Lady by Choice

Carole Lombard and May Robson star in "Lady By Choice" from 1934, with Robson sort of reprising her Apple Annie character.

Lombard is Alabam, the Human Heat Wave, a fan dancer. Her publicist is attempting to garner some good publicity for Alabam and suggests that for Mother's Day, she go to a nursing home and adopt an old lady to be her mother.

Alabam sees a smiling, gentle Patricia Patterson (Robson) at the home and recognizes her as the screaming, out of control bag lady who came up before a judge (Walter Connolly) at the same time Alabam was there, brought up on a morals charge because of her dancing. Patterson, of course, never had any intention of staying in the nursing home and, there against her will, was obviously making the lives of the people who ran the home a living hell.

In the beginning, it's a match made in heaven, with Patricia living in Alabam's gorgeous apartment and wearing the new clothes Alabam purchased for her. Patricia wins $7000 ($139,185 in today's money) and pretends she inherited it, in order to convince Alabam that she can stop fan dancing and to pursue a stage career.

Problems arise later when Alabam gets together with the wealthy Johnny (Roger Pryor) who is a guardian of Patricia's (and it's hinted that she's his actual mother). Patricia is against the relationship, believing Alabam is a gold digger.

Fun movie with the absolutely stunning Lombard walking around in beautiful clothes with a lot of dead animals hanging from them. She and Robson have excellent chemistry, and their scenes are the best.

Sad to see Lombard, so beautiful and vibrant, and realize she only had eight years left. However, she left a wonderful legacy.