Too Hot to Handle

A sometimes thrilling adventure that is first and foremost a Clark Gable vehicle. He's as cocky and quick-witted as ever. There are some good lines and a few good laughs, but his performance completely dominates and overshadows this movie, even when he's in a chicken suit. You would think that a movie with Myrna Loy would have some great zingers back and forth with the male lead. This happens too few times, however, and Loy looks like she doesn't want to be in this movie. This is some of the least amounts of chemistry from either of these two actors that I've ever seen.

I liked the story a lot, with its focus on the "backstage" of early newsreels. Much of the satire is still true today, and this movie doesn't look dated because of it. There are some holes and only Gable is truly worth watching. There are also a few too many racist references that might make a modern viewer uncomfortable.

It's still worth watching though, even if just for the antics of Gable and the jokes about the news business.