Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday and the last recurring installment for now in our series of posts comparing the Pre-Code and Under-the-Code versions of several classic films. When the cat is let out of the bag, Harding gives Loy some common-sense advice about straying husbands and the fireworks begin.
Adding terrific energy and humor to the proceedings is Alice Brady as their cynical hostess; she almost single-handedly steals the movie. This witty and literate film is obviously an adaptation of a work intended for the stage, and one has the impression that not much was changed during the drafting of the screenplay. In fact, one of the initial complaints by reviewers of the time found the work far too wordy for a medium that was designed to tell stories primarily through images.
The success of the story is only made possible by the supreme casting. Meanwhile, Harding and Loy are cast in type as the wife and mistress, respectively, with the former radiating an etherial femininity and the latter employing the sophisticated spunk of a modern woman who thinks she knows what she wants. But the principle hinderance with the later adaptation is the comparatively weaker casting and their unsuitable modes of performances. As with before, the husband Herbert Marshall over which both ladies are in an unawares competition, is far less appealing than the hero Robert Taylor.
Furthermore, he lacks strong chemistry with the two women — Joan Crawford, the mistress; and Greer Garson, the wife. While Garson is great at projecting an interesting combination of fire and ice on the screen, she never makes choices that surprise or excite. Take the Pre-Code version. Come back next Wednesday for a new Wildcard post! And tune in on Monday for another forgotten musical!
