I give this a 6 largely because of the presence of the never-boring Jean Harlow. Otherwise, I don't see what everyone else seems to see in the scenery-chewing Robert Williams (I'm sorry he died so young, but that has nothing to do with how i feel about his performance or the film itself). As for Loretta Young, she is a pretty piece of fluff with no character development at all. Some have said that Young and Harlow should have been cast in each other's roles; I don't know if that would have helped. At root this is a Frank Capra gig, or "joint" to use the Spike Lee expression, and we know what to expect from a Capra film- right-wing propaganda masquerading as "man of the people" straight-shooting, complete with macho-male posturing (the list of Capra films where his male protagonists sucker-punch anyone and everyone Capra himself doesn't like- liberal newspaper reporters ("Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"), New York literati ("Mr. Deeds Goes To Town"), the turgid film I am currently reviewing, in which the "hero" punches out a high-society swell unprovoked for the sin of existing - is longer than my arm. Capra believed a little fisticuffs (with the recipient unwarned and unprepared), far from being an avatar of his own quasi-fascist political leanings, were simply what a "man's man" did any time anyone ticked him off). I found the supposedly sympathetic journalist pair for whom Capra wants us to root to be thoroughly off-putting- Robert Williams especially. I found myself pulling for the high-society swells- but then I've always had a thing for Jean Harlow, who could make reading the phone book captivating. Kudos also to Louise Closser Hale, who provided so much wit in her small role two years later in "Dinner at Eight" (also featuring Harlow- terrific as always). THAT film sent up New York high society with wit and subtlety. This was ham-handed Capra-corn at its near-worst.
One more word about Robert Williams, the male lead: what, what, is so great about a guy who squawks and yammers for 1 1/2 hours about having to live among the rich, then punches out an unsuspecting man who came to him in good faith? Robert Williams? All you Robert Williams lovers- you can have him. And take Frank Capra and his phony grandstanding with you while you're at it.
One more word about Robert Williams, the male lead: what, what, is so great about a guy who squawks and yammers for 1 1/2 hours about having to live among the rich, then punches out an unsuspecting man who came to him in good faith? Robert Williams? All you Robert Williams lovers- you can have him. And take Frank Capra and his phony grandstanding with you while you're at it.