Platinum Blonde (1931)

A young woman from a very rich family impulsively marries a reporter, but each assumes the other is the one whose lifestyle must change.

Director:

Frank Capra (as Frank R. Capra)

Writers:

Harry Chandlee (story) (as Harry E. Chandlee), Douglas W. Churchill (story)

Stars:

Jean Harlow, Loretta Young, Robert Williams

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Loretta Young	...	Gallagher
Robert Williams	...	Stew Smith
Jean Harlow	...	Ann Schuyler
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Butler
Reginald Owen	...	Grayson
Edmund Breese	...	Conroy - the Editor
Don Dillaway	...	Michael Schuyler (as Donald Dillaway)
Walter Catlett	...	Bingy
Claud Allister	...	Dawson - the Valet
Louise Closser Hale	...	Mrs. Schuyler

Storyline

Reporter Gallagher loves reporter Smith who marries Anne. He's soon bored being married to a socialite and asks Gallagher to help him write a play. She arrives with a bunch of reporters and the mansion turns into a party. Anne arrives and orders them out and Smith goes with them.

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | reporter | party | mansion | socialite | 

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Taglines:

She Was Gorgeous - He Was A Man . . . So, the other girl had to wait !

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gallagher

Box Office

Budget:

£600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During its 1950 reissue it was double-billed with "Gilda."

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Goofs

When Stew Smith is married, his colleagues make fun of him in the press room. At that moment his wife calls and he walks over to the phone with his pipe in his mouth. However, when he picks up the phone, the pipe disappears.

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Quotes

Stew Smith: Well, well, well. My little pal Gallagher's a gal, heh.

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Connections

Featured in SexTV: On Blondes/Walter Kundzicz/The Art of Flirting (2004)

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Soundtracks

Manhattan
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Played over main titles

User Reviews

The Best Actor You've Never Seen

Robert Williams doesn't even get any billing n the DVD cover or on other promotions of this film, but he IS the star of the film....and he is outstanding.

Williams could have been a major star, a very well-known actor, had he not died four days after this picture was released with a ruptured appendix. The man simply puts on an acting clinic here. I wonder if young aspiring actors are ever shown this film and told to study Williams? If is wasn't for this film, I assume nobody would ever know about this guy.

Anyway, the movie is really dated but its interesting thanks to some great dialog, mainly, once again, by Williams. Jean Harlow gets the billing but a young Loretta Young has the real beauty and charm here. Too bad her role was so minor and bland. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

The storyline is one of Hollywood's favorite themes: the average Joe beating up on the snobby rich people. Harlow's "mother" in here (Louise Closser Hale) plays that snob role perfectly.

Even though I just gave it six stars, there are lots of laughs in this film and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Watching Williams' acting performance is worth the price of the disc, and then some.