Outcast Lady

Occasionally, I read a review of a film and think to myself "I think that sums up the film every bit as good as I could...probably better". So, because of that, you might want to read the review of David (Handlinghandel), as he hits the mark.

The film begins with Constance Bennett and Herbert Marshall becoming engaged. However, when Constance tells her friends, she is shocked to hear how dead-set against it his father (Henry Stephenson) is. Apparently, she is poor and has quite the past--though what exactly this is, we don't know.

Four years pass--Constance is about to marry another when Marshall returns for her. Considering he's a limp weenie who left her when his father objected, I can't see how this makes a lot of sense. And, it didn't, so they pledge eternal friendship. Jolly good, eh what?! What happens next, you'll need to see for yourself....if you care.

Through so much of the film, the characters are so well-mannered and stilted that the entire thing is pretty dull. It's odd that during the Depression so many Hollywood films featured pretty rich folks with rather mundane problems. After all, who cares about the romance of Sir Reginald Muckity-muck or the ennui that comes with vacationing on the French Riviera or difficulty getting good servants when so many out there (about 25%) were unemployed and whose families subsisted on rat sandwiches?! And here, to make it worse, are some of the dull rich folks and low-energy performances! As a result, shortly into the film I just wanted it all to end...or for there to be some ill-mannered buffoonery (such as one of the characters using a cocktail fork to eat their pheasant....oh, the horror!).

Too many pained looks from Marshall, a dull script and unlikable characters sink this one. Just because it was made by MGM doesn't mean it's worth seeing.

Constance Bennett and Herbert Marshall have known each other since childhood, but his father, Henry Stephenson, doesn't want them to marry. He sends Herbie away on business, and Constance isn't able to wait. True love has its time limit, I guess. She marries Herbie's best friend, Ralph Forbes, for revenge. Constance really isn't likable in this movie, since her character is both stupid, stubborn, and immature. Later in the movie, she's in knowledge of certain truths that could clear up a lot of confusion and a lot of hurt; but she refuses to tell what she knows. And she's oblivious to the one who's loved her all along. She uses men and doesn't care, but instead of a villainess, we're supposed to feel sorry for her.

It's a big melodrama that can only be seen in the silver screen. If you like the cast, you can try it out. I found it too over-the-top for my taste. It could have been fixed with a better heroine, but I just couldn't get immersed. Plus, I felt the two leads were miscast. Constance Bennett seemed too tired to actually care about anything, and Herbert Marshall didn't seem like the type of man who would let his father boss him around. If you like this movie, you might try out the silent version, A Woman of Affairs, starring Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.

The second film based upon Michael Arlen's novel The Green Hat (previous is the silent A Woman of Affairs with Greta Garbo). This sound version stars the lovely and talented Constance Bennett in the lead as a woman whose background precludes an English aristocratic family from accepting her as one of their own when the Herbert Marshall's character falls in love with her. The rest of the movie revolves around this star-crossed love and the consequences of trying to do the right thing instead of following your heart. I found Marshall's performance too wooden but it is offset by excellent supporting characters. The story line appears to suffer from cuts in content that cause inadequate transitions. Fans of Constance Bennett will be amused at the similarity of the ending of this film to one of the main events in a follow-on work, Topper. An interesting, but not completely satisfying film that probably bears comparison to the original novel. Gowns by Adrian.

This movie is totally dated.

Outcast Lady stars Constance Bennett, one of my favorite actresses, along with Herbert Marshall, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Hugh Williams, Elizabeth Allen, Henry Stephenson, Ralph Forbes, and Leo G. Carroll.

This film is a remake of a 1929 film of Garbo's - I'm sure it was better.

Constance is Iris March Fenwick, a woman from a less than successful family who nevertheless had childhood playmates from prestigious families: Napier (Marshall) and Boy (Forbes), both of whom are in love with her.

Napier wants to marry her, but his father (Stephenson) feels it will be detrimental to his career - Iris has no money and no status. He decides to take a job out of the country, make good, and then come back for her.

It doesn't work out that way, and Iris several years later marries Boy. On their wedding night, she discovers a note that someone slipped her, stating that Boy had been in prison under another name. We're not told the crime, but it must have been heinous, because when she shows Boy the note, he jumps out a window.

Iris is blamed, for reasons that aren't terribly clear. Well, first off, people think she pushed him. That aside, people believe that Boy discovered he had made a horrible mistake in marrying Iris and jumped to his death in horror. I guess I don't have the imagination for this - I can't imagine, after knowing her for years, what he discovered. I guess the implication is she had too much sexual know-how.

Iris bravely refuses to tell anyone the real reason for Boy's suicide. Everyone hates her. She then travels and has dalliances. Her brother, Gerald (Marsh) is a down and out alcoholic. He won't speak to her since he blames her for Boy's death. I mean, he sounds like he was in love with him.

Iris wants to help Gerald but since he won't have anything to do with her. Will she finally decide to tell him the truth about Boy?

This thing was totally over the top, so melodramatic, I wanted to scream. The end didn't surprise me at all.

Constance, of course, was gorgeous and in beautiful Adrian gowns. She's very appealing. It's highly doubtful that Herbert Marshall, fourteen years older than both Bennett and Forbes, was a childhood playmate. Still, he's noble and earnest.

Marsh as Gerald comes off as a crazy man. Some of that can be attributed to the acting style back then, and the rest can be attributed to the script.

These actors have all been in better films.

Hollywood's British colony with the exception of star Constance Bennett filled out the roles in this drama about the British upper classes. I know that American audiences during the Depression did like to see how the upper crust lived. But these noble sacrificing people were a bit much.

Herbert Marshall who appeared regularly in these kind of dramas is going out with Bennett. But dear old dad disapproves because of the unsavory reputation she and brother Hugh Williams have. Henry Stephenson was always playing these upper crust British types as the British like to see themselves is the father.

As a dutiful son and member of Parliament he obeys. Marshall even makes a more suitable match in Elizabeth Allan. As for Bennett she nobly sacrifices herself and Williams does likewise.

A little honesty all around and none of these plot situations would have developed. Outcast Lady should stay outcast.