Love on a Bet

Superb comedy starring two underrated comedy performers, Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie. Helen Broderick, she of many a stalwart supporting comedy roles, especially at her best in the Astaire/Rogers musicals. And here. Like many comedies, it's a road picture. Raymond makes a bet with his rich Uncle that he can cross the country without any money, or clothes for that matter. One of the incidental, but prime, delights of the movie, is that it serves as treasure trove of all sorts of little bits of Americana--traveling highways before interstates and four-lanes, motor courts, homemade preserves, the apparel of the time, etc. The banter among the three principles is of a high order, Raymond's line readings are on par with the best--Gable in It Happened One Night; Powell in a number of thirties comedies like Libeled Lady, The Thin Man, and My Man Godfrey. He especially reminds me of McCrea in Woman Chases Man and The Richest Girl in the World. And Barrie keeps up with him all the way--in later collaborations with Raymond (as in Cross Country Romance) she was a little too strident, but here she's perfect. Raymond would also team with Ann Sothern in some like comedies, some of which are quite good, but this is the best one Raymond made. The plot of Love on a Bet is loose enough for the movie to seem improvised, almost leisurely at times, yet tight enough to create real tension, and to threaten our hope that everything works out. But of course it does.

Gene Raymond has written a play. In it, the hero starts in Central Park in his underwear. Ten days later, he's in Los Angeles, with a good suit, a hundred dollars and a pretty fiancee. Producers have him thrown out of the office. But his uncle, William Collier Sr., wants him to come into the meatpacking business. He bets Raymond that it's impossible. If Raymond does it, he gets a $15,000 check to produce the play. If not, he goes into the meatpacking business. Soon enough, Raymond is on his way, hitch-hiking with Helen Broderick and her niece, Wendy Barrie, on their way for the younger woman to marry a rich man.

It's a fun little film, despite some problems in the third act. Miss Broderick is always a delight, and Raymond is surprisingly good, with a glib manner and some nice small gestures that keep things interesting. In addition, there's the usual large troupe of character actors that turn up, from Marc Lawrence (for a change not playing a hoodlum) to Minerva Urecal. This one hasn't aged perfectly by any means, but for fans of studio era Hollywood, it has its pleasures.

Ann Sothern must have been busy that week... SHE usually starred in these RKO, mid 1930's films with Gene Raymond. Guy pursues girl, Girl treats guy like crap, Guy and Girl FINALLY iron things out, similar to Fred Astair and Ginger films, but here, no dancing and singing. And at least the awesome, sarcastic Helen Broderick is in it, as always backing up Gene Raymond's underhanded character; she seems to want love to succeed, even when the young female lead is against it. In this one, Wendy Barrie is Paula, who is chased around the country by Michael (Gene Raymond) on some wild, silly caper, because he made a bet with someone. This one is just like all the other lightweight, fun, silly chases Raymond made in the 1930s. With the production code in full force, it had to be kept light and fluffy. Directed by Leigh Jason, who made three of these love stories with Raymond. Its a great 77 minutes of fun! FINALLY available on Warner Brothers Archives website.

One of the wittiest comedies I've ever seen. Intelligently written, every line is worth hearing. Delivery and timing are nearly perfect. The story is original; strange, but fun. Nice mix of comedy and romance, with a happy twist ending. Holds up very well against "It Happened One Night" which won all five major academy awards when it was released two years earlier. So many similarities: romantic comedy taking place in a very short span of time under very unusual, but somehow believable, circumstances. Not high art, but if you like the romantic comedies of the 30s and 40s, you'll love this movie.

Fast talker Gene Raymond wants to produce a play. His rich uncle refuses to back the play because its plot is ridiculous: A man leaves New York in his underwear and arrives 10 days later in Los Angeles with a new suit, $100 in his pocket, and a beautiful fiancée.

It's not ridiculous, Raymond argues. He says that he could do it himself--and bets his uncle that he will. If Raymond wins the bet, his uncle finances the play. If Raymond fails, he takes a job in the uncle's meat packing plant.

Meanwhile, Wendy Barrie and her aunt Helen Broderick discuss whether Barrie should marry wealthy Addison Randall. She would rather not but they're broke so, "All right, dear," she says, "I'll marry him." Barrie and Broderick set out on a cross country drive to Los Angeles to catch up with Randall; not at all surprisingly, on the way out of town, Raymond jumps on board as a travel partner and the unlikely trio set off together.

Their adventures along the way include a lesson from Raymond on roasting marshmallows ("Just keep your head down, your eye on the marshmallow, follow through"), a cider drinking contest with a surprise winner, and an encounter with a couple of wanted criminals.

Gene Raymond is brash and funny; Wendy Barrie is a good match, feisty and energetic. The plot is nothing too original, and for the most part this picture is a pretty standard entry in the cross country romance genre. However, the characters are well drawn and the stars are fun to watch. Overall this is a fun picture.