The movie stars Tallulah Bankhead and Robert Montgomery and depicts a slice of life during the stock market crash and subsequent depression. The dapper Montgomery (father of Bewitched’s Samantha) is always interesting to watch. Bankhead is so over the top that it becomes obvious why she was so much more successful on the stage than in movies. For all her notoriety, she made very few movies, and is probably best known film-wise for “Lifeboat” (and for the expression “Hello, Dahling”).
Neither character is really believable as each falls into hardship, because their high society personalities remain rock solid. But like many movies before and since, the story does show how desperate circumstances can drive one into doing desperate things. Bankhead begins as a superficial, selfish woman and morphs into an understanding, self-sacrificing wife. You will have to watch it to find out what occurs and how it happens.
Look for Sterling Holloway as a photographer, and Hugh Herbert as the sleazy, wealthy Mr. Blainey. In the credits you will see Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons and Sound by Douglas Shearer. The names may not ring any bells today but both gentlemen have thousands of movie credits; give them their due.
“You’re just being a quixotic fool.”
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