
Overlook the poor DVD, however, because this film is definitely worth watching. You'll laugh as you get caught in the tangle. |
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| "Near Classic in Mediocre DVD Release" | 2009-02-20 |
| - Reviewed By GFT from Biloxi, MS USA |
Although it became home to the Marx Brothers and their unique brand of comic anarchy, and although the studio had an abundance of comic talent, glossy MGM seldom dabbled with full-throttle screwball comedy. On the very rare occasions it did, the studio usually turned three stars: William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Jean Harlow, all three top box draws and all three remarkably gifted at playing complex comic dialogue.
In 1936 Jean Harlow was easily among MGM's most popular stars and she receives top billing in the 1936 LIBELED LADY--but in truth the film was very specifically designed as a vehicle for William Powell and Myrna Loy, whose powerful screen chemistry had proven box office gold in their every teaming. The cast was rounded out with Spencer Tracy and such popular character actors as Walter Connolly, Cora Witherspoon, Charley Grapewin, and E.E. Clive.
Like all screwball comedies, the plot of LIBELED LADY is ridiculously complicated. When heiress Connie Allenbury (Loy) is libeled by a New York newspaper, editor Haggerty (Tracy) hires ladykiller Bill Chandler (William Powell) to place Connie in a compromising position, allowing Bill's wife to file suit against Connie for alienation of affection and thus undermine Connnie's own suit against the newspaper. Since Bill is not married, Haggerty coaxes his own long-suffering girlfriend Gladys (Harlow) into legally marrying Bill and playing out the role. But there are no flies on Connie, and Bill is so impressed by her that he is soon in love and unwilling to go through with the scheme--and Gladys finds Bill more to her taste than Haggerty, and having married him is now loathe to let him go.
All four players are very close to the peak of their powers. Powell and Loy sparkle and shine as only they can; Harlow gives another memorable turn as a doll-faced, hard-mouthed and blowsy blonde; and while we tend to think of Tracy as a dramatic actor, he wasn't short on comedy chops. They make for a wonderful quartette. But while the characters are great and the plot is near-perfect, the script actually leaves something to be desired, never really veering over the edge into the inspired craziness one expects from the screwball genre. It's memorable, it's fun, but it doesn't equal the likes of IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, THEODORA GOES WILD, BOMBSHELL, THE LADY EVE, or the other great classics of the genre.
The DVD release is sloppy. Bonuses include the theatrical trailer and a radio promotion, and these are mildly enjoyable, but the film itself is in surprisingly mediocre condition. It's certainly watchable, but far from pristine, and a film of this stature deserves better. Even so, and although the film itself misses the status of "absolute classic" by a hair, LIBELED LADY is lots and lots of fun. Strongly recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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| "Wonderful Film" | 2008-11-08 |
| - Reviewed By J. Miller |
| I can watch this film over and over and never get tired of it. William Powell and Myrna Loy are my favorite on-screen pair of this era in film, and to add the amazing talents of Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow--well, it's just fantastic to watch. Regardless of the quality of the DVD, I give this film 5 stars! |
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| "They don't make comedies like this anymore!" | 2008-11-04 |
| - Reviewed By Nicoletta Carlone from Los Angeles |
| This is a wonderful movie with a great cast: Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy, William Powell and Spencer Tracey, you really can't get much better then that. The writing in this movie is superb and very witty, nothing like they write for today's films. The comedy is laugh out loud funny. William Powell is especiallt great in this movie. He has a scene with some very funny physical comedy in this movie where he is fishing and trying to get control of a fish and ends up being pulled downstream. If you love classic screwball comedies, buy this, you won't regret it. |
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| "Hilarious!" | 2008-03-22 |
| - Reviewed By classicmoviefan from USA |
| This is a great slapstick comedy! Spencer Tracy (before he teamed up with Katharine Hepburn)plays Warren Haggerty, a newspaperman who's company gets slapped with a $5 million dollar libel suit for printing a false story about a young socialite (Myrna Loy). He has to try and have her drop the lawsuit - and what better way to do that than have her get caught with a married (supposedly) man. He convinces an old co-worker of his (William Powell) to marry his fiancee (Jean Harlow). Just until he can get the story printed, of course. But when William Powell ends up falling in love with Connie, Spencer's plan starts to fall apart. But all ends well, and both women realize who there true love really is. This is a great movie from the 30's! |
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