Every time I see a William Powell film that I haven't seen before, I walk away with even more admiration for him. Honestly, he may make it to my upper tier of actors soon (Spencer Tracy, Ronald Colman, and Cary Grant); he's so close already. And this film repeated that pattern...in this case because of the really off-beat Powell plays so well here.
And while this is very much Powell's picture, Myrna Loy provides the balance to Powell's character. I did have a little trouble seeing Loy's character married to Powell's character. A sequel would have been great to explore that.
For me, however, there are 2 problems with this film. The first is the first 15 minutes of the film. Frankly, it should have been totally rewritten with a better scenario. But after we get to Powell and Loy interacting, things turn around pretty well.
The other problem is the supporting cast. Florence Rice is "okay" as the second female love interest. But John Beal floats along like a rock in water. Jessie Ralph as an elderly friend is the one standout among the supporting actors/actresses. And -- unfortunately -- Sidney Toler is along as the butler, and once again proves he had virtually no talent.
So, for me, the film was uneven. But William Powell's masterful comedy instincts make this a film worth savoring, while overlooking the problems with the film.
And while this is very much Powell's picture, Myrna Loy provides the balance to Powell's character. I did have a little trouble seeing Loy's character married to Powell's character. A sequel would have been great to explore that.
For me, however, there are 2 problems with this film. The first is the first 15 minutes of the film. Frankly, it should have been totally rewritten with a better scenario. But after we get to Powell and Loy interacting, things turn around pretty well.
The other problem is the supporting cast. Florence Rice is "okay" as the second female love interest. But John Beal floats along like a rock in water. Jessie Ralph as an elderly friend is the one standout among the supporting actors/actresses. And -- unfortunately -- Sidney Toler is along as the butler, and once again proves he had virtually no talent.
So, for me, the film was uneven. But William Powell's masterful comedy instincts make this a film worth savoring, while overlooking the problems with the film.