Doug Fairbanks Jr. stars as an ugly American-style tourist stranded in a corrupt Central American Ruritania, only to fall in love with the daughter (Loretta Young) of the country's finance minister (Henry Kolker) days before her wedding to the local millionaire (Edward Breon). This First National production was obviously done on the cheap, as there are numerous technical flaws and even a few flubbed lines by Fairbanks. The film was attractively shot by Ernest Haller, however, and there are some impressive sets probably left over from a big budget feature. Sixth billed Boris Karloff has about two dozen words as Luigi, the butler, character actor Luis Alberni shows up as a local restarauteur, and Claud Allister plays a gay British diplomat ("everyone KNOWS I'm a bachelor!"). It's a cheap and cheerful early talkie, so suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride.
14 Reviews
Silly story of Dapper Dan who chases Beauty about to marry the richest man in Central America
movingpicturegal21 March 2006
This film features a basic plot line we've all seen many times in many different films and that is this - a more appropriate, more handsome man tries to catch, before it's too late, a woman about to be married to a less appropriate, "wrong" man. In this film, Loretta Young plays the beautiful daughter of the Minister of Finance, and she is set to marry, in four days time, a wealthy, but gruff and rather ugly old man (well - there's really no other way I could put it!) - the reasons for her odd choice of partner are a secret. When she meets grinning, conceited Larry O'Brien (played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), he is immediately in love and uses a bunch of tricks and schemes in an attempt to win her for himself. She seems to dislike him (but, of course, in the way of most movies from then to now, she *really* secretly likes him).
There is some humor in this, mostly of the Three Stooges / slap-in-the-face variety, plus some funny scenes with Claud Allister as Larry's gay sidekick Archie. Loretta Young really has little to do in this film other than look gorgeous in beautiful gowns and dangling earrings. Boris Karloff also has little to do in this film other than slink in and out of the room as butler. The actor who plays her father acts in a sort of bugged-out eyes style, but I guess it's supposed to be funny. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. tries to be charming, but he comes across to me as not particularly interesting - he's just sort of there. Okay film, but nothing great - a middle-range time filler, mainly for fans of Loretta Young.
There is some humor in this, mostly of the Three Stooges / slap-in-the-face variety, plus some funny scenes with Claud Allister as Larry's gay sidekick Archie. Loretta Young really has little to do in this film other than look gorgeous in beautiful gowns and dangling earrings. Boris Karloff also has little to do in this film other than slink in and out of the room as butler. The actor who plays her father acts in a sort of bugged-out eyes style, but I guess it's supposed to be funny. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. tries to be charming, but he comes across to me as not particularly interesting - he's just sort of there. Okay film, but nothing great - a middle-range time filler, mainly for fans of Loretta Young.
The kids are all right
marcslope21 September 2016
Loose-structured little First National comedy is worth watching for its leads, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Loretta Young, who appeared together several times and were always charming. She's an heiress in a Central American mythical country who's being forced to marry an old coot to pay off a debt, and is sidelined by Doug, an American adventurer whose behavior now looks aggressive and uncharming, but at the time was considered attractive American hi jinx. It's a William Haines sort of character, meddlesome and trickstering, but folks took it for appealing back then. And he certainly makes it as appealing as possible. Boris Karloff turns up spouting butler lines, and some nice Ernest Haller compositions make it look more expensive than it is. A time waster, but an attractive one, with two young stars who know how to look and know what they're doing.
An A.I. program would write garbage like this these days.
1930s_Time_Machine20 April 2024
A year earlier, 19 year old Fairbanks and 17 year old Young stared together in LOOSE ANKLES. Considering that one was made at the advent of sound, it was still ten times better than this poorly written drivel.
So what's wrong with this? It's about an arrogant over-entitled rich American laughing at foreigners who are of course all ignorant, corrupt with silly accents and rules.....oh and because he knows best, he decides whom their chief minister's daughter should marry - him of course!
Doug Fairbanks (sans moustache but with some unnerving lipstick instead) has to unenviable role of trying to make this obnoxious brat the hero of the picture. So how does he go about this? Mainly by smiling at the camera which unsurprisingly doesn't quite cut the mustard.
Unlike most studios, WB-First National's output in 1931 was actually for the most part, consistently high in terms of production quality. Loretta Young and Doug Fairbanks were both great actors on their books. This is no exception.... except that the story is absolutely pathetic, the script unconvincing and the characters one dimensional. OK it is an exception, it's nowhere near Warner's usual standard for that year. There is however a spark of naïve charm intrinsic in these Warner pre-codes which gives you a sort oh high and that's still evident even in this nonsense.
