It's all very predictable but written, acted and produced so exceptionally well that this nonsense becomes strangely enjoyable. What's astonishing is how well made and modern this is - it's hard to believe this was made in 1931.
Essentially this film is just an excuse for Ronald Colman just to do what Ronald Colman does: be charming, suave, witty and nonchalantly amusing. That basically it and you'll wonder if a whole picture can be nothing more than Ronald Colman doing Ronald Colman...surely he can't pull that off for a whole hour and a half - but he does!
In comparison with the dross which comprised the majority of what was being churned out in 1931, this is such a refreshing exception. Watching this, you can understand why Sam Goldwyn, all these years later, is still remembered as one of Hollywood's greatest producers. He made sure everything was perfect, he knew exactly how to entertain an audience, he knew how to make pictures. What's also refreshing is that this is a comedy about the super-rich, the English aristocracy in fact and yet the characters are normal, they're believable and kind of real. They're neither the bloated, pompous stuffed shirts or the cold, emotionless, evil and callous caricatures which they're normally portrayed as - they're just real people acting normally.
It's not just the star who shines in this. Besides the outrageously likeable Mr Colman, we've got a cute dog, we've got Myrna Loy being a blonde bombshell with an English accent, we've got loveable old grump Frederick Kerr (of Frankenstein and numerous Jessie Matthews comedies) not to mention Loretta Young. No, why would we not want to mention Loretta Young? She's remarkable in this - not only is she impossibly pretty (if this were made now, you'd think she had to be CGI generated because it's hard to believe that anyone can look so absolutely perfect) but she acts as though she's being doing talkies for decades. The big, big, big question you will ask yourself when watching this is: if this whole crew can act so well, so convincing and naturally why, oh why is the acting in most 1931 films was so truly awful!
This is not a hidden gem or anything like that but it's pleasant and amusing. What this guarantees and importantly it does it without being at all slushy and sentimental in any way (again refreshing for a 1931 film), is a cheerful and warm hug. The script is still actually quite funny today which I think is because it doesn't resort to being stupid or slapstick so it can still raise a smile from a modern audience. As fluffy lightweight romantic comedies go, this is one of the best.
Essentially this film is just an excuse for Ronald Colman just to do what Ronald Colman does: be charming, suave, witty and nonchalantly amusing. That basically it and you'll wonder if a whole picture can be nothing more than Ronald Colman doing Ronald Colman...surely he can't pull that off for a whole hour and a half - but he does!
In comparison with the dross which comprised the majority of what was being churned out in 1931, this is such a refreshing exception. Watching this, you can understand why Sam Goldwyn, all these years later, is still remembered as one of Hollywood's greatest producers. He made sure everything was perfect, he knew exactly how to entertain an audience, he knew how to make pictures. What's also refreshing is that this is a comedy about the super-rich, the English aristocracy in fact and yet the characters are normal, they're believable and kind of real. They're neither the bloated, pompous stuffed shirts or the cold, emotionless, evil and callous caricatures which they're normally portrayed as - they're just real people acting normally.
It's not just the star who shines in this. Besides the outrageously likeable Mr Colman, we've got a cute dog, we've got Myrna Loy being a blonde bombshell with an English accent, we've got loveable old grump Frederick Kerr (of Frankenstein and numerous Jessie Matthews comedies) not to mention Loretta Young. No, why would we not want to mention Loretta Young? She's remarkable in this - not only is she impossibly pretty (if this were made now, you'd think she had to be CGI generated because it's hard to believe that anyone can look so absolutely perfect) but she acts as though she's being doing talkies for decades. The big, big, big question you will ask yourself when watching this is: if this whole crew can act so well, so convincing and naturally why, oh why is the acting in most 1931 films was so truly awful!
This is not a hidden gem or anything like that but it's pleasant and amusing. What this guarantees and importantly it does it without being at all slushy and sentimental in any way (again refreshing for a 1931 film), is a cheerful and warm hug. The script is still actually quite funny today which I think is because it doesn't resort to being stupid or slapstick so it can still raise a smile from a modern audience. As fluffy lightweight romantic comedies go, this is one of the best.