After Kay Francis retired from films, she was recognized. "Aren't you Kay Francis?" someone asked. She answered, "I was."
Certainly no one had risen higher than Francis and had stuck it out, even when Warners filled her scripts with words that had 'r' in them to play up her speech impediment, and even when she could only get roles at studios like Monogram and Republic. Tough isn't the word.
Here she's at the height of her career, very glamorous, in "The Goose and the Gander," from 1935. Besides Francis, the film features George Brent, Geraldine Tobin, John Eldredge, and Claire Dodd.
At a party, Georgiana (Francis), whose husband left her for another woman, overhears that woman (Tobin) planning a weekend affair with another man (Brent).
Georgiana puts together an complicated plot whereby the cheaters wind up at her house, and her ex comes over and catches them. The situation that brought them to her house (too complex to go into - it concerns no gas and a quarantine) brings another couple to her door - jewel thieves!
As others have pointed out, this was probably written during the precode era and rewritten to meet the Code. The only thing that confused me is that Brent and Tobin were going to spend the weekend together and present themselves to Georgiana as a married couple. So she naturally puts them in one bedroom. Tobin has a fit and forces Brent out onto the roof! What were they planning on doing on this weekend? Play cards? It made no sense, even though it was funny.
Very cute comedy, and Brent looks quite handsome. Nice to see Francis in something besides a turgid melodrama. She not only suffered well, but she had a nice comedic style.
