I Loved a Woman

In his acclaimed and enjoyable autobiography All My Yesterdays published in 1973 (the year he died), Edward G. Robinson explained in considerable detail the process that produced the interesting but disjointed movie I Loved a Woman (ILAW). Basically, the prevailing Studio System that was then an integral part of Hollywood movie-making allowed for several people (of varying ability and differing agendas) to modify a novel or play as it became the final screenplay that when shot was the film we finally saw in the theater. Each "contributor"to this process may have worked independently of all the others, and the result was somewhat like "putting Bandaids on boils" rather than attempting to produce the best cure for the condition. As Robinson further explained it, he as an actor/artist also took an interest in fashioning the final script, and often frustrating battles ensued over just how much of his input (if any) would be acceptable. No wonder that ILAW seems like a film that some think is too long and others too short---or that some believe contains incomplete or confusing characterizations while others are bothered by the abrupt/inconsistent aspects of the dramatic narrative.

Nonetheless, ILAW is entertaining and absorbing with its often rambling tale of a Chicago robber baron loosely modeled after real life meat-packer Samuel Insull. And while the romantic scenes between Robinson and his leading ladies Kay Francis and Genevieve Tobin may lack appropriate chemistry or credibility, it cannot be denied that in ILAW Robinson delivered a robust and commanding performance. He was a powerful actor in this early pre-code effort, and certainly gave us every indication that he would evolve into the superb character actor that became his future destiny.

As for veteran director Alfred E. Green, he would go on to direct The Jolson Story, The Fabulous Dorseys and The Eddie Cantor Story among many other films.

ILAW is little known today. That is too bad, because it provides an excellent time capsule that captured three accomplished actors as they were moving into their peak career period, as well as just how the Warner Brothers Studio System actually worked in practice. Next time TCM shows ILAW, check it out!

Here is yet another of the films from early in Edward G. Robinson's career that has inexplicably and unfortunately been forgotten. A tale which anticipates "Citizen Kane" in an astonishing number of ways, it tells the moving story of a multi-dimensional character transformed from an idealistic and impetuous young man into a ruthless, demanding, ultimately abandoned force in business and politics. Robinson's character, John Hayden, knows how to get what he wants, but is never sure what that really is. Solid performances by a first-rate cast complement a scenario able to cover decades with crisp efficiency.

There are some unfortunate sequences in which the dialog becomes florid, stilted, and too much in the manner of a lesser Victorian romance. And the use of "Home On The Range" as a Rosebud motif comes across as ludicrous, to put it charitably. Such flaws, however, do not seriously lessen the impact and entertainment value of this undeservedly obscure picture.

This film bit off more than it could chew. At first, the thirty-year time span seemed pioneering for 1933, but as it lumbers on everything becomes routine and boring.

It's still worth it to see Robinson, Francis, and the other actors as they appeared in 1933.

The plot was not perfect and needed some paring down, and the ending left something to be desired, but this is a film you should see.

I love pre-code films, often even when they're less than great. They're usually so fast-paced, packing more plot and ideas into one hour than today's movies do in two and a half, that one is willing to overlook inconsistencies and implausibilities in the script, if such occur.

But when they reach an hour and a half, they sometimes bog down and become as dull as the inane films the Production Code later foisted on us.

This film is a good example. The history of Edward G. Robinson's transformation from a young idealist inheriting his father's meat-packing business to a ruthless capitalist defies credulity both for his naivete and the ease of his rise to the top when he discards his scruples. The characters are mostly one-dimensional stereotypes. The character of his opera star mistress, a somewhat miscast Kay Francis, who eggs him on with Nietzschean pep talks about dominating the world, sounds like Ayn Rand on steroids.

All this is fine for the first hour or so, when the rapid succession of events keeps you guessing what will happen next and too busy to think about the logic of it all. The last half hour or so, about his well-deserved downfall, goes by much more slowly and grinds to an undramatic ending.

Still worth a look for pre-code fans for Robinson, Francis and other fine actors, but don't put it at the top of your list.

This film is a rollicking tour-de-force that has as its primary focus the incredible acting talents of the incomparable Edward G. Robinson. Robinson takes us on a roller-coaster of a ride, as he sails back and forth from joy and elation to depression and pathos and back again. It is sometimes dizzying trying to keep up with the swinging emotions of Robinson's multi-millionaire meat-packer John Hayden. Robinson carries it off beautifully, and I think this film really proves what a fine, fine actor he was.

And how lucky we are that a film company like First National existed in the early 30's, pumping out films with stars like EG Robinson at a rate that would leave a current studio breathless. What an exciting time it must have been. We are the beneficiaries of this fascinating time, when studios had to release new films in a rapid succession, such was the hunger for new films.

"I Loved a Woman" takes place over a 40 year period, taking us from late Victorian Chicago of 1892 to industrial Chicago of just a few decades later. The fashions change subtly over the 90 minutes this film takes. While some of the romantic scenes with Kay Francis are a bit dated, and the lovers' dialogue a little stilted, Robinson never fails to captivate us when he is on screen. If anybody can carry this stuff off, it is him (Robinson even sings in this movie, though happily not too much).

The supporting cast is strong and full of First National perennials, such as Robert Barrat, playing EGR's father-in-law. A special treat is the speaking appearance of one of John Ford's silent screen favorites, J. Farrel MacDonald.

This movie also features a speaking role for Theodore Roosevelt, who personally threatens to destroy the meat packer Hayden for selling rotten meat to the soldiers of the Spanish-American War.

Perhaps the only annoyance is having to put up with Kay Francis repeatedly singing Home on the Range in an opera voice while playing an upright piano. Once, maybe, but three times?....

One funny thing to look for early in the film: Robinson returns home from abroad after hearing of his father's death. A painting of dad hangs on the office wall - looking exactly like EG Robinson with full whiskers! A very nice touch.

This is a strong entry from First National Films, and a great way to get know the many sides of Edward G. Robinson. I highly recommend this one.