La flèche d'or

Twenty-eight-year-old Bette Davis had been making films for five years, quickly working up to lead, and pretty much the same for George Brent. They would appear in about TWELVE films together in the 1930s and 1940s. Rich girl Daisy (Davis) meets reporter Johnny (Brent), in a case of mistaken identity. At first, she is angry at him, but they quickly hit it off. Eugene Palette is in here too, with his deep, booming voice. Some interesting bits about Palette's life, if you have the time to read it. The story here has ups, downs, around the mulberry bush, as they used to say. Rawtha a silly plot, but easy to watch, and its only 68 minutes long. One odd bit of timing... at one point, Daisy yells "If you don't stick to our agreement, I'll break my contract", and soon after filming "Arrow", Davis DID walk out on her contract. Showing on Turner Classic now and then. Directed by Alfred Green, who had directed some of the biggies in the business, starting in the days of the silents. Story by Michael Arlen, who had created the character "The Falcon", in all those films in the 1940s.

I love seeing George Brent teamed with Bette Davis and according to a Davis biography, she also loved being paired with this amiable actor. So I began watching the film with high hopes--expecting to like the film. Well, although I didn't dislike the film, I certainly didn't like it all that much due to terrible writing and some ridiculous situations they placed these hapless actors in with this film. I won't even try to explain the stupid plot--it's THAT difficult to believe! So what we are left with are two excellent actors trying their best with drivel. As a result, it's good drivel, but drivel nevertheless. If you are a huge Bette Davis fan (like me), then see this film. Otherwise, it's very skip-able and only a time passer.

By the way, films like this one are the reason that Ms. Davis walked out on her contract with Warner Brothers. She reasoned, quite naturally, that after becoming an Oscar winner for Best Actress in DANGEROUS (1936) and being nominated for OF HUMAN BONDAGE (1934), she'd get better scripts--which she didn't. Despite the walkout, she was eventually forced to return to work, but somehow Warner got the point and began giving her better material over the next couple years. Looking at this dull film, I am glad she walked out for better films!

Weak film about facial cream heiress Daisy Appleby (Bette Davis) and her escapades in Florida, where she lounges around her yacht in unflattering swimsuit, and gets herself chased around the Casino by all sorts of European barons and dukes after her for her money. When she meets a reporter (George Brent) who is such a normal, straight-laced, and somewhat handsome All-American guy, she quickly falls for him. Then, to get the fortune hunters off her back, she convinces him to enter into a "marriage of convenience" with her, but in actuality, she is in love with him - and, not completely who she seems either.

Well, this movie is pretty so-so. Bette Davis is great, as usual, but George Brent is a real stiff here, and the actress who plays Daisy's rival, "the richest girl in the world", is really, not a very good actress. Eugene Palette adds a spark of life to this film, but, unfortunately, only has a few brief scenes. Probably best for Bette Davis fans only.

Bette Davis plays a woman who is pretending to be an heiress to a cosmetic company, Daisy Appleby. George Brent plays Johnny Jones, a reporter. They become friends, and she convinces him to enter into a marriage of convenience. Her - to keep away fortune hunters, Him - to have finances to write his book. He is expected to play to her every whim, and appear in all the newspapers. Not liking this, he cosies up to Hortense, daughter of an oil tycoon, who informs him that Daisy is not all she seems. I don't really know alot about Bette Davis, but this is a delightful comedy, mostly due to the timing of both lead actors, and Bette Davis' facial expressions. She really does have expressive eyes, doesn't she?

I often like to guess the year a film was made - this was an easy one - with a very young Bette Davis playing an heiress -- it had to be post-1934's It Happened One Night and before her really major late '30s work began.

Yes, it's about an heiress and a reporter - I'd love to see a count of how many films were made post-1934 about heiresses and reporters, probably hundreds. In this case, Davis is a cafeteria cashier hired by a cosmetic firm's publicity agent to live the life of Daisy Appleby, heiress, with the idea that gossip about her will keep the Appelby name in the headlines.

It's not long before Daisy is tired of being chased around, so she asks a reporter named Johnny (George Brent) to enter into a marriage of convenience with her. He needs money to write a book, and she wants to rest. Johnny, however, finds that the good life isn't for him. In fact, it's a big fat bore. He acts out by going after the daughter of an oil tycoon. And you can guess the rest.

Davis is pert, bubbly, and expressive, to the extent that Brent seems a little stodgy for her. I would have loved to have seen her paired with someone like Joel McCrea or the boyish Henry Fonda. I think then it would have been a better film. As it is, it's okay, and she's always a pleasure to watch.

If you like Davis in this, check her out in one of my favorite early comedies of hers, "It's Love I'm After," with Leslie Howard.