Cocktail Hour

Bebe Daniels stars here as a successful commercial artist who refuses to marry even though she is surrounded by men who pursue her. She likes her independence and her own salary of $60,000 per year (a fortune in 1933). The film opens with Daniels finishing off a sketch to deliver to her boss (Randolph Scott) while hosting a cocktail party of mostly men. She explains that while most women want marriage and a baby, she wants her "cocktail hour." She delivers her sketch and Scott proposes for the umpteenth time. She says no so he locks her in a bathroom so she'll miss her boat to Europe, where she is escaping all for a vacation. She escapes. Onboard she is deluged by all her male friends until the gong for sailing. Scott shows up again and proposes again.

She meets a famous Russian pianist onboard (Muriel Kirkland) who turns out to be a fake and is from Kansas. Also onboard is Philippe (Barry Norton) who is in love with Daniels, and his mother (Jessie Ralph). She also meets the smooth William Lawton (Sidney Blackmer) with whom she falls in love. Things get very tricky onboard until they land in England and Blackmer pulls a surprise out of his hat.

Daniels heads to Paris and visits the country estate of Philippe's where a tragedy occurs and Daniels is hauled away by the cops. Scott to the rescue? Daniels looks great, wears nice clothes, and even sings "Listen Heart of Mine." The rest of the cast is quite good, especially Blackmer and Kirkland. Others include Marjorie Gateson, John St. Polis, Forrester Harvey, Willie Fung, Phillips Smalley, and Dennis O'Keefe as a party guest.

This was Daniels' follow-up film to 42nd STREET and one of five films she made in 1933. It's a pity Daniels wasn't more successful in talkies. She had a good singing voice and excelled at playing the independent women of the era that were more famously played by Ruth Chatterton, Kay Francis, and Norma Shearer.