The Devil to Pay!

Ronald Colman plays a prodigal son. While he is NOT a bad guy, he is a bit flighty and hasn't done a lot with his life other than travel the world and have a jolly good time. Now that his latest venture in Africa has failed, he's on his way home to England. His rich upper class father plans on tossing him out on his ear, though thanks to Ronald's winning style, he is reluctantly welcomed back with open arms.

At this point, there are two women in his life--showgirl Myrna Loy and rich girl Loretta Young (who is already engaged). How will all this work out and will Ronald wise up and act like a responsible adult--these are the main themes of this pleasant little film.

This isn't a great movie and certainly won't change your life, but it certainly is very entertaining and fun. Most of this is due to the always genial acting of Ronald Colman. Heck, in the heyday of his career in the 1930s, he could have played in REEFER MADNESS or some other dreck and still made it entertaining and likable due to his charming persona. His seemingly effortless style in this movie make it very easy to like him and it's easy to see why both Loretta Young and Myrna Loy are in love with him in the film! Plus, the writing is very witty and make this a nice romantic-comedy.

Ne'er-do-well bon-vivant Willie Hale (Ronald Colman) returns to England in the hope of procuring his 11th 'start-in-life' hand-out from Lord Leland (Frederick Kerr), his wealthy but cantankerous father. Rebuffed but granted 100 quid, he promptly charms family friend Dorothy Hope (a youthful Loretta Young), who becomes enamoured with his casual, fun-loving approach to life. The comedy is an appealing pre-code romance with a few subtle but sly adult jokes and some very sexy outfits. Coleman is great as the irresistible prodigal son as are his three lovely co-stars, Young, Myrna Loy, and Florence Britton. Paul Cavanagh is also quite good as Grand Duke Paul, a stiff, supercilious, humorless toff who is Willie's self-assured but perhaps mercenary rival for Dorothy's affections. For lightweight rom-com fluff, the story, albeit a bit dated and predictable, is good and the film is generally charming.

Light and airy early comedy with Colman laying it on thick in his quasi-philosophical turn as the prodigal son. It's all very British and very there you know, with touches of sentiment to complement the humor. Only after it was over did I realize some of the characters - especially the pampered females - actually got on my nerves.

It's all very predictable but written, acted and produced so exceptionally well that this nonsense becomes strangely enjoyable. What's astonishing is how well made and modern this is - it's hard to believe this was made in 1931.

Essentially this film is just an excuse for Ronald Colman just to do what Ronald Colman does: be charming, suave, witty and nonchalantly amusing. That basically it and you'll wonder if a whole picture can be nothing more than Ronald Colman doing Ronald Colman...surely he can't pull that off for a whole hour and a half - but he does!

In comparison with the dross which comprised the majority of what was being churned out in 1931, this is such a refreshing exception. Watching this, you can understand why Sam Goldwyn, all these years later, is still remembered as one of Hollywood's greatest producers. He made sure everything was perfect, he knew exactly how to entertain an audience, he knew how to make pictures. What's also refreshing is that this is a comedy about the super-rich, the English aristocracy in fact and yet the characters are normal, they're believable and kind of real. They're neither the bloated, pompous stuffed shirts or the cold, emotionless, evil and callous caricatures which they're normally portrayed as - they're just real people acting normally.

It's not just the star who shines in this. Besides the outrageously likeable Mr Colman, we've got a cute dog, we've got Myrna Loy being a blonde bombshell with an English accent, we've got loveable old grump Frederick Kerr (of Frankenstein and numerous Jessie Matthews comedies) not to mention Loretta Young. No, why would we not want to mention Loretta Young? She's remarkable in this - not only is she impossibly pretty (if this were made now, you'd think she had to be CGI generated because it's hard to believe that anyone can look so absolutely perfect) but she acts as though she's being doing talkies for decades. The big, big, big question you will ask yourself when watching this is: if this whole crew can act so well, so convincing and naturally why, oh why is the acting in most 1931 films was so truly awful!

This is not a hidden gem or anything like that but it's pleasant and amusing. What this guarantees and importantly it does it without being at all slushy and sentimental in any way (again refreshing for a 1931 film), is a cheerful and warm hug. The script is still actually quite funny today which I think is because it doesn't resort to being stupid or slapstick so it can still raise a smile from a modern audience. As fluffy lightweight romantic comedies go, this is one of the best.

How can you miss with a cast like Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, and Myrna Loy? The answer is you can't miss. Although Young is a bit cloying in the early part of the film, she is radiant to watch, and a worthy target of the neer do well, Colman. Loy is perfect as the wise-cracking girlfriend who is doomed to second place in the Colman stakes. Colman was perfect for these roles, and would repeat them several times over the course of his career,. Oddly enough, he was at his best in dramatic roles, such as Lost Horizon. Young would go on to date Clark Gable instead of Colman. Loy would gain fame with William Powell in the popular Thin Man series of films. Add a star if you are a soap lover.