Lady with a Past (1932) User Reviews

The surprise of this film is Ben Lyon

[MikeMagi · 7/10 · 10 July 2007]

Okay, the plot is sort of silly -- you have to accept that gorgeous society girl Constance Bennett, in a succession of clinging gowns, has difficulty attracting men. So much so that on a whirlwind trip to Paris, she hires penniless American Ben Lyon as a gigolo, if only to prove that she isn't a complete dud.

Bennett exudes her trademark seductive charm. But it's Lyon, as her romantic mentor, who bring the "Lady with a Past" to life. He gives a brash, breezy, effortless performance reminiscent of Melvyn Douglas at his best in the days of "Ninotchka" and "Theodora Goes Wild." Not many of Lyon's films, with the exception of "Hells Angels," have been seen in recent years. And I always had the idea that he was a stick-figure straight man.

It was entertaining to be proved wrong.

That's the Story and She's Sticking To It

[boblipton · 6/10 · 30 October 2006]

This is a charming, subtle little pre-code in which everything is implied and little actually shown.

Constance Bennet is a good girl from a good New York family and no one finds her interesting. In Paris she finds Ben Lyon, an indigent American who bums a beer from her. She hires him as a gigolo and he shows her how to be fascinating to men, using frequent kicks to the shin to encourage her education.

Lyon is particularly good in his fast-talking role and Miss Bennet is at her most charming. The two have real chemistry together and Edward Griffith directs with a gracefully moving camera under the control of the under-rated Hal Mohr. All of these combine to produce a comedy that is knowing without being cynical.

Bennett and Ben spin gold out of straw

[hotangen · 5/10 · 22 August 2013]

Audiences of 1932 must have been surprised to see la Bennett play an unassertive society girl who wants to be married, but who, despite her stunning looks and pots of money, is shunned by the bachelors. Although sister Joan would have been more believable in the role of Miss Unpopularity, the story gets interesting when our tongue-tied caterpillar goes to Paris and is transformed by fun loving Ben Lyon into a social butterfly with a half dozen suitors fluttering around her, including the shallow boy from back home. And now that she can pick and choose, who do you think she ends up with at the finale? No matter. This is a pleasant little film and it's fun to watch Bennett sip champagne cocktails and flirt with fortune hunters in one stunning costume after another. No wonder her fans loved her.

Gorgeous Constance Bennett, Breezy Ben Lyon

[drednm · 4 July 2008]

What a surprising delight this film is. Constance Bennett plays a rich wallflower who just can't get the guys in her set interested. She's also has a crush on boozy and shallow David Manners. One night when he is drunk he asks her to marry him and meet him on a boat to Europe the next morning. Of course he sobers up, and she ends up going alone.

In Paris Bennett meets a charming and broke guy (Ben Lyon)whom she hires as her "gigolo" so that he can show her around and meet people. Lyon hits on the idea of making up stories about her "past" so that men will be interested. They get along great and their plan is wildly successful until a surprising event occurs.

Bennett is quite good underplaying her sympathetic role. Lyon is terrific as the cynical but honest guy. Manners is also good as the callous boozer. Cast also includes Nella Walker, Albert Conti, Astrid Allwyn, Don Alvarado, Blanche Frederici, Bruce Cabot, and Merna Kennedy.

The ending is quite a surprise.

Clever.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 31 October 2010]

Constance Bennett is miserable. Despite having money and being a pretty lady, she is hardly noticed by men. Yet, at the same time, 'bad' women attract men like flies. For instance, one woman was acquitted for shooting her husband--and now men won't leave her alone! So, out of desperation, she hires a guy down on his luck to pose as her lover and create the impression she's a loose woman! He seems a bit worldly and indicates he knows how to make her attractive by making her mysterious and a bit trampy. The plan works pretty well--but, of course, by the end of the film several complications have occurred.

The plot is pretty clever and is carried off pretty well due to good acting from Bennett and Ben Lyon. Not a great film, but nice entertainment and worth your time.

cute but the premise is hard to buy

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 7 November 2012]

In order to find this film believable, you have to buy the premise that Constance Bennett, one of the most beautiful and glamorous Hollywood stars ever, is unattractive to men. Does her character, Venice Muir (her parents honeymooned in Venice) wear glasses, frumpy clothes, have dull hair? Uh, no, she looks like Constance Bennett, it's just that she's playing an intelligent woman who likes to read. Meanwhile, the woman who may have poisoned her husband gets all the attention at parties.

One night, while roaring drunk, a man with whom Venice is in love, Donnie Wainwright (David Manners), proposes and wants her to sail with him to France to be married. The next day, he's sober. So Venice travels alone.

In Paris, she meets a man Buy (Ben Lyons) whom she hires as a gigolo to bring her to parties and get her into the right circles so that she can meet someone. He has the idea that if he creates a "past" for her, she will be more exciting to men.