You'll keep wanting to switch this trash off but just as your finger approaches the off button, onto your screen comes the unbelievably beautiful Loretta Young. It is physically impossible not to gaze, open mouthed in utter amazement at the impossibly pretty Miss Young so you keep watching. Curse you Loretta! This however is hardly a picture Loretta Young fans would cite as an example of her work but nevertheless..... boy, she sure is pretty!
So what's wrong with this? It's about an arrogant over-entitled rich American laughing at foreigners who are of course all ignorant, corrupt with silly accents and rules.....oh and because he knows best, he decides whom their chief minister's daughter should marry - him of course!
Doug Fairbanks (sans moustache but with some unnerving lipstick instead) has to unenviable role of trying to make this obnoxious brat the hero of the picture. So how does he go about this? Mainly by smiling at the camera which unsurprisingly doesn't quite cut the mustard.
Unlike most studios, WB-First National's output in 1931 was actually for the most part, consistently high in terms of production quality. Loretta Young and Doug Fairbanks were both great actors on their books. This is no exception.... except that the story is absolutely pathetic, the script unconvincing and the characters one dimensional. OK it is an exception, it's nowhere near Warner's usual standard for that year. There is however a spark of naïve charm intrinsic in these Warner pre-codes which gives you a sort oh high and that's still evident even in this nonsense.
You'll keep wanting to switch this trash off but just as your finger approaches the off button, onto your screen comes the unbelievably beautiful Loretta Young. It is physically impossible not to gaze, open mouthed in utter amazement at the impossibly pretty Miss Young so you keep watching. Curse you Loretta! This however is hardly a picture Loretta Young fans would cite as an example of her work but nevertheless..... boy, she sure is pretty!
Loretta Young and Boris Karloff
kevinolzak10 September 2016
1931's "I Like Your Nerve" is an alleged First National comedy that wears out its welcome in record time. Coming off the classic gangster thriller "Little Caesar," Douglas Fairbanks Jr. does what he can with a clichéd character of idle rich American Larry O'Brien (the kind of role that Harold Lloyd played in 1923's "Why Worry?"), sent to the South American town of San Arango, where he indelicately falls in impulsive love with beautiful Diane Forsythe (Loretta Young), despite her imminent betrothal to the much older Clive Lattimer (Edmond Breon). Displaying as much nerve as the title suggests, Larry manages to court the admittedly reluctant bride, going so far as to address her father, Ariel Pacheco (Henry Kolker), who happens to be the nation's Minister of Finance, a position with an unpleasant recent history of violent death. It's not long before the impetuous youth uncovers the sadly obvious reason behind the arranged marriage, but as usual the instant attraction between the two stars comes off as wholly forced and labored. Of the small credited cast of just six players, it's a pleasure to see Boris Karloff listed last as Pacheco's retainer Luigi, as one would think that a dozen lines and about a minute and a half on screen might have gone unbilled, about five months prior to "Frankenstein." Fairbanks and Young do make an attractive couple, but nothing feels natural about their relationship, and even the supposedly happy ending makes one wonder where the pair can go, since they hardly know each other; I had the same problem with the conclusion of "The Graduate" - what exactly does victory entail? Not entirely dull, but lacking in humor and real substance. Director William McGann was a former cinematographer for the elder Fairbanks, while Boris Karloff and Loretta Young would be reunited nearly three years later, opposite George Arliss in "The House of Rothschild."
Poor Loretta
Michael_Elliott29 February 2008
I Like Your Nerve (1931)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Far fetched, unromantic and unfunny romantic comedy has Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in a Latin country where he falls in love with Loretta Young even though she's to be married to another man. Several words like boring, insane and stupid come to mind when I think about this film, which is a major disappointment considering the talent involved. Boris Karloff has a small role as a butler.
Loretta Young is my favorite actress but this is certainly one of her lesser films.
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Far fetched, unromantic and unfunny romantic comedy has Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in a Latin country where he falls in love with Loretta Young even though she's to be married to another man. Several words like boring, insane and stupid come to mind when I think about this film, which is a major disappointment considering the talent involved. Boris Karloff has a small role as a butler.
