Sometimes when watching a movie when there is too much detail about particular characters, I wonder what they would do if they had to deal with their situations in real life and just react as quickly as they could. That is the case in this 1930's melodrama which features excellent performances by Marjorie Rambeau and Edward Ellis as a married couple who run a lonely hearts club group and have to deal with blackmail thanks to the nefarious Louis Calhern who knows the truth about Ellis's past.
His appearance turns their life upside down especially when he begins to go out with their surrogate daughter, the lovely Dorothy Jordan, the daughter of an old friend of Ellis's who had a criminal past. Fortunately Jordan sensibly begins to see the truth about Calhern and falls for reporter Eddie Quillan who is out to get the scoop on the murder of Dorothy Burgess, one of Rambeau and Ellis's clients. As the walls begin to cave in on the villain, interesting twists are made as Ellis tries to fight being recognized so he can go on with his life as best as he can.
With the story revolving around mature characters Rambeau and Ellis, this film is very theatrical as if it was a carefully plotted stage play and never seems forced or overly careful in its plotting and structure. The speech isn't perfect which makes it real to life and nobody acts as if they are sure which direction to go in which makes it all the more believable. Had this been cast with major Paramount contract players, that aspect of it may not have worked as well. It's a little slow in spots but everything comes together in a way is that the audience can accept rather than realize how convenient it was for the writer to twist situations to end it in the way that it does.
His appearance turns their life upside down especially when he begins to go out with their surrogate daughter, the lovely Dorothy Jordan, the daughter of an old friend of Ellis's who had a criminal past. Fortunately Jordan sensibly begins to see the truth about Calhern and falls for reporter Eddie Quillan who is out to get the scoop on the murder of Dorothy Burgess, one of Rambeau and Ellis's clients. As the walls begin to cave in on the villain, interesting twists are made as Ellis tries to fight being recognized so he can go on with his life as best as he can.
With the story revolving around mature characters Rambeau and Ellis, this film is very theatrical as if it was a carefully plotted stage play and never seems forced or overly careful in its plotting and structure. The speech isn't perfect which makes it real to life and nobody acts as if they are sure which direction to go in which makes it all the more believable. Had this been cast with major Paramount contract players, that aspect of it may not have worked as well. It's a little slow in spots but everything comes together in a way is that the audience can accept rather than realize how convenient it was for the writer to twist situations to end it in the way that it does.