This is a nice film, but I didn't believe it for a second. Venice has intelligence, money, glamor, beauty, and guys want to date a woman who might have killed her husband? If it had been another actress, someone like Anna Lee, Sylvia Sidney, good-looking but perhaps not a knockout, it would have been more realistic.

For Constance Bennett fans. She is always a joy, and the performances are good, particularly from Ben Lyons.

Gentlemen Prefer

[sb-47-608737 · 7/10 · 23 January 2020]

This isnother take on the time tested - what mothers tell their little daughters (at least used to) - Gentlemen may prefer Blondes but they marry brunnettes. (in fact in the famous flick too, the gentleman married Russel, the one that went with Marilyn was as blonde (mentally) as her (no disrespect to hair colour) Here too the Brunette, Venice, makes a mistake and tries to ape the Blonde, Ann, with help from a trainer, Bryson. Naturally Dannie, wouldn't marry a blonde and tries to shy off post the bleaching. Not a very bad movie, despite the short length, which made things to hurry up a bit more than would have been good. Some times these hurried up things don't seem too much, when they specify "weeks or months have passed like this" but that needs some expertise.

Interesting thing of this is - this flick is very similar to another movie of the same year "Careless Lady". That won't have been strange but for the fact that the female lead in it was Constance's kid sister Joan. Didn't she monitor the roles the Kid sis was being offerred ? (BTW, this one is better than careless lady in almost all aspects).

Only for die-hard Constance Bennett fans

[timothymcclenaghan · 5/10 · 1 November 2006]

In a recent biography of the Bennetts, the author implied that Constance Bennett was in movies only for the money with which to lead a luxurious lifestyle. However, her work in this film would make one believe that she really could act.

In this film, the usually glamorous Bennett convinces you that she is a wallflower, despite looking just as attractive as ever. Perhaps it's the way she carries her body, or the inflection in her voice.

The film may have been fresh in its day, but now seems trite and contrived. Nevertheless, if you're a Constance Bennett fan, you'll enjoy this film.

Not for me

[MauryMickelwhite · 3/10 · 20 February 2022]

"This is the story of a boring woman who inspires no interest with the insipid, rich party-goers of her social circle. To make her mark, she hires a wing-man in Paris to create a facade that people might find interesting.

Constance Bennett looks really good in some of her gowns, particularly the black number she wears on her big night out in Paris, but that may be the only reason to watch this movie.

A solid little film with an unbelievable premise ...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 24 October 2010]

... that premise being that Constance Bennett as Venice Muir cannot attract a man at all. Constance isn't some plainly dressed and drably made-up wallflower that physically transforms, which is the plot you'd expect. From scene one she is the glamorous looking woman she usually plays, yet we are to believe that because she wants to discuss the books she's read that men would chew through wood to get out of being in the same room with her? With her looks and bearing she should reasonably expect to recite the dictionary and yet be followed by suitors - men simply aren't that deep.

David Manners proposes marriage to Venice when drunk, slinks away when sober, and leaves Venice wondering what she'll have to do to change her luck with men. Her solution - hire someone (Ben Lyon) to be her "boyfriend" and tell tales about her lack of virtue and her exciting nature that in turn should attract some actual suitors. These things never work out as planned - I'll let you watch and see what happens.

Didn't buy it

[pumping_iron-1 · 4/10 · 27 August 2022]

Constance Bennett can't attract a man because she is a boring good girl. It made absolutely no sense to me. Ms Bennett is too gorgeous. Why would a woman want to damage her reputation to attract men. The man she's after is forced by a friend to spend time with her. She goes to Paris and hires a broke American to tarnish her reputation. Then after her reputation becomes a little shady, the man she after doesn't want her that way. He suddenly wants her as the good girl. Dumb story. Men don't marry girls with tarnished reputations. Of course, the acting is good. Ms Bennett's costumes are worth seeing. Other than that, this movie is boring.

worth a look for Bennett

[mukava991 · 1 July 2017]

"Lady with a Past" is Constance Bennett as an unlikely bookish wallflower who sails from New York City to Paris where she engineers a fake sex scandal hoping it will make her the talk of the town by the time she returns and thereby attract the attention of young men who find her literary chatter a big bore. She also talks to herself and pretends to be singing out loud when caught in the act.

Her co-conspirator in Paris is the golden voiced Ben Lyons whom she picks up at a sidewalk café after he tricks her into paying his food and drink tab. But her heart really belongs to David Manners, a handsome member of her social set who is looking for someone more exciting.

If this all seems terribly unexciting, it is. Then why watch? Miss Bennett, of course. They don't make 'em like that any more. In the pre-production publicity it was said that Miss Bennett was being fitted for 17 gowns to wear in the film. I didn't count, but she probably did.

Woman Desires Immature Man

[view_and_review · 2/10 · 11 February 2024]

"Lady with a Past" only proved a point I've been making for months regarding 30's movies: and that is that when the characters quickly fall in love, they're not falling in love with the person, but the idea of the person. And no one better proved that than Donnie Wainwright (David Manners) in "Lady with a Past."

