Shrewdly acted soaper. Usually these weepies milk over-emoting but not here. Grant, Lombard and Francis under-play despite strong feelings, thereby highlighting character rather than emotion. That opening scene at the river is delightful, a great hook. The remainder, however, switches to understated drama. Seems Grant's trapped in a loveless marriage that his influential but misled parents embrace. But when he meets the winsome Lombard, he's smitten. He'd like to divorce the icy Francis and marry Lombard, but remains torn until the conniving wife becomes impossible. However, now Lombard's too wary of his complications to follow through, and wants to take a job in faraway Paris. So what will happen, as if you didn't know.
Kay Francis as the ice-queen wife is truly unsettling. With an unblinking stare, a majestic bearing, and a regal wardrobe, she's almost scary. In fact, it's sort of hard seeing how Grant could have fallen for her, except for her deadpan good looks. Note that the star-crossed Lombard remains deglamorized throughout much of the movie. So her rivalry with Francis dwells on personality instead of glamour. That's a tribute, I think, to her ego as an actress. However, except for the river opening and bar scene, Grant's celebrated comedic touch is mostly secondary to his romantic quandary. Still, his innate charm shines through. Anyhow, I didn't recognize Helen Vinson, who plays the cruel Suzanne, but I sure do now. And finally, catch little Peggy Ann Garner as the tyke—given more screen time, she could have stolen the show.
Except for the car crash, there's no action to speak of. Still, the talk moves along smoothly enough, without dawdling. Fortunately, fans of the three principal players should find plenty to enjoy, which all in all, amounts to a bigger draw than the rather patchy storyline.
