Breakfast for Two

Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall starred in Breakfast For Two with her as a Texas oil heiress and he as dissolute playboy living off his dad's trust fund.

Both Stanwyck and her dad Frank Thomas are in town as minority stockholders of the shipping company that was the business that gave Marshall the fortune he enjoys. The company from poor management looks like it's going under. Stanwyck who wakes up in Marshall's apartment after she brought him home in a drunken state can't leave because of his trusty Great Dane. The film begins here and it's obvious a large portion of film was cut away giving more background to the story.

Stanwyck played a few madcap heiresses in her salad days. Marshall does all right. But his part really calls for someone like Cary Grant or William Powell especially with a lot of physical comedy involved. Given the fact that Marshall was missing a leg due to injuries in the First World War I sincerely doubt he was doing any pratfalls. Those were done in long shot and clearly by a double.

Glenda Farrell does well here as the fiancé Marshall is supposed to marry. Highlight of the film is how Stanwyck breaks up the wedding. Farrell gets hysterical as the justice of the peace Donald Meek who is trying to give out with some boring homily about, yes the birds and the bees. Meek is very funny. So is Eric Blore as Marshall's ever helpful valet.

Too bad Cary Grant wasn't available.