This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is William Powell.
Robert Osborne once observed that modern comedies had no wit. If memory serves right, I think he was fond of Libeled Lady, which has a great deal of wit. Libeled Lady is a brilliant screwball comedy, a film that is amusing and logical even if the situations are outlandish. Ably acted and directed, Libeled Lady is a jewel in cinema.
New York Evening Star editor Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy) is not eager to marry Gladys Beaton (Jean Harlow) even though he loves her. Having already delayed their wedding twice, he is set to go through with it until the paper faces a crisis. It ran a false story about wealthy heiress Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy) accusing her of being a homewrecker. The story is easily proven false, but a few copies managed to slip out before they can be recalled. Connie and her father, wealthy tycoon James Allenbury (Walter Connolly) cooly inform the Evening Star that they will sue the paper for $5 million.
Why so much? Well, the Evening Star and Allenbury have been at loggerheads for quite some time, and this libelous story is the perfect weapon for both Allenburys to use against them. How will Warren and the Evening Star get out of this jam? They turn to Bill Chandler (William Powell), a newspaper man whose gotten them out of jams before but with whom they had a falling out years ago. Warren swallows his pride and turns to his frenemy for help. Bill quickly comes up with a solution: make the story true. He will quickly marry someone, then get Connie in a compromising position where the fake wife will reveal herself. Where, however, will they find a wife in a hurry?
Over her loud objections, poor Gladys finds herself roped into this scheme. Bill sets his plan in motion and at first Connie gets his number. However, he soon starts working his charms and she falls in love with him. Problem is that Bill falls in love with Connie too. Now working to have his cake and eat it too, Bill has to find a way to satisfy both sides. He seems to eventually find the solution that pleases everyone, everyone except Gladys, who has also fallen in love with Bill. Gladys however proves that she is no dumb blonde, having a few tricks up her own sleeve, leaving everything in total chaos.
A great screwball comedy has a logic to its plot even if the plot itself is outlandish. Libeled Lady has that thanks to Maurine Watkins, Howard Emmett Rogers and George Oppenheimer's screenplay. The idea that they would force a fake story to be true by dragging someone like Gladys into this scheme is pretty wild. However, it works because Libeled Lady takes the time to build up the situation and show how we arrived at things. It goes from Point A to Point B in a straightforward manner even though the general idea is bonkers.
It is because of the screenplay that people can say things that on their own sound irrational but within the context of the story are perfectly sensible. After explaining that Bill's marriage to Gladys will be only temporary and they will divorce quickly, an exasperated Gladys states, "But I don't want a divorce! I want to get married and stay married!". On the surface, this statement would not make any sense. However, as Libeled Lady set up the premise, it is a perfectly logical thing to say.
Late in the film, Warren is enraged to find that Bill is trying to play both sides as well as having Gladys fall for him. Someone points out correctly that Gladys is Bill's wife. "She may be his wife, but she's engaged to me!" Warren bellows. Again, this line seems totally irrational, even daring. However, as we have known what the situation actually is, it is perfectly sound.
The wit in Libeled Lady extends beyond the premise to some of the lines themselves. "Where did you go when you left us, Bill?" Warren asks. "The intelligence department, Warren" is Bill's reply. "I always did like the contrast". The pun in "intelligence department" is obvious and clever. When Bill and Connie present themselves to a justice of the peace for a quicky wedding, the justice of the peace's wife asks if they are sober. Connie assures us that they are. "This is love, not liquor" the patrician Connie states.
As part of the plot, Gladys herself is supposed to be divorced from a Joe Simpson. Near the end of Libeled Lady, she is referred to as "Mrs. Simpson". In 1936, another "Mrs. Simpson" by the name of Wallis was causing headlines and scandals all over the world. Whether this was intentional or coincidental I cannot say, though the opening disclaimer that any resemblance to anyone living or dead to Libeled Lady is purely coincidental suggest that maybe it was not.
Libeled Lady is exceptionally well-acted by everyone involved. William Powell is perfect as this charming scoundrel reformed by love. With just a raised eyebrow, Powell tells you whether he is contemptuous or amused by the situation. Powell can handle not just the rat-a-tat manner of screwball dialogue while looking elegant doing so. He also manages great physical comedy. His scenes as he struggles with an out-of-control fish during a fishing trip is absolutely hilarious.
This is another teaming of William Powell and Myrna Loy, among the greatest screen duos of all time. Loy is charming and beautiful as Connie, but she also makes her a bright woman. Loy's Connie is dubious of Bill, figuring he has an angle. She has a great moment of silent acting when she shows her clear frustration and boredom while Bill and Mr. Allensbury discuss the joys of trout fishing. She also has tender moments, such as when admitting to Bill that she was wrong about him. Technically, she wasn't, but she was unaware of it.
One does not usually associate Spencer Tracy with screwball, but here it works. He's gruff and flustered, but he also is able to keep up with the rapid-fire delivery and wacky situations. For me, Jean Harlow is a major standout. From her first scene, where she storms into the Evening Star office in her elaborate wedding gown, Harlow dominates her scenes. She is no dumb blonde, merely a put-upon one, forever at the mercy of the men playing her for a fool. She works well with everyone: having a woman-to-woman talk with Loy, sparring against Tracy and Powell, even biting Powell at one point.
In real life, Powell and Harlow were romantically involved during Libeled Lady. While they never married in real life (Harlow tragically dying a year later at 26), it is nice to see them get a wedding scene.
Libeled Lady is surprisingly daring for the time. You have strong and overt suggestions of bigamy that remain unresolved by the end. You have the attempted framing of a woman's reputation. The whole situation is pretty wild. However, director Jack Conway moves things briskly, and the film has a strong sense of logic amid the wild goings-on.
Libeled Lady is a delight from start to finish. Hilarious and romantic, well-acted, well-directed and well-written, it is one of the best films in the filmography of everyone involved.
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