LAUGHING SINNERS (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1931), directed by Harry Beaumont, is a dramatic story that may contain some sinners in the cast, but in the most part, are not laughing, except for a scene involving a drunken party. The movie in question happens to be a new title to a Broadway play "Torch Song" by Kenyon Nicholson, starring Joan Crawford in her mission of mercy. Not as well known as one would expect, it's more notable for being Crawford's rematch under the direction of Harry Beaumont from DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE (1931), along with actor on the rise by the name of Clark Gable, elevated in the cast from seventh in the previous film to third in this latest edition. While Gable played mean tough guys in such 1931 releases as THE PAINTED DESERT (Pathe), NIGH NURSE (Warner Brothers), THE FINGER POINTS (First National), and reaching the peak of his career treating Norma Shearer rough in A FREE SOUL, LAUGHING SINNERS offers Gable an opportunity playing a nice guy as he did earlier in THE EASIEST WAY (1931), an image he would soon endure through much of his career from this point forward.
The story opens as a Pembroke train station on a rainy night where Ivy Stevens (Joan Crawford) runs to and on board the passing train where she meets with Howard Palmer (Neil Hamilton), a traveling salesman whom she has known for two years. This time she joins him and his fellow salesmen, Fred Geer (Roscoe Karns), "the sardine king," and Mike (Cliff Edwards), the ukulele singer, to their next stop. Spending time with Howard, Ivy acquires a cabaret job singing and dancing for its patrons, where she has become close friends with an older showgirl, Ruby (Marjorie Rambeau). During a performance where Ivy dedicates a song to the man she loves, Howard, it is Howard who then writes her a farewell note as he is about to run off and marry Estelle, the bosses daughter. Totally distressed and betrayed, Ivy takes a walk to jump off a bridge. Her chances of suicide are stopped by the passing Carl Loomis (Clark Gable), a Salvation Army man, who talks her out of destroying her precious gift of life. During the course of a year, Ivy, now a member of the Salvation Army, and winning new friends, meets up with Howard again. Although still married, he wants to win her back and return to her life of sin. Others in the cast include: Guy Kibbee (Cass Wheeler, a mortician salesman of "underground novelty" a role Kibbee reprised from the stage); Gertrude Short (Edna); George Cooper (Joe); George Marion (Humpty, the cabaret manager); Clara Blandick, and the dark haired, thin faced Mary Ann Jackson from those early "Our Gang" comedies for Hal Roach as the little girl in the picnic scene at Lincoln Park.
As in DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE, Crawford displays her singing and dancing ability with her night club singing, first with her "Red Hot Dance" dressed up like a bearded hillbilly in overalls and false nose; and a solo torch song spotlight singing "What Can I Do? I Love That Man" by Martin Brones and Arthur Freed.
A major change in Gable's recent villainous performances to a wider range of his newfound character. Still minus his famous mustache, Gable again gathers much attention in his second of eight collaborations opposite Crawford that would last until another religious themed/prison story, STRANGE CARGO (1940). Neil Hamilton, resumes his second lead performance as he did in other MGM productions, and Cliff Edwards, who had a sizable role in DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE, has little to do this time around. Other than her dancing and her character part of the Salvation Army crew, the big surprise here is finding the dark-haired brunette Crawford becoming a dark-haired blonde.
LAUGHING SINNERS succeeds mostly through its casting and little on its direction, but overall, a passable 72 minutes of betrayal and redemption story from a woman's point of view. Available on home video and DVD as well as broadcasts on Turner Classic Movies, especially during either Crawford or Gable tributes and festivals. (**1/2)
The story opens as a Pembroke train station on a rainy night where Ivy Stevens (Joan Crawford) runs to and on board the passing train where she meets with Howard Palmer (Neil Hamilton), a traveling salesman whom she has known for two years. This time she joins him and his fellow salesmen, Fred Geer (Roscoe Karns), "the sardine king," and Mike (Cliff Edwards), the ukulele singer, to their next stop. Spending time with Howard, Ivy acquires a cabaret job singing and dancing for its patrons, where she has become close friends with an older showgirl, Ruby (Marjorie Rambeau). During a performance where Ivy dedicates a song to the man she loves, Howard, it is Howard who then writes her a farewell note as he is about to run off and marry Estelle, the bosses daughter. Totally distressed and betrayed, Ivy takes a walk to jump off a bridge. Her chances of suicide are stopped by the passing Carl Loomis (Clark Gable), a Salvation Army man, who talks her out of destroying her precious gift of life. During the course of a year, Ivy, now a member of the Salvation Army, and winning new friends, meets up with Howard again. Although still married, he wants to win her back and return to her life of sin. Others in the cast include: Guy Kibbee (Cass Wheeler, a mortician salesman of "underground novelty" a role Kibbee reprised from the stage); Gertrude Short (Edna); George Cooper (Joe); George Marion (Humpty, the cabaret manager); Clara Blandick, and the dark haired, thin faced Mary Ann Jackson from those early "Our Gang" comedies for Hal Roach as the little girl in the picnic scene at Lincoln Park.
As in DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE, Crawford displays her singing and dancing ability with her night club singing, first with her "Red Hot Dance" dressed up like a bearded hillbilly in overalls and false nose; and a solo torch song spotlight singing "What Can I Do? I Love That Man" by Martin Brones and Arthur Freed.
A major change in Gable's recent villainous performances to a wider range of his newfound character. Still minus his famous mustache, Gable again gathers much attention in his second of eight collaborations opposite Crawford that would last until another religious themed/prison story, STRANGE CARGO (1940). Neil Hamilton, resumes his second lead performance as he did in other MGM productions, and Cliff Edwards, who had a sizable role in DANCE, FOOLS, DANCE, has little to do this time around. Other than her dancing and her character part of the Salvation Army crew, the big surprise here is finding the dark-haired brunette Crawford becoming a dark-haired blonde.
LAUGHING SINNERS succeeds mostly through its casting and little on its direction, but overall, a passable 72 minutes of betrayal and redemption story from a woman's point of view. Available on home video and DVD as well as broadcasts on Turner Classic Movies, especially during either Crawford or Gable tributes and festivals. (**1/2)