Ladies Love Brutes

...from Paramount and director Rowland Lee. Bancroft stars as Joe Forziati (and just try counting how many times his name is mentioned during the film!), a rough-and-tumble construction magnate who has really made good after the completion of his latest NYC skyscraper. The uppercrust wealthy society is loathe to admit Forziati into their ranks, though, as they view his as too coarse and unrefined. Forziati sets out to improve his image with a wardrobe upgrade and an invitation to a high society dinner hosted by Mimi Howell (Mary Astor). Mimi has filed for divorce from her philandering husband Dwight (Fredric March), and she warms to the no-nonsense approach of Forziati. His hopes for acceptance may be dashed, though, by the intrusion of low-life racketeer Mike Mendino (Stanley Fields).

I watched this for March, but he's hardly in it. This is almost completely a showcase for the onscreen persona of George Bancroft, whose star was already starting to fade. He was the first real gangster movie star, and he also did well in blue-collar type roles, but his prima donna attitude and changing audience taste made a rather quick end to his stardom, and he was soon playing fourth or lower billed roles in B westerns. He's not bad here, but the script can't decide how much of a heel he is. Astor looks disappointed at being in the film. Fields once again makes for a terrific thug.

George Bancroft is a widower with a young son and a thriving construction business. Stanley Fields is a gangster who wants a piece, but Bancroft beats him down.

With success comes money, and connection to the upper classes, and the need for a new wardrobe. And with those comes Mary Astor, a society matron with a young son of her own and an estranged husband in Frederic March. Bancroft respects the marriage bonds, but Miss Astor is willing to play.... until Bancroft becomes serious, whereupon she says it won't work.

The story goes on from there, with Fields getting involved, and a terrific fight sequence. Unfortunately, under the direction of Rowland V. Lee, it all proceeds at too slow a pace to maintain much interest. The script by Waldemar Young and Herman J. Mankiewicz from a play by Zoe Akins has some serious things to say about class divisions as they existed a century ago, and deftly combines serious drama, action, and humor, but the dialogue is so slowly enunciated that it was hard to maintain interest.

The title suggest something slicker and faster moving, but it actually takes a long time to tell a rather basic story in which everyone talks too much and too slowly. George Bancroft is fun as rough diamond Joe Forziati who spends an inordinate amount of time trying to smooth his rough edges before becoming smitten with socialite Mary Astor.

The plot then moves from comedy to sentimentality eventually redeemed by a dramatic finale with some superb atmospheric photography and action.

George Bancroft plays Joe Forziati--a very successful man who built his fortune putting up skyscrapers. But he's not some polished society man but a guy who literally learned his trade on the job and he's a manly he-man sort of man. This means he's also a bit rough around the edges and certainly not the sort of person to fit in with high society. But now that he's made his fortune, Forziati longs to be accepted and his lawyer decides to help. He gets Joe an invitation to a lovely lady's dinner party. Mimi (Mary Astor) is in the process of getting a divorce and she's taken with Joe despite his gruff exterior. But the problem is that they are just too different to really work as a couple.

In the meantime, a mobster who hates Joe decides to destroy him. He kidnaps both Joe's son and Mimi's in order to get back at Joe. Mimi is naturally distraught and tells Joe if he can save her boy that she's marry him. Joe does the right thing and confronts the crooks in an exciting finale. What's next? See the film.

While this film was very tough to believe, it was enjoyable. Bancroft created a guy who was hard not to like and your sympathy is drawn towards him. Some might not like the ending, but for me it all worked very well and is a nice little film worth your seeing.