Growing up in a poor working-class family, Laura decides not to marry the boy-next-door and instead accepts wealthy, older Will Brockton's invitation to move in with him. After falling in lo... Read allGrowing up in a poor working-class family, Laura decides not to marry the boy-next-door and instead accepts wealthy, older Will Brockton's invitation to move in with him. After falling in love with young up-and-coming newsman Jack Madison she leaves Brockton to wait for Madison's... Read allGrowing up in a poor working-class family, Laura decides not to marry the boy-next-door and instead accepts wealthy, older Will Brockton's invitation to move in with him. After falling in love with young up-and-coming newsman Jack Madison she leaves Brockton to wait for Madison's return from a long assignment. She runs out of money and becomes desperate, returning aga... Read all
- Hotel Clerk
- (uncredited)
- Brockton Associate
- (uncredited)
- Women at Cook-Out
- (uncredited)
- Andy Murdock
- (uncredited)
- Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor
- (uncredited)
- Bud Williams
- (uncredited)
- Mrs. Clara Williams
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Gensler
- (uncredited)
- Tillie Murdock
- (uncredited)
- Alfred - Brockton's Butler
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter the first film of the scandalous play was made in 1917 (The Easiest Way (1917)), several studios were interested in a re-make, including First National, Universal, Pathé, and Columbia, but all were warned away by the Hays Office. Finally MGM under Irving Thalberg bought the rights in 1930 and made the picture, despite the Hays Office stating the film was "much more dangerous than the original play", which itself was called "dangerous motion picture material". They thought Laura was not punished enough for her immorality. However, enforcement of the Production Code did not occur until 1934.
- GoofsWhile on a trail ride in Colorado, Jack invites Laura to take in his pet view. The view is of Yosemite in California.
- Quotes
Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor: Hello there, kiddo!
Laura Murdock: Hello, Chris.
Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor: Wait a minute!
Laura Murdock: Oh, I haven't time.
Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor: Come on inside.
Laura Murdock: Oh, Chris, please! I'll be late for work!
Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor: Ah, come on! Give me a little kiss. What's the matter? Don't you love me anymore?
Laura Murdock: Oh, don't be silly!
Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor: Ah, come on, just one.
Laura Murdock: Oh, Chris, please, you'll mess my collar. I can't be mauled!
Chris Swoboda - Laura's Suitor: Oh, I'm crazy about you, Laura, I can't help it.
- Alternate versionsThe scene where Elfie enters Laura's father's house, (47 minutes), Elfie is played by Marjorie Rambeau and she is wearing a chinchilla trimmed coat. I have two film still photographs showing Marie Prevost as Elfie wearing a fox trimmed coat and a different hat. Laura is wearing exactly the same outfit and the set on which it was filmed is exactly the same.
- ConnectionsAlternate-language version of Quand on est belle (1932)
- SoundtracksThe Sidewalks of New York
(1894) (uncredited)
Music by Charles Lawlor
Played as background music in the opening scene
It could never be done today, in fact it was barely acceptable in 1931 for its incredibly anti-feminist stand. According to the character played by Marjorie Rambeau men rule, make said rules, and women just have to deal with it. Submit cheerfully to being wives and mothers with some occasional outside work if you can fit it in.
Constance Bennett with her small job in a department store doesn't think this is all that's for her. She help supports her parents J. Farrell MacDonald and Clara Blandick and a couple of small brothers. Sister Anita Page is getting ready to marry honest laundry man Clark Gable who has some most chauvinistic views about women, but also about the value of honesty and hard work.
So when advertising executive Adolphe Menjou suggest to Bennett that they shack up, she's ready to take The Easiest Way and go for a life of luxury. That is until she meets newspaperman Robert Montgomery who's ready to marry her once he gets back from a long assignment in Argentina.
Without going into details Bennett makes a holy hash of her life and those tried and true standards of the time for women serve as a lesson to her and all in the audience. Be good wives and mothers and don't take The Easiest Way to prosperity.
The original play only had six characters and so it was expanded considerably at MGM and updated to Depression times where such lessons were not completely appreciated. Still this cast did manage to put it over.
The Easiest Way was the first film at MGM for Clark Gable who was billed eighth down in the cast. By the end of the decade Gable was acknowledged King of Hollywood before Elvis was known as the King. Nearly all the players billed above him would be below him in cast lists in the future. His appeal on the screen was immediately discernible and in the end of this film, he's given a bit of humanity and shown as not the blue nose stinker you might originally have thought him to be.
The Easiest Way is way old fashioned for today, I doubt too many stock companies do the original play today. Still some will find it a curiosity and Gable is always good to watch.
- bkoganbing
- Jan 11, 2012
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $310,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 13 minutes
- Color