Aaah, early romance movies where marriage proposals and oaths of undying love are made after only a day. Who am I kidding, Hollywood told those tales well into the 90's; just watch "Titanic." Rose was pining for Jack seventy years later.
In "The Devil to Pay!" Willie Hale (Ronald Colman), a flighty rich playboy living off of his father, unintentionally sweeps Dorothy (Loretta Young), a rich young lady engaged to a stuffy duke, off her feet. He showed her a simple good time and she was so thrilled she fell in love.
I've already gone on record in other reviews stating how the characters in these romances aren't in love with the actual person but, rather, the idea of the person. They can't possibly be in love with the individual when they know so terribly little about him/her.
I now want to also express how the characters in these movies clearly confused a good time with love. "Oh, he makes me laugh" and "we had such a marvelous time" are usually the kind of statements you hear before "I love him." Dorothy was guilty of this very thing.
But I seem to remember another 1930 movie in which a high society girl was engaged to an incredibly stuffy duke yet fell in love with a regular guy who showed her a simple good time. It was called "Fast and Loose." I also seem to remember a movie in which two people fell in love after a few days and even though one of them didn't truly know the other he/she was convinced that the other was perfect marriage material. That happened in too many movies to list.
In "The Devil to Pay" Willie and Dorothy fall in love after a couple of days. Dorothy is tame and respectable while Willie is a fun-loving guy who throws caution to the wind. Dorothy knows almost nothing about him, but she's convinced that he's the perfect guy to marry. My solution for such rushed betrothals is simple. Wait.
Willie wants to marry Dorothy in the worst way and I can only suspect that it's because she's the latest and greatest thing in his life. Why do I suspect that? Look at his life. He's a rolling stone and he already had a sweetheart in Liverpool named Mary (Myrna Loy). When he whisked back into town at the beginning of the movie he couldn't wait to be with Mary. Once he had a fun rendezvous with Dorothy he was ready and willing to drop Mary like an anvil. I suspect he'll do the same thing to Dorothy regardless of his new marital status.
Having said all that, I simply don't enjoy these stuffy romances between society people. Their romantic interludes look so staged and the way they talk with one another is so formal and proper it looks like rehearsed flattery. This was one of the better romances and it was still a chore to watch.
In my next review look for my list of things only rich fools in love say. Sneak peak, "I don't mind being poor as long as I can be with him."
Free with Amazon Prime.
In "The Devil to Pay!" Willie Hale (Ronald Colman), a flighty rich playboy living off of his father, unintentionally sweeps Dorothy (Loretta Young), a rich young lady engaged to a stuffy duke, off her feet. He showed her a simple good time and she was so thrilled she fell in love.
I've already gone on record in other reviews stating how the characters in these romances aren't in love with the actual person but, rather, the idea of the person. They can't possibly be in love with the individual when they know so terribly little about him/her.
I now want to also express how the characters in these movies clearly confused a good time with love. "Oh, he makes me laugh" and "we had such a marvelous time" are usually the kind of statements you hear before "I love him." Dorothy was guilty of this very thing.
But I seem to remember another 1930 movie in which a high society girl was engaged to an incredibly stuffy duke yet fell in love with a regular guy who showed her a simple good time. It was called "Fast and Loose." I also seem to remember a movie in which two people fell in love after a few days and even though one of them didn't truly know the other he/she was convinced that the other was perfect marriage material. That happened in too many movies to list.
In "The Devil to Pay" Willie and Dorothy fall in love after a couple of days. Dorothy is tame and respectable while Willie is a fun-loving guy who throws caution to the wind. Dorothy knows almost nothing about him, but she's convinced that he's the perfect guy to marry. My solution for such rushed betrothals is simple. Wait.
Willie wants to marry Dorothy in the worst way and I can only suspect that it's because she's the latest and greatest thing in his life. Why do I suspect that? Look at his life. He's a rolling stone and he already had a sweetheart in Liverpool named Mary (Myrna Loy). When he whisked back into town at the beginning of the movie he couldn't wait to be with Mary. Once he had a fun rendezvous with Dorothy he was ready and willing to drop Mary like an anvil. I suspect he'll do the same thing to Dorothy regardless of his new marital status.
Having said all that, I simply don't enjoy these stuffy romances between society people. Their romantic interludes look so staged and the way they talk with one another is so formal and proper it looks like rehearsed flattery. This was one of the better romances and it was still a chore to watch.
In my next review look for my list of things only rich fools in love say. Sneak peak, "I don't mind being poor as long as I can be with him."
Free with Amazon Prime.