Dot Parker (Dorothy Mackaill) is all set to find a few laughs when her father invites steel mill foreman Dick Brunton (Joel McCrea) over for dinner to thank him for his heroic actions: instead she is captivated, especially when she realises he is hiding his real persona - Dick Brunton, All American, under a bushel. During dinner a couple pop in on their way to the Opera, it is Mrs. Henrietta Post (Clara Kimball Young), her husband and her real pride and joy - her little Pekinese. Their visit is the talk of the drawing room, her husband, once a promising architect, is now a "kept husband" commanding less respect than the pampered peke!!! Dot then admits to her dad that she is determined to marry Dick (even though they have only exchanged a few words at dinner) and before the year's end she does!! Father fears Dick will lose his integrity - and it almost happens!!
British born Dorothy Mackaill, originally a Follies showgirl and with a reasonable silent film career, had scored a success with "The Office Wife" in 1930 when her studio thought she was through. It got her a new contract and kept her career afloat for a couple of years more but even though "Kept Husbands" had superior production values and a sensitive director in Lloyd Bacon, her role was completely unsympathetic. What was worse her Dot never convinced that there was a nice, genuine girl underneath all the brittleness - which made Joel McCrea's job even easier, he didn't have to do much acting to be the good guy.
At the office Dick is Mr. Parker's shining star and is seen as an up and coming worker but when Dot marries him she sees nothing wrong with spending daddy's money on expensive furs and holidays and keeping Dick in a mad whirl of parties and extravagant living, mingling with her free loading friends. He suddenly finds his lost manhood when Parker gives him the chance of a lifetime to show his loyalty to the firm.
Best in the show definitely is Ned Sparks - how could he not be?? Very strange to see him out of a city slicker suit and into factory overalls but I always thought he could make the telephone book sound hilarious. Here he is Mrs. Brunton's (Mary Carr) acerbic boarder and his homilies and proverbs ("beggars can't be choosers", "a rolling stone gathers no moss" etc) recited in Spark's dead pan delivery proves the hit of the movie!!
British born Dorothy Mackaill, originally a Follies showgirl and with a reasonable silent film career, had scored a success with "The Office Wife" in 1930 when her studio thought she was through. It got her a new contract and kept her career afloat for a couple of years more but even though "Kept Husbands" had superior production values and a sensitive director in Lloyd Bacon, her role was completely unsympathetic. What was worse her Dot never convinced that there was a nice, genuine girl underneath all the brittleness - which made Joel McCrea's job even easier, he didn't have to do much acting to be the good guy.
At the office Dick is Mr. Parker's shining star and is seen as an up and coming worker but when Dot marries him she sees nothing wrong with spending daddy's money on expensive furs and holidays and keeping Dick in a mad whirl of parties and extravagant living, mingling with her free loading friends. He suddenly finds his lost manhood when Parker gives him the chance of a lifetime to show his loyalty to the firm.
Best in the show definitely is Ned Sparks - how could he not be?? Very strange to see him out of a city slicker suit and into factory overalls but I always thought he could make the telephone book sound hilarious. Here he is Mrs. Brunton's (Mary Carr) acerbic boarder and his homilies and proverbs ("beggars can't be choosers", "a rolling stone gathers no moss" etc) recited in Spark's dead pan delivery proves the hit of the movie!!