When are frenemies more enemies than friends? I'd say if they break up a happy home they've crossed over clear into enemy territory.
"The Greeks Had a Word for Them" aka "Broadway Girls" starred three friends... er... two friends and one frenemy. Schatzi (Joan Blondell) and Polaire (Madge Evans) were the true friends while Jean Lawrence (Ina Claire) was the backstabbing schemer who feigned friendship.
The movie began with a line stating:
"Throughout the Ages, half of the women of the world have been working women, and the rest of the women have been working men."
It took me a moment, but the old noggin eventually got it. The rest have been "working men" much like a con man works his mark. It's a silly premise for a silly movie.
All three were looking for a successful man to date or marry. Schatzi settled on an older man affectionately called Pops, Polaire was seriously dating a man named Dey Emery (David Manners), while Jean was on the periphery ready to pick off whoever was the best prospect regardless of who claimed him.
Our first introduction to Jean was on a ship. She used her feminine wiles to coax $60 from a man to pay her drink tab. The next time we saw her she was with her pals, Schatzi and Polaire. She and Polaire got into a small fight because Polaire didn't want Jean anywhere around her new beau because she always takes her man.
And she did it again.
Jean was a contemptible gold digger. She barely hid her motives with men, yet they were more than happy to dole out whatever they could just to be in her presence. It was a pathetic scene in which both she and her mark looked pitiful. She for shamelessly hunting for money, and he for shamelessly getting suckered. But like I say, it's all good for a gold digger to fleece her man as long as he's aware that's why she's with him. He's paying for the eye candy and for her to make him feel good, so it's an even exchange.
Jean crossed the line when she interfered with Polaire getting married. She pulled a trick whereby she made it seem as though Polaire stole her pearls. The result was Dey Emery having a lower opinion of Polaire (instead of believing his fiance) after which Polaire walked out on him. Jean then hooked up with Dey's father, Justin (Phillips Smalley), because after seeing her he was horny enough to hump sandpaper.
I could not have been prouder of Polaire and more disgusted with Dey's father. Polaire was rightly upset and disappointed that her own fiance believed a gold digging hussy over her. As for Dey's father, after he gave his son a stern lecture about not letting women use him for his money, he up and proposed to Jean simply because she stood before him in her undergarments.
In the end Jean didn't marry Justin (Phillips Smalley), Dey's father. No, she didn't grow a conscience, she thought there would be more of an opportunity for money with Schatzi and Polaire in France. I kinda wish she would've married Justin and milked him for all he was worth just because a man that gullible should be bilked.
The ending was less than satisfactory. Jean reunited with her two pals, Dey chased down and reunited with Polaire, Justin Emery was saved from marrying a gold digger, and everyone lived happily ever after. In my rewrite Jean would've married Justin and then been his downfall. He would've gone broke then she would've left him to reunite with Schazi and Polaire except they would shun her leaving her to be alone having to work for her pay. Dey would've chased down Polaire to profess his love and how wrong he was, and she would've told him about himself. Polaire and Schazi would then find the loves of their lives and live happily ever after.
Free with Amazon Prime.
"The Greeks Had a Word for Them" aka "Broadway Girls" starred three friends... er... two friends and one frenemy. Schatzi (Joan Blondell) and Polaire (Madge Evans) were the true friends while Jean Lawrence (Ina Claire) was the backstabbing schemer who feigned friendship.
The movie began with a line stating:
"Throughout the Ages, half of the women of the world have been working women, and the rest of the women have been working men."
It took me a moment, but the old noggin eventually got it. The rest have been "working men" much like a con man works his mark. It's a silly premise for a silly movie.
All three were looking for a successful man to date or marry. Schatzi settled on an older man affectionately called Pops, Polaire was seriously dating a man named Dey Emery (David Manners), while Jean was on the periphery ready to pick off whoever was the best prospect regardless of who claimed him.
Our first introduction to Jean was on a ship. She used her feminine wiles to coax $60 from a man to pay her drink tab. The next time we saw her she was with her pals, Schatzi and Polaire. She and Polaire got into a small fight because Polaire didn't want Jean anywhere around her new beau because she always takes her man.
And she did it again.
Jean was a contemptible gold digger. She barely hid her motives with men, yet they were more than happy to dole out whatever they could just to be in her presence. It was a pathetic scene in which both she and her mark looked pitiful. She for shamelessly hunting for money, and he for shamelessly getting suckered. But like I say, it's all good for a gold digger to fleece her man as long as he's aware that's why she's with him. He's paying for the eye candy and for her to make him feel good, so it's an even exchange.
Jean crossed the line when she interfered with Polaire getting married. She pulled a trick whereby she made it seem as though Polaire stole her pearls. The result was Dey Emery having a lower opinion of Polaire (instead of believing his fiance) after which Polaire walked out on him. Jean then hooked up with Dey's father, Justin (Phillips Smalley), because after seeing her he was horny enough to hump sandpaper.
I could not have been prouder of Polaire and more disgusted with Dey's father. Polaire was rightly upset and disappointed that her own fiance believed a gold digging hussy over her. As for Dey's father, after he gave his son a stern lecture about not letting women use him for his money, he up and proposed to Jean simply because she stood before him in her undergarments.
In the end Jean didn't marry Justin (Phillips Smalley), Dey's father. No, she didn't grow a conscience, she thought there would be more of an opportunity for money with Schatzi and Polaire in France. I kinda wish she would've married Justin and milked him for all he was worth just because a man that gullible should be bilked.
The ending was less than satisfactory. Jean reunited with her two pals, Dey chased down and reunited with Polaire, Justin Emery was saved from marrying a gold digger, and everyone lived happily ever after. In my rewrite Jean would've married Justin and then been his downfall. He would've gone broke then she would've left him to reunite with Schazi and Polaire except they would shun her leaving her to be alone having to work for her pay. Dey would've chased down Polaire to profess his love and how wrong he was, and she would've told him about himself. Polaire and Schazi would then find the loves of their lives and live happily ever after.
Free with Amazon Prime.