The Ex-Mrs. Bradford

There were quite a few reasons for wanting to see 'The Ex-Mrs Bradford'. Am a fan of classic film. Love it when mystery and comedy go together and the two have gelled well many films in film. William Powell was one of the best when it came to witty and debonair male characters and Jean Arthur was always a charming watch. It was interesting to see how Powell would fare in a 'The Thin Man'-like film with somebody other than Myrna Loy (a legendary partnership).

Actually thought that Powell fared very well with a female partner other than Loy, in a part that Loy would have filled with effortless ease. Both Powell and Arthur register very well and they are the two main reasons to watch 'The Ex-Mrs Bradford'. Comparisons to the 'Thin Man' series are inevitable, but 'The Ex-Mrs Bradford' really does deserve to stand on its own and be judged separately. While it is not a great film, it to me was enjoyable and worth watching as long as one doesn't expect too much.

By all means, 'The Ex-Mrs Bradford' has its flaws. The film loses its way somewhat later on, where events get improbable and too reliant on coincidence. The identity and motive of the responsible were not hard to figure out.

Stephen Roberts' direction is somewhat too workmanlike at best and is not very distinct.

It is though to the cast's credit that 'The Ex-Mrs Bradford' actually just about works. Powell is debonair, suave, sophisticated and witty, while Arthur is charming, looks amazing and has the right lightness of touch for her role. Powell and Arthur's chemistry may not sparkle as much as Powell with Loy, but they look very natural together and like they were having fun. They are well supported by the rest of the cast. James Gleason is a standout and even more so Eric Blore giving his all in a type of role he played better than most at that time.

Visually, 'The Ex-Mrs Bradford' looks great. Especially standing out is the way Arthur is photographed. The story on the whole goes at a fast, lively pace and doesn't outstay or feel too thin for its short running time. The script has enough wit and smartness to satisfy.

Concluding, enjoyable if not mind-blowing. 7/10

RKO studios decided to borrow both William Powell from MGM and Jean Arthur from Columbia, for one of their more big budget efforts to cash in on the popularity of The Thin Man. They succeeded to some degree.

A lot of folks forget that in addition to and earlier than Nick Charles, Bill Powell also played in a few Philo Vance films in the title role. So by this time he was pretty well set in the role. Doctor Bradford is not doing as many liquid lunches as Nick Charles, but the basic blasé Nick is still there. One difference is that while Nick Charles married an heiress, Doctor Bradford works for a living as a physician. That helps in his avocation of detective and in fact it does in this film.

He's got two murders to solve. A jockey falls off a horse coming into the homestretch of a big race and dies for no apparent reason. The trainer suspects something afoot, but he's bumped off by the more conventional method of a bullet. This is after he comes to Bill Powell for help.

Myrna Loy was a more steadying influence on Bill Powell than Jean Arthur was. Arthur plays it as more of a dizzy dame than Loy did. But it works here and she and Powell have good chemistry.

The ever dependable James Gleason is the police inspector in the Sam Levene/Nat Pendleton role. All they needed here was Asta and possibly Eric Blore as Powell's butler was essaying that part.

If Powell and Arthur were signed at this studio we might have seen a whole slew of Bradford films.

I've seen the Thin Man series -- Powell and Loy are definitely great, but there is something awfully sweet about Powell and Arthur's chemistry in this flick. Jean Arthur SHINES when she looks at Powell. There is an unmistakable undercurrent buzzing between them. This film may not have the wit of the Thin Man series, but undeniably makes up for it in charm. While I watched it, I thought for sure Powell was carrying on an off-screen affair with Arthur. My friends thought the same. This is one film where I wish I could step back in time (to schmooze and lock lips with Powell!) There seems to be no end to his lovable playful smirks! Powell's character, Lawrence Bradford, is probably the closest thing to the "perfect man." Okay, this is sounding way too gushy, but I can't help myself.

A William Powell/Jean Arthur murder caper from 1936. Think of it as a companion piece to Powell's more popular Thin Man films but w/o the booze, Asta (their lovable pooch) or Myrna Loy. Powell plays a well-to-do pathologist who's tasked to find out who knocked off a horse jockey. When the bodies begin piling up & at one point he's implicated in the murders, Powell, w/ample comedic assistance by the peerless Arthur, must find the culprit before another big race is upon them. Not really much different than Powell's signature crime series, one wonders why this outing wasn't rewritten & released as a Thin Man movie. Oh well, if you can't get enough of this pair, then this film'll do it for ya.

A reasonably entertaining combination of comedy and mystery, done in much the same fashion as 'The Thin Man', and even starring the same star, William Powell is as good as one would expect, however Jean Arthur does not work quite as well with him as Myrna Loy does, and she is even a tad annoying to have on screen at times. The script is well written with some good lines and an interesting plot, and the film relatively engaging on the whole. By all means it is inferior to 'The Thin Man', but yet it manages to do quite a good job with similar material, and other than Powell's character, the elements borrowed from 'The Thin Man' are fairly disguised. It is a good film in itself either way.