Evelyn Prentice (1934)

The neglected wife of a high profile attorney dallies with a unscrupulous womanizer and finds herself involved in blackmail and murder.

Director:

William K. Howard

Writers:

Lenore J. Coffee (screen play), W.E. Woodward (from the book by),

Stars:

William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Powell	...	John Prentice
Myrna Loy	...	Evelyn Prentice
Una Merkel	...	Amy Drexel
Rosalind Russell	...	Mrs. Harrison
Isabel Jewell	...	Judith Wilson
Harvey Stephens	...	Lawrence Kennard
Edward Brophy	...	Delaney
Henry Wadsworth	...	Chester Wylie
Cora Sue Collins	...	Dorothy Prentice
Frank Conroy	...	Dist. Atty. Farley
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Blake

Storyline

Evelyn Prentice is the respected wife of a high-profile New York attorney. Despite the prestige and status she enjoys, she feels neglected and out of boredom becomes involved with an unscrupulous womanizing poet, who gives her the attention she craves. She eventually finds herself a victim of blackmail and becomes involved in his murder. When another woman is accused of the crime, she begs her husband to defend her.

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Plot Keywords:

blackmail | murder | neglected wife | poet | lawyer | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

9 November 1934 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Testemunha Imprevista

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The third of fourteen films pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy.

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Goofs

When John is discussing the clues of the case in their living room, Evelyn puts her fists up to her cheeks. In the next angle, they are by her sides.

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Quotes

Evelyn Prentice: There's nothing wrong with those letters. They're innocent.
Lawrence Kennard: Then why are you here?
Evelyn Prentice: There's nothing safe with a man like you.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Myrna Loy (1961)

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Soundtracks

"Lullaby (Wiegenlied)"
(1868) (uncredited)
Written by Johannes Brahms
Played when Myrna Loy discovers Cora Sue Collins asleep
Later played on piano by Collins and sung by her and William Powell

User Reviews

Enjoyable, good solid 1934 film with a few surprises

Besides the obvious factors of a great cast of that era, a great writer of women's films and how the writers, director and actors were able to tell all without showing it all - leaving much to the imagination, one of the great surprises of this film is a short scene in a nightclub where two male dancers, one white and one black, do a lovely tap dance number. This is one of the first integrated dance sequences in a white nightclub I remember seeing on film.

If anyone has more information about the dancers, and the history of this scene, i would be delighted to hear more about it! What a huge surprise.

And you may know that Rosalind Russell is in the film, her film debut and she is great as ever, with the camera loving her. She would soon go on to greater film roles like her comedy with Cary Grant, that classic, My Girl Friday.

The set designs are wonderful and reflect that period of Hollywood studio work. The cinematography too is wonderful. And the drama between William Powell and Myrna Loy is as wonderful as always. Una Merkel is a delight, filling in the gaps and the dialog of that period is also delightful.

I enjoyed it. If you enjoy those great black and white 1930s classics, I think you will also enjoy this little gem.