Ann Harding gets top billing in this lesser known Philip Barry (Holiday, The Philadelphia Story) play that remains civil from end to end without much rancor. A drawing room drama it varies little from stage blocking with director Edward Griffith (including an assist from George Cukor ) leaving it to the professionals to deliver the goods performance wise.
Book publisher Tom Collier ( Leslie Howard), unsatisfied with producing tripe mulls selling the business while preparing to marry a somewhat mercenary woman played by Myrna Loy who shows signs of upending his lifestyle completely, symbolized by the fact she wants to rid the house of Tom's butler and ersatz buddy (William Gargan). She's the opposite of Daisy (Harding) a woman led to believe she would be with vacillating Tom.
Harding made 20 films during an 8 year run, many pre-code before retiring the first time. In Kingdom she runs hot and cold with both strong and weak scenes with Howard. Howard plays his typical romantic dreamer well, while the calculating materialistic Loy character follows suit with William Gargan providing the comedy relief along with an assist from Ilka Chase.
While it plods in moments Animal Kingdom is overall a well mannered and soberly presented sophisticated drama, minus fireworks.
Book publisher Tom Collier ( Leslie Howard), unsatisfied with producing tripe mulls selling the business while preparing to marry a somewhat mercenary woman played by Myrna Loy who shows signs of upending his lifestyle completely, symbolized by the fact she wants to rid the house of Tom's butler and ersatz buddy (William Gargan). She's the opposite of Daisy (Harding) a woman led to believe she would be with vacillating Tom.
Harding made 20 films during an 8 year run, many pre-code before retiring the first time. In Kingdom she runs hot and cold with both strong and weak scenes with Howard. Howard plays his typical romantic dreamer well, while the calculating materialistic Loy character follows suit with William Gargan providing the comedy relief along with an assist from Ilka Chase.
While it plods in moments Animal Kingdom is overall a well mannered and soberly presented sophisticated drama, minus fireworks.