Consolation Marriage

Pat O'Brien and Irene Dunne seem distinctly not made for each other in this odd romance, where she, a coffee shop proprietress, and he, a sports writer, are jilted by their respective fiances, meet cute, get a nice friendship going, and decide to get married. The open-marriage conceit feels daringly modern for 1931, but the dialog's pat and the plot coincidences are hard to swallow. Their respective true loves, Myrna Loy and Lester Vail, each come back from failed marriages at about the same time, and Dunne and O'Brien each leaves his/her spouse to pick up the pieces. It's hard to see why, when Loy is playing such a vain bore, and Vail such a needy weakling, and Dunne has an uncomfortable speech where she says goodbye to her baby daughter--her baby daughter!--to run off with an old lover. We all know the leads are going to discover they really love each other, but it's done so perfunctorily, with O'Brien just remarking to Loy, "Wouldn't it be funny if we turned out to be just friends?" and bolting upstairs to Dunne just in time for the happy fadeout. That's another thing--she can't make a great deal of money running a coffee shop, and he's unemployed more often than not, yet they have a gorgeous New York townhouse. Dunne's skill is somewhat evident, and O'Brien's fast talk is always entertaining, but he's not an ideal romantic lead, and this is not a credible romance.

Although the first ten minutes of the film are a trial, relishing as it does the cacophony of early films, the sheer bravado of Pat O'Brien and the iridescent charm of Irene Dunne soon make up for the horror of Myrna Loy, as stiff and plastic as her hairdo, and John Halliday, as a weak, chinless cretin musician. Once these two are left behind, the screenplay transcends its material and the dialogue and wit are as illuminating as the key lighting. The interaction between Dunne and O'Brien is what people mean when they say: "They don't make movies like this anymore." The two simply become more than the sum of their parts.

Discussing the ending would be akin to drowning a kitten. Suffice it to say that this is soap opera at its best and once the two weak sisters re-appear and disappear, we are left with an ending that allows us to feel morally uplifted. The material is dated but the inter-action between these two beginning stars of yesteryear makes up for any weaknesses. To fault the film for its age is simply ridiculous and makes such critics even less aware of just how good Hollywood films once were -- crowsfeet and all.

This is a touching comedy/drama for 1931 when they all were feeling the ropes of this new medium.

Man, this thing is old. Old in years, yes, but a film can be old and still fresh and relevant. This is old in that it's melodramatic and irrelevant, and dated.

"Consolation Marriage" is from 1931 and stars Irene Dunne, Pat O'Brien, Myrna Loy, John Halliday, and Lester Vail. Dunne is Mary Brown Porter, who loses her childhood sweetheart, Aubrey (Lester Vail) to a rich woman. Mary tends to be a fairly understanding woman. Or else she's masochistic.

She meets Steve Porter (O'Brien), another jiltee, and they decide to get married, even though they aren't in love. There's an understanding that Steve is still in love with the girl of his dreams, Elaine (Myrna Loy), but they keep breaking up. Mary again goes along with this arrangement.

When I saw that Myrna Loy was supposed to be playing the other woman, I thought it was a mistake when I saw her. She did not look remotely like herself. Later I realized it was indeed Loy, who made a dazzling blond, beautifully gowned and coiffed.

Steve and Mary get a dog and have a baby, but Steve slips away often to be involved with Elaine. Then Mary gets her big chance with Jeff (John Halliday). Will she take it? And will Steve ever leave her for Elaine?

It's the rare woman who has the other woman over to her house and helps her dress.

This is a movie about class distinction, a big topic in the old days, so it has a certain formality found in the theater and film before the Depression brought in the working man playwrights.

I always liked Pat O'Brien, but I've never quite understood why he was used as a leading man in these romantic movies. Comedy, certainly. However, unlike the other character actors who became leads - Bogart, Robinson, Cagney, etc. - O'Brien was not as successful.

Irene Dunne is lovely in a difficult role, that of a woman being walked all over, putting up with it, and keeping her dignity.

John Halliday refers to himself as an "old man," and I thought to myself, "I'll bet he's 40" - you know how differently age was perceived in those days. Turned out he was 50.

This is one of Dunne's first films, and if you're a huge fan, you may want to see it. I don't recommend it. At around 90 minutes, it seems like it's four hours long.

I had never heard of this film. The plot is very different and modern for the time.

Irene Dunne and Pat O'Brien have both been dumped by the loves of their lives. They are both sure they could never love anyone else. After meeting and realizing how much they have in common, they joke about getting married to each other. And then they do! It is all with the agreement that if someone else comes along, they will part ways, wish each other luck, and have no hard feelings. It sounds like an odd setup but as the movie plays out, it all seems to make sense and be a very natural and modern way of viewing their marriage.

They enjoy the relaxed relationship and each others companionship. However, neither one of them can completely forgot their first loves. They even talk about them openly. No secrets. They even have a child and it is all taken in stride.

The real plot comes along when, almost at the same time, the old loves come back into their lives. Each one is unsure what to do and unsure of what the other one is going to do. It sounds like the story for a comedy or farce, but this is not played for laughs. It is acted out as a real believable story and it actually works.

Irene Dunne is perfect in her part and Pat O'Brien is boyish and charming. Myrna Loy plays O'Brien's first love. Her part is moderate (only really seen in the beginning and then the end of the film), but I have never seen Myrna Loy looking more stunning!!

The ending is satisfying and, overall, it is a good film worth watching. It is not too heavy nor too tedious. It is just the right film to watch when you are not sure what you are in the mood for. This will be a perfect choice.

Check out this classy classic.