Mantrap

What a delightful film - at its best when its comedy, a little weaker in the dramatic bits. Clara Bow is amazing - funny, sexy, completely liberated - she is a free spirit, having sex with whoever she wants to. Her two choices are a little dull though - country bumpkin Ernst Torrence or city lawyer Percy Marmont - both a little old for her, but hell, Hollywood has always put beautiful young women with stodgy older men (studio executive fantasy perhaps?).

It's a well directed film - Victor Fleming went on to direct "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz", and photographed mostly on location by James Wong Howe - so it looks great. But it's Clara that holds it all together - and what an ending! Incidentally she isn't the mantrap - it's the name of the town in Canada where most of the action takes place.

Clara Bow's favorite among her own films is, when seen today, an agreeable if inconsequential silent comedy showing the 'It' Girl in familiar form, impulsively marrying an honest but unexciting mountain man (Ernest Torrance) and soon becoming bored with the great outdoors. Her inability to resist any sort of flirtation leads to a dalliance with prim misogynist Percy Marmont, in the hope that he might return her to civilization. But despite a promising set-up the level of humor is almost too modest, content to provide the occasional lighthearted chuckle instead of the more satisfying belly laugh. Bow's natural vitality and charm carry the film, and the impressive location photography was provided by a fledgling James Wong Howe.

I'd been wanting to see Mantrap for years and finally got the chance to see it recently. What a rare treat -- being able to see Clara Bow in one of her early hits, aided by A-list talent such as director Victor Fleming and cinematographer James Wong Howe, with a snappy script based on original material by Sinclair Lewis. If you're a fan of Miss Bow, it's worth it to seek out this title -- she really shines here! You will not be disappointed.

From the moment she enters the scene as Alverna, a bubbly doll of a manicurist with a severe flirting problem, she steals every scene she's in. Alverna falls for Joe, a simple backwoods "he-man" who quickly makes her his bride and snatches her away to his rustic cabin up north. Take Alverna's boredom and flirting addiction, add in Ralph, a New York divorce lawyer running away from city women ... and you can see where the story is headed. But it's oh so much fun to watch it unfold.

Clara's manic energy makes the movie (watch the scene in which she feeds Joe and Ralph chocolates and bops around the room like a sexy little Muppet), but the dialogue on the title cards keep the comedic energy up as well with clever quips. When Joe threatens to send Alvy away to his aunt in Minneapolis, she retorts: "Minneapple - sauce!" A great slice of mid-1920s vernacular, and this movie's full of them.

Unfortunately, B.P. Schulberg at Paramount threw Clara into practically any picture that came along, which means she racked up dozens of roles in mediocre, forgettable titles in her day. (The reason is clear: Clara had such -- well, "it" -- that she would have been watchable in a film about drying paint. So why seek out top material when your star makes you money even when the material is crap?) Mantrap is the kind of vehicle Clara should have always been given. An adorable little film, a wonderful showcase for Clara, and a silent I highly recommend.

this is one of clara bow's best movies. she plays a girl from the big city of minneapolis who marries a man from a small canadian town. they move back to canada in a town called "mantrap," where clara proceeds to flirt with just about every man she meets. the story is rather good for a silent film, but it is clara's personality and stunning beauty that are the main assets in this film. if you are a fan of clara bow, this is definitely a film to check out ( if ya can find it.)

I noticed that some folks (as well as the accompanying DVD notes) describe this as Clara Bow's best film. Well, it was cute and worth seeing but I still don't think it comes close to the quality and entertainment value of "Wings"--a film she made the following year.

The title clearly has a double meaning. First, it's set in the town of Mantrap in rural Canada. Second, Clara is clearly a mantrap--a woman who is so flirtatious that she can't seem to help attracting men.

The film begins with a man leaving Mantrap--he wants to visit the big city and perhaps meet a woman. He meets one--Clara--and soon they get married and move back to his tiny village. At the same time, a burnt out divorce lawyer leaves the big city to get away from it all. When he meets up with Clara's husband, they soon become friends. Unfortunately, Clara just can't help herself and she soon starts in on him--and it's obvious she wants him. What's to happen next? See this cute little film to see for yourself.

I noticed that another reviewer felt that the plot was decent but the film really was improved by Bow's performance as a lovable flirt. I would agree--it did make the film more entertaining. But, at its heart, it's still just a slightly above average film but a good feature role by this lovely actress.