The plot of "Penthouse" has a feel of soap opera, daytime drama and heavier crime mystery. It's not a particularly beguiling story. But the plot brings several very different and interesting characters together. Not the least, by far, are the male and female leads. Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy provide the best dialog that is peppered with occasional witty comments.
Baxter's Jackson Durant is a very different attorney. Wealthy from the law firm his family founded, he doesn't go along with the reigning top partners of the firm. Handling estates and investments, deeds and wills of wealthy old ladies is not his idea of practicing law. He wants to be where the excitement is. So, he handles a headline criminal case, and befriends a crime group boss, Tony Gazotti. This must be one of the meatier roles for Nat Pendleton, and still with his street-guy persona, he does a good job.
Gazotti likes Durant, but Durant isn't a crook's lawyer, and won't represent Tony's organization. His interest and service were solely in the line of justice with the law. He saw Gazotti was getting a bum rap, so he defended him to get him off.
All of that sets the stage for more, and it's still some time before the leading lady enters the scene. But when she does Myrna Loy's Gertie Waxted gets the spotlight. This is not the Myrna Loy of the witty Thin Man series, or run of comedies with William Powell; or the perfect housewife of some later films. No, this was the young Myrna playing a working girl who dated some of the shady characters. But, she is captivating in her honesty and straightforwardness, and her desire to help Durant find the killer of her girlfriend, Mimi Montagne, played very well by Mae Clarke.
The film is billed as a romance as well, but that isn't so apparent throughout -- to the credit of the plot. The variety of characters in the cast includes several more. The best of these are C. Henry Gordon as Jim Crelliman, Phillips Holmes as Tom Siddall, and Charles Butterworth as Durant's butler, Layton.
This film is entertaining but nothing along the lines of the clever Thin Man or other mysteries. Viewers know very early on how the main murder is committed and who's behind it, if not the actual murderer. Here are some favorite lines from the film.
Jackson Durant, "As a matter of idle curiosity, will you tell me why I slept at that end?" Layton, "You said you wished to sleep with your head toward the entrance."
Durant, "Yes, I vaguely remember I went to a party last night. Where was it?" Layton, "Right here, sir." Durant, "Uh, did I have a good time?" Layton, "Yes." Durant,, "Good."
Layton, "You were in a very generous mood, sir. But I persuaded the young lady to whom you gave the grand piano it would be difficult to get movers over at night."
Layton, "What is it, sir? What is it?" Durant, after hanging up on a threatening phone call, "Someone's just convinced me that Siddall is innocent."
Jackson Durant, "Music is certainly a wonderful thing. I meet you and five minutes later you're in my arms." Gertie Waxted, "Do you have to have music?" Durant, "I don't know. Do I?" Gertie, "I refuse to answer on the grounds it may incriminate and degrade me."
Durant, "If I give you anything, I'll demand payment." Gertie, "I hate to be in debt."
Durant, "You know, I've got some eggs at my place that are just longing to be scrambled by you." Gertie, "Well, I hate to keep an egg waiting. Let's go.''
Durant, "My advice to you is put your money in government bonds." Stevens, played by Robert E. O'Connor, "Hmm, mmm. You can't cuddle up to a government bond."
Durant, "I'm afraid you think I'm taking advantage of you." Gertie, "I'm afraid you won't."
Tony Gazotti, "I'd give you my right arm, and I ain't no south paw."
Durant, "You may be betting your life." Gertie, "When I bet, I bet all."
Baxter's Jackson Durant is a very different attorney. Wealthy from the law firm his family founded, he doesn't go along with the reigning top partners of the firm. Handling estates and investments, deeds and wills of wealthy old ladies is not his idea of practicing law. He wants to be where the excitement is. So, he handles a headline criminal case, and befriends a crime group boss, Tony Gazotti. This must be one of the meatier roles for Nat Pendleton, and still with his street-guy persona, he does a good job.
Gazotti likes Durant, but Durant isn't a crook's lawyer, and won't represent Tony's organization. His interest and service were solely in the line of justice with the law. He saw Gazotti was getting a bum rap, so he defended him to get him off.
All of that sets the stage for more, and it's still some time before the leading lady enters the scene. But when she does Myrna Loy's Gertie Waxted gets the spotlight. This is not the Myrna Loy of the witty Thin Man series, or run of comedies with William Powell; or the perfect housewife of some later films. No, this was the young Myrna playing a working girl who dated some of the shady characters. But, she is captivating in her honesty and straightforwardness, and her desire to help Durant find the killer of her girlfriend, Mimi Montagne, played very well by Mae Clarke.
The film is billed as a romance as well, but that isn't so apparent throughout -- to the credit of the plot. The variety of characters in the cast includes several more. The best of these are C. Henry Gordon as Jim Crelliman, Phillips Holmes as Tom Siddall, and Charles Butterworth as Durant's butler, Layton.
This film is entertaining but nothing along the lines of the clever Thin Man or other mysteries. Viewers know very early on how the main murder is committed and who's behind it, if not the actual murderer. Here are some favorite lines from the film.
Jackson Durant, "As a matter of idle curiosity, will you tell me why I slept at that end?" Layton, "You said you wished to sleep with your head toward the entrance."
Durant, "Yes, I vaguely remember I went to a party last night. Where was it?" Layton, "Right here, sir." Durant, "Uh, did I have a good time?" Layton, "Yes." Durant,, "Good."
Layton, "You were in a very generous mood, sir. But I persuaded the young lady to whom you gave the grand piano it would be difficult to get movers over at night."
Layton, "What is it, sir? What is it?" Durant, after hanging up on a threatening phone call, "Someone's just convinced me that Siddall is innocent."
Jackson Durant, "Music is certainly a wonderful thing. I meet you and five minutes later you're in my arms." Gertie Waxted, "Do you have to have music?" Durant, "I don't know. Do I?" Gertie, "I refuse to answer on the grounds it may incriminate and degrade me."
Durant, "If I give you anything, I'll demand payment." Gertie, "I hate to be in debt."
Durant, "You know, I've got some eggs at my place that are just longing to be scrambled by you." Gertie, "Well, I hate to keep an egg waiting. Let's go.''
Durant, "My advice to you is put your money in government bonds." Stevens, played by Robert E. O'Connor, "Hmm, mmm. You can't cuddle up to a government bond."
Durant, "I'm afraid you think I'm taking advantage of you." Gertie, "I'm afraid you won't."
Tony Gazotti, "I'd give you my right arm, and I ain't no south paw."
Durant, "You may be betting your life." Gertie, "When I bet, I bet all."