Loretta Young is my favorite actress but this is certainly one of her lesser films.
like the couple but not the premise
SnoopyStyle4 April 2024
Reckless playboy Larry O'Brien (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) gets kicked out of a South American country. He sees Diane Forsythe (Loretta Young) and follows her back into the country where he crashes the gate and gets arrested. It turns out that she is being forced to marry a corrupt official to save her stepfather Areal Pacheco (Henry Kolker). Luigi (Boris Karloff) is Pancheco's butler and henchman.
This is a pre-Code rom-com. These are two good looking stars. I like Larry's introduction. Diane should be a bit more sad and tentative. She is being shipped off into uncertainty after all. I would structure their meeting differently. As it stands, the premise needs a lot of work. I still like this couple. I just don't like the situation in this situation comedy.
This is a pre-Code rom-com. These are two good looking stars. I like Larry's introduction. Diane should be a bit more sad and tentative. She is being shipped off into uncertainty after all. I would structure their meeting differently. As it stands, the premise needs a lot of work. I still like this couple. I just don't like the situation in this situation comedy.
Fluff
boblipton7 April 2024
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Is ordered out of a Latin American country. He spots Loretta Young and follows her to another Latin American country. She is to be married to elderly Edmund Breon, which he thinks ridiculous. Better she should wed some one like him!
It looks a lot like a Harold Lloyd movie, with a lower sight-gag ratio. Fairbanks offers a lot of insouciance to assert charm like his father in former days. Miss Young is young and pretty, with DP Ernest Haller figuring out how to light her as he goes on. Claud Allister, Luis Alberni, and Peter Gawthorne add some humor as they go on, and at 67 minutes, the print that plays on Turner Classic Movies moves swiftly enough to maintain interest.
It looks a lot like a Harold Lloyd movie, with a lower sight-gag ratio. Fairbanks offers a lot of insouciance to assert charm like his father in former days. Miss Young is young and pretty, with DP Ernest Haller figuring out how to light her as he goes on. Claud Allister, Luis Alberni, and Peter Gawthorne add some humor as they go on, and at 67 minutes, the print that plays on Turner Classic Movies moves swiftly enough to maintain interest.
I Like Loretta Young
wes-connors7 January 2013
Off to seek his fortune in South America, adventure-seeking scholar Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (as Larry O'Brien) cuts loose with alcohol and fast cars. This lands Mr. Fairbanks in jail, but confirmed bachelor pal Claude Allister (as Archie Lester) helps get him off. Next, a freed Fairbanks sights luscious Loretta Young (as Diane Forsythe) looking model-perfect under a parasol. Fairbanks wants Ms. Young, but she is engaged to wealthy old Edmund Breon (as Clive Lattimer), who has trouble keeping his bowel movements regular. Young's step-father Henry Kolker (as Areal Pacheco) has arranged the May-December marriage. Papa acts like John Barrymore. It all leads to kidnapping. The butler Boris Karloff (as Luigi) didn't do it, or did he...
**** I Like Your Nerve (9/12/31) William McGann ~ Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Loretta Young, Henry Kolker, Claude Allister
**** I Like Your Nerve (9/12/31) William McGann ~ Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Loretta Young, Henry Kolker, Claude Allister
fairbanks and young!
ksf-219 April 2024
When larry sees diane forsythe, he is determined to meet her. So he performs bad deeds to make sure of it. And he finds out diane is not only the daughter of a foreign diplomat, but is to be married to an older gentleman quite soon. Larry is determined to break up that romance, and move into position. The only thing in his favor is that the diplomat is about to be arrested, and needs larry's help getting out of it. The plot kind of goes around in circles for a while. No-one really knows where diane is, although she seems to have been kidnapped. Maybe more than once. Boris karloff is the butler, but they don't really do much with him. Directed by bill mcgann, for first national. The tcm version that I saw was 62 minutes long; the run time on imdb currently shows 70 minutes. Acc to the trivia section here, there's a scene missing right at the start where o'brien goes to central america on the advice of a fortune teller. It's okay... a little convoluted. Probably the most interesting thing about this film is that parts of it were filmed in balboa park of san diego, which is built around around the exposition grounds of the world's fair.
B - movie charm
michaelchager7 April 2024
Young had eloped with Grant Withers the year before this production. This perhaps exploits the factual although implausible that Fairbanks Jr., would be so enthralled. However everything here is implausible, which is the point. The hero breaks up a wedding to claim the bride. Romance defeats finance as would be a theme in the 30s. Young could play powerful roles while still a teenager, here she is 18, but this is Fairbanks Jr.'s movie. He is not stopped by the roadblocks. The hypothetical Central American setting helps because If this had been set in the US the economic and class issues could not have been so readily dispensed with. The movie goer in 1931 gets some momentary relief from reality.
LORETTA YOUNG AT HER VERY BEST !
whpratt124 October 2003
Just recently I was able to tape this wonderful film classic and enjoyed the great talents of Douglas Fairbanks Jr.,"Sinbad The Sailor" '47, when he was very very young as (Larry O'Brien) and enjoyed the funny romantic advances Larry played in order to keep Loretta Young (Diane, "The Bishops Wife"'47, from marrying a very horrible old man. There was a great deal of great comedy in this film and if you looked real close you would see an UGLY butler called Boris Karloff just starting out before his great "Frankenstein Film" debut. This great film classic lets future generations see the natural beauty of great film stars like Loretta Young and the great talents of Douglas Fairbanks Jr., who followed in his fathers FOOTSTEPS !
Who is the father?
lgpurvis6556 October 2018
Why is this one not a cult movie?
JohnHowardReid11 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Copyright 8 September 1931 by First National Pictures, Inc. New York opening simultaneously at the Warners Strand and the Brooklyn Strand: 12 September 1931. 6,298 feet. 70 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: After consulting a fortune teller, Larry (Douglas Fairbanks, junior) journeys to a Central American republic where political corruption is rife. He forces his company on Diane (Loretta Young), but discovers she is about to marry a wealthy suitor to save her father from ruin.
COMMENT: Although it tends at times to become dialogue-bound and even degenerates into the occasional shouting match (principally between Henry Kolker and Edmund Breon) or worse, gross caricature (Claud Allister's stage Englishman is the chief offender here with his "I say what, dear old egg!"), "I Like Your Nerve" runs mostly along the breezy lines of an ingratiating romantic comedy. Doug Fairbanks junior does all right by dad in a part that, whilst it lacks senior's acrobatics, packs in plenty of his charming aggressiveness.
Loretta Young looks very svelte as the heroine and does her costumer proud.
Boris Karloff has been handed some brief bits as Kolker's butler which he plays in his usual solemn accent (no trace of Italian) in a sinisterly sepulchral manner that will no doubt delight his legion of fans.
Although lensed on a "B" budget, McGann's direction is surprisingly assured and polished, utilizing lots of varied camera set-ups, interspersed with effective long shots that show off the art director's attractive sets to their full advantage. True, there is evidence of hasty shooting here and there, but, by and large, a commendable job.
Ernest Haller's superb photography also deserves a Highly Commended certificate.
All in all, I'd rate this as a very pleasing addition to the current crop of cult movies. I wonder why it hasn't made the grade among cineastes? Could it be the simple fact that our tunnel-vision TV and most DVD suppliers pander almost exclusively to the newer movies brigade?
SYNOPSIS: After consulting a fortune teller, Larry (Douglas Fairbanks, junior) journeys to a Central American republic where political corruption is rife. He forces his company on Diane (Loretta Young), but discovers she is about to marry a wealthy suitor to save her father from ruin.
COMMENT: Although it tends at times to become dialogue-bound and even degenerates into the occasional shouting match (principally between Henry Kolker and Edmund Breon) or worse, gross caricature (Claud Allister's stage Englishman is the chief offender here with his "I say what, dear old egg!"), "I Like Your Nerve" runs mostly along the breezy lines of an ingratiating romantic comedy. Doug Fairbanks junior does all right by dad in a part that, whilst it lacks senior's acrobatics, packs in plenty of his charming aggressiveness.
Loretta Young looks very svelte as the heroine and does her costumer proud.
Boris Karloff has been handed some brief bits as Kolker's butler which he plays in his usual solemn accent (no trace of Italian) in a sinisterly sepulchral manner that will no doubt delight his legion of fans.
Although lensed on a "B" budget, McGann's direction is surprisingly assured and polished, utilizing lots of varied camera set-ups, interspersed with effective long shots that show off the art director's attractive sets to their full advantage. True, there is evidence of hasty shooting here and there, but, by and large, a commendable job.
Ernest Haller's superb photography also deserves a Highly Commended certificate.
All in all, I'd rate this as a very pleasing addition to the current crop of cult movies. I wonder why it hasn't made the grade among cineastes? Could it be the simple fact that our tunnel-vision TV and most DVD suppliers pander almost exclusively to the newer movies brigade?
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