Amazon.com reviews for
The Animal Kingdom (1932)

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Animal Kingdom (vhs):

Amazon.com video review: Though a bit stodgy, this 1932 film adaptation of a Philip Barry play features the star of the original Broadway production: Leslie Howard. While Barry had later, greater successes with film versions of his plays Holiday and The Philadelphia Story, The Animal Kingdom is something of a blueprint for those better-known comedies. Howard plays book publisher Tom Collier, a bohemian at heart and an enthusiast for great literature and artistic integrity. His lover, Daisy Sage (Ann Harding), is an equally open-minded artist. But while she's off in Paris, Tom considers making a show of respectability, and marries socialite Cee Henry (Myrna Loy), who intends to groom Tom for polite society. Cee's ambition and Tom's conflicts set the stage for one of Barry's comedies of manners, as desire and responsibility square off. Unimaginatively directed by Edward H. Griffith, the production is anchored to its stage-bound origins, but Barry's dialogue and the charming performances make it all worthwhile. --Tom Keogh