You see, Venice Muir (Constance Bennett) was an unbearable bore which drove men away like vampires from garlic. It was a bit far-fetched because Venice was so attractive that in reality most men would feign interest in her just to be with her. But, in this make-believe world, Venice's looks and money weren't enough to keep men around once she began talking about books.

The man she was most interested in was Donnie Wainwright, yet he found her terribly dull. She thought she broke through one night when he'd "made love to her" (showered her with compliments and said he loved her) and asked her to sail with him the next day. She had nothing better to do plus she liked him, so she accepted. What Venice didn't know was that Donnie was drunk and had just had a spat with his girlfriend Ann (Merna Kennedy).

The next day Venice saw Donnie on the boat arm-in-arm with Ann. He was barely apologetic for the night before which, I'm sure, made Venice feel like a heel. She sailed to France anyway where she met Guy Bryson (Ben Lyon).

Their meeting was a fortunate break for Venice and Guy both. Guy was broke and Venice wanted to hire him as a gigolo (her words not mine). She needed a man with knowledge and experience to make her irresistible to men. It was a desperate move from a woman who really didn't need to do such a thing, but let's just roll with it for the sake of argument.

Guy was really good at his job and he was very professional. He helped generate all kinds of interest in Venice and he was a gentleman the entire time. He generated so much interest in Venice that Donnie had to have her. He was "in love" and even had the nerve to propose to her.

And like that Donnie proved my point.

Had Donnie truly loved Venice for who she was, would he have needed to see men draped all over her? Would he have needed to see her as the hit of the party?

The answer is no, because nothing changed about her except that. She was still the same ol' Venice just with a bit of mystique about her created by Bryson.

In a perfect world Venice would've told Donnie to kick rocks. He totally shafted her once and he was even trying to wriggle out of even seeing her in France before he saw her surrounded by so many men.

But this wasn't a perfect world and far from a perfect movie.

She didn't accept the proposal, and she didn't reject him either. She left him dangling, yearning, pining for her. He soured on her when he saw her hug Bryson, which only showed more of his immaturity.

They ran into each other again, this time in New York. Donnie pretended to avoid her while she chased him through all of her new found admirers. When she reached him he told her how ashamed of her he was that she was not the kind of girl he thought she was.

Again, ludicrous talk from a dude who wanted nothing to do with the boring Venice, but was drooling after the new Venice.

Her response was commendable. In so many words she told him to get bent. She didn't do anything she was ashamed of regardless of the newspaper headlines.

If the movie ended there it would've been fantastic. She chased Donnie for too long and found nothing but a child. She should've walked off gloriously with Donnie standing in the wake of her dust.

Instead, Donnie chased her down, and in the most unromantic--almost barbarian fashion--he proposed to her. And, like the sap she was, she accepted. It was vomit inducing. It made no sense and it was humiliating. But Constance Bennett plays those roles. She's always there waiting for an immature man to wake up and realize the quality woman she is. It happened in "Sin Takes a Holiday," "The Common Law," and this movie. Get a new role Constance.

Free on Odnoklassniki.

fun! good thing they made it pre code!

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 18 September 2022]

Ahh, the fun, decadent days of pre code films! Rich girl venice (bennett) attends the parties that her friends throw, but she's quiet and awkward around the single men. So venice sails off to europe, and hires a gigolo ( lyon) to show her around town, and takes lessons on how to be popular with the jet set. Ironically, she has now become the woman that she previously scorned back home! Will it help her win a man? And which type of man does she want now? It's a good thing they made this when they did... in a mere few years, shenanigans and plain talk about fooling around and staying over would be banned by that hays film code. And for about the next twenty years, the censors would strongly enforce it. This one is fun, but predictable. Films where they sail off now and then seem to have a great sense of adventure about them. And venice is very self aware, not at all the silly, high-pitched-voice woman that were so prevalent in the films of the early 1930s. Fun. Directed by ed griffith. Had started in the silents. Made lots of films about sailing off to exotic places, and going on holiday. Based on the book by harriet henry. She had also written "bought!", an earlier novel made into film, also starring bennett and lyon!

Preposterous

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 23 September 2022]

A woman as beautiful, rich and well-read as Constance Bennett's character can't get any men to pay attention to her???

If true, she should have dumped her social circle and found a new one.

From the audience's perspective, who was sitting around in The Depression, eating soup made of unwashed socks, thinking, ''What I really want to see this Saturday for my 5c is a rich, beautiful, smart woman mope around because the dopey men around her don't appreciate her charms."

And then to escape to Paris to work up a reputation as a sk2nk?

Puh-lease.

It's insidious garbage like this that taught a generation or more of smart women to hide their brains and flaunt their inner floozy to attract a worthless man.

Now THAT'S depressing.