Brief Moment

Carole Lombard wanted to get out of her next project at Paramount, "A Girl Without a Room" and so went to Harry Cohen at Columbia and asked him to find her something better. He came up with this respectable play by S.N. Behrman. The two main characters, Abby and Rodney, are very ably and sympathetically portrayed, and this saves the picture. On the other hand, Gene Raymond's "best friend" in the picture, Sig, played by Monroe Owsley is a perfect devil, tempting Rodney at every opportunity to ignore his wife and instead spend his nights drinking and his days at the race track. Sig is the personification of evil because he actually doesn't know any other reality that the one he's living sponging off his rich friend, Rodney. Carole on the other hand recognizes the potential in Rodney and does everything in her power to save him.

This film is interesting and enjoyable light soap opera fair. At one point when Carole's character almost looses her composure in front of Rodney's father, the viewer is ready to applaud the explosion, but alas the moment passes. This film could have been well served by a little more action and violent emotion. Perhap's the problem stems from the rather static direction of director David Burton. This is also the first film of Carole's to benefit from the cinematography talents of Ted Tetzlaff. He was able to light Carole in such a way that removed that certain hardness from her face evident in earlier pictures.

Director David Burton must have been one of the pioneer Hollywood directors and he does a splendid job with this 1933 production, BRIEF MOMENT. Not only does he extract top performances from Lombard, Raymond, Cook and Hohl, he serves a rich vs poor marriage in the Depression years, which studio heads must have regarded as socially thorny box office poison.

BRIEF MOMENT encapsulates the spirit of the film: everything happens briefly and in the moment. Rodney (Raymond) falls for cabaret singer Abby (Lombard); introduces her to his doubting family and shows backbone in marrying her regardless; the two live the high life paid for by his father; she decides it is not right they should live so carefreely whilst others work their fingers to the bone; she demands that he find a job; he finds a job in Dad's company, promptly leaves it to attend horse races without telling Abby; meanwhile, honest friend Steve (Hohl) loves Abby and tells her about Rodney's deception and the latter commendably tells her the truth; the next brief moment they separate, he rejoins the rich life, she the cabaret; then the final moment, when he has the backbone to go job hunting so he can win her over again. At the end, he proudly shows her his hard earned salary check... but how long will that moment last? You can see the strains of a failing marriage, of excessive outside influence by friends and family, and you know this will be no long-lasting love story.

For 1933 I think it a darned intelligent flick, with a keen insight into men's and women's values, even if I found it tough to swallow that a beautiful woman like Lombard would in real life ever pass up on a life of luxury to have her rich hubby start from the bottom instead.

Nearly a century later, much has changed, women have gained importance in the labor market, but the momentum remains in state hands, to skin the taxpayer to the marrow and get men and women involved in paying for state folly under the guise of national interest.

Interesting, 69 minutes long, eminently watchable. 8/10.

So one cliché, the greedy gold digger, is subverted and replaced by another one, the spoiled heir redeemed through real hard work. This is a one-idea morality tale, and probably not a particularly original one at that. Yet Carole Lombard and Gene Raymond are very fine, dialogues are brisk and the tempo lively. Some of the supporting actors are also worth a mention - Arthur Hohl as the torch singer's caring boss, friend and wishful would-be husband, Herbert Evans who has a very funny scene as a butler with some useful experience of dealing with his master's hangovers - he looks and sounds like a twin brother of Edward Everett Horton of Lubitsch's fame. That's quite enough to make this simple-minded, unambitious story quite worth watching.

Typical quick time 'soap opera' churned out by all the studios to fulfill their theater chain commitments. This COLUMBIA PICTURES effort clocks in at 71 minutes and entertains for most of them. Not a classic but well worth watching.

The story is a typical one of the period, working girl played by Carole Lombard (ABBY FANE) falls in love and marries upper crust scion. Being in 'show business' she does not meet with approval of her in-laws. The husband played by Gene Raymond (RODNEY DEANE) is a aimless but wealthy drifter heavily under the influence of his friend played by Monroe Owsley (SIG).

ABBY keeps trying to get RODNEY to stand on his own feet and become the man she believes he is. SIG at his parasitical best tries to hold on to a good thing, which means plenty of Booze, Night Clubs and 'Fast Times'! ABBY seeks help from RODNEYs' family to get him on the straight path, but no luck. Usual misunderstandings, separation and then RODNEY has a epiphany realizing ABBY was right all along. Redeems himself and true love triumphs.

Carole Lombard portrays her role with intelligence and sensitivity. Hard to believe this attractive and lithe actress the previous decade was a chubby comedian at MACK SENNETT. Gene Raymond a amiable though limited actor fulfills what is required of him. Monroe Owsley has his parasite gig down to a 'T', making a career of such roles. Though his character of 'SIG' is always in the company of women you get the feeling he swims both ways and his friendship with RODNEY may be more then platonic.

Brief Moment stars Carole Lombard and in this film she is gets married to wealthy Gene Raymond who has a nice arrangement with his father Reginald Mason and brother Donald Cook. Dad makes the money and the two of them spend it. Lombard is a nightclub singer who falls for Raymond, but tries to reform him.

Back in the day a character like Raymond was called a wastrel. It's a 19th century word I wish would come back into common usage describing someone who just wants to have a good time and nothing else. They also are wealthy enough to see it works out that way.

During a time when a quarter of the country was out of work such people were really looked down on. Lombard thinks Raymond has abilities but he won't use them. The crux of the story.

One character does stand out that of Monroe Owsley as Raymond's best friend and fellow partygoer. He's a real piece of work.

Brief Moment is a Depression Era story that probably would not work well with a contemporary audience. It's a museum piece of a film.