Advice to the Forlorn (1933) User Reviews

Jazz, newspapers, and pre-code Lee Tracy wackiness! Who could ask for anything more?

[neroville · 7/10 · 29 August 2003]

Along with the 1958 Montgomery Clift potboiler, "Lonelyhearts," this 1933 comedy/drama shares the honor of being based on Nathanael West's novella "Miss Lonelyhearts." However, it is hard to imagine two leading men more different; whereas Montgomery Clift was the epitome of post-war angst and brooding introspection, Lee Tracy, one of the most popular comedians of the early '30s, embodied the Depression-era wisecracker, all snappy cynicism, rapid-fire delivery and loads of energy (almost reminiscent of Bugs Bunny, actually). "Lovelorn" was made at the height of Tracy's A-list career, and Nathanael West's dark story about an idealistic young journalist's descent into madness was tailor-made into a peppy star vehicle.

In brief, Tracy plays a troublemaking reporter, Toby Prentiss, who is forced by his editor to take up the Miss Lonelyhearts column. Much hi-jinx ensue, as Prentiss gives screwy "modern" advice to everyone who writes in, in the hopes he'll be fired. But, in the best tradition of "The Producers," Prentiss's column turns out to be an unexpected boffo hit, and the editor refuses to let him go. There's more jazzy early '30s wackiness, with lots of gleeful mugging from everyone involved, until the story takes an abrupt turn into melodrama, as if the scriptwriters suddenly remembered the original Nathanael West novel. In exchange for cash, Prentiss has been plugging some drugs for a shady manufacturer, until (**SPOILERS**) he gives those same drugs to his ma who's having a spell of heart trouble- and she promptly croaks. The scene where he realizes he was partially responsible for his own mother's death is startling, since until then the film was strictly light comedy. Yet albeit odd, it is interesting and moving to see Tracy act other than a goofy wiseacre- he emotes quite well indeed, and it's a pity that the film doesn't develop his new-found angst. Instead, it makes another abrupt turn and becomes a fairly standard "righteous reporter vs. the evil corporate thugs" drama, with everything ending happily. There's a wedding too! Golly gee whillikers!

In any case, plot problems asides, this is a lot of fun, and it even has a great soundtrack. Sterling Holloway (aka the Cheshire Cat) is very amusing as Tracy's sidekick, and Sally Blane, Loretta Young's sister, is okay as the love interest (though it's hard not to think of her as the poor man's Loretta Young). It's a must-see for Lee Tracy fans out there, since he's in top form here. It's really too bad this film isn't more available (although those curious can find it at Eddie Brant's Saturday Matinee, a most excellent video store in North Hollywood).

A quintessential Lee Tracy movie

[Paularoc · 8/10 · 10 April 2013]

A great opening to this movie with a Chamber of Commerce type who is giving a radio program enthusiastically praising how wonderful it is to live in California: no hurricanes, floods, snow storms or tornadoes - it' always sunny and beautiful. Just then, an earthquake hits. It's a big news story but one that reporter Toby Prentiss misses reporting on because he's recovering from a hangover. His boss is none too pleased and demotes Prentiss to writing the "Miss Lonleyhearts" column. Prentiss figures he'll force his boss to fire him by giving wacky and scandalous advice to those who write letters in. Even though his advice verges on being on being mean and uncaring (even if funny) the column becomes a big hit. At first Prentiss is chagrined but quickly realizes he can make a lot of money out of his new fame. He gleefully accepts money from a corrupt drug store owner who sells cut- rate and diluted drugs. All goes well until Prentiss' mother dies because of diluted medicine Prentiss bought at one of these drug stores. This is a highly entertaining movie that goes from a lighthearted and snappy comedy to a crusading drama. The cast is superb especially the fast talking, wise cracking (what else?) Lee Tracy. Tracy is one of my favorite actors and he does a stellar job here, even in the dramatic scenes. Also of note are the performances of Sterling Holloway as his usual doofus character, C. Gordon Henry as his usual slimy and corrupt businessman and Paul Harvey as his usual solid and occasionally blustering character. Also as usual, Sally Blane really doesn't have much of a strong screen presence but she does well with the rather bland role she has been given. Highly recommended.

Miss Lonely Hearts!!

[kidboots · 9/10 · 4 May 2012]

Nathanael West's "Miss Lonelyhearts" couldn't have been published at a worse time. A month after the book's publication, in 1933, the publishing firm of Liveright Inc. went into receivership and a month later all the banks in the United States were closed by presidential order. The book would have found it hard to find success anyway, with a scathing attack on it by "Harrison's Reports" which called it "vile and vulgar and would please only moronic natures"!!! But before that came out Darryl F. Zanuck bought the story for $4,000 for his new 20th Century Pictures. What they were really interested in was West's highly original story about the private life of a newspaperman assigned to answer letters for a lonely hearts column. Fortunately it was made (in 1933) before the industry bought in the self regulating censorship laws and what emerged was a snappy comedy ideally fitted to the sizzling talents of Lee Tracy who was enjoying his busiest year!!

This is a super little film. Tracy plays Toby Prentiss, a wise cracking columnist assigned to the Lonely Hearts page (under great protest) when the regular writer takes leave to get married. As "Miss Lonely Hearts" he turns the column on it's ear and of course law suits pile up (sort of like "Blessed Event"). His advice to most of the letter writers being - "take your happiness while you can, who cares how you get it"!! Suddenly he is a celebrity with books and perfume named in his honour. One of the people who fall by the wayside is his long suffering girl Louise (pretty Sally Blane), she, in turn, turns her attention to Adolphe, a worker at her father's garage but as Toby comments "There never was an Adolphe in history that wasn't anything but a menace"!!!

The story turns quite dramatic when Toby's mother dies, the victim of a cut price drug store. Kramm (C. Henry Gordon) of Kramm's