Talllulah Bankhead plays Nancy Courtney, a woman who is in love with a poor writer and whose father's death reveals that he did manage to take it with him. The family is broke. I don't know why "the tarnished lady" is supposed to describe Nancy, because every other woman in this film acts much worse than her. First there is Elizabeth Patterson as her mother, who has Nancy's arm bent around her back nagging her to marry the rich but dull Norman Cravath (Clive Brooks), so, as the mother-in-law, she can sponge off of him. Nancy is in love with a poor writer (Osgood Perkins as Ben), who seems to love her back.
But Nancy wants her mother to be taken care of and so she marries the likable but dull Norman. Meanwhile the other tarnished lady, (Phoebe Foster as Germaine) is angry because Norman dumped her for Nancy, so she does cute little things like set up dinner parties with Ben the poor writer and Nancy in attendance. Norman is clueless about their past relationship.
Well the never seen but rich Aunt Judy dies, and Nancy rushes right over to Norman's office to dump him. She does let him down easy, but this is the first time this guy gets that he was married for his money. And he is supposed to be the wolf of Wall Street? Well, maybe not, because that very morning he has lost his shirt in the market, although Nancy knows none of this. Nancy tells him that Aunt Judy left her mother enough money so that she will be taken care and that she wants her freedom so she can go back to the man she really loves, the writer, Ben.
Well Nancy gets a surprise that day too, because she catches Ben in his pajamas with...Germaine! Apparently, Ben has been doing some social climbing this past year himself. So Nancy has no money, no man, and is out pounding the pavements for a job. Norman has no money, no wife, and is out pounding the pavements looking for financial backing. How does this all work out? Watch and find out.
Phoebe Foster, who was 36 when she played Germaine here, looked every year of that age and frankly looked to old to compete with Nancy for either of her fellows. Alexander Kirkland plays a small but vital role as a best friend with no ulterior motives to both Nancy and Norman, both before and after their separation. Elizabeth Patterson is terrific as Nancy's mother who thinks everything is all about her. She doesn't care that her daughter is in a loveless marriage as long as she gets dough, and when she gets her sister's inheritance she apparently embarks on world travel without a thought as to how her daughter is doing. That is left up to Kirkland's character.
Cukor's direction is wonderful here as he gets a very good performance out of everybody concerned, especially Tallulah Bankhead, who shows great range here despite the trite script in which she is encased. I'd recommend it.
But Nancy wants her mother to be taken care of and so she marries the likable but dull Norman. Meanwhile the other tarnished lady, (Phoebe Foster as Germaine) is angry because Norman dumped her for Nancy, so she does cute little things like set up dinner parties with Ben the poor writer and Nancy in attendance. Norman is clueless about their past relationship.
Well the never seen but rich Aunt Judy dies, and Nancy rushes right over to Norman's office to dump him. She does let him down easy, but this is the first time this guy gets that he was married for his money. And he is supposed to be the wolf of Wall Street? Well, maybe not, because that very morning he has lost his shirt in the market, although Nancy knows none of this. Nancy tells him that Aunt Judy left her mother enough money so that she will be taken care and that she wants her freedom so she can go back to the man she really loves, the writer, Ben.
Well Nancy gets a surprise that day too, because she catches Ben in his pajamas with...Germaine! Apparently, Ben has been doing some social climbing this past year himself. So Nancy has no money, no man, and is out pounding the pavements for a job. Norman has no money, no wife, and is out pounding the pavements looking for financial backing. How does this all work out? Watch and find out.
Phoebe Foster, who was 36 when she played Germaine here, looked every year of that age and frankly looked to old to compete with Nancy for either of her fellows. Alexander Kirkland plays a small but vital role as a best friend with no ulterior motives to both Nancy and Norman, both before and after their separation. Elizabeth Patterson is terrific as Nancy's mother who thinks everything is all about her. She doesn't care that her daughter is in a loveless marriage as long as she gets dough, and when she gets her sister's inheritance she apparently embarks on world travel without a thought as to how her daughter is doing. That is left up to Kirkland's character.
Cukor's direction is wonderful here as he gets a very good performance out of everybody concerned, especially Tallulah Bankhead, who shows great range here despite the trite script in which she is encased. I'd recommend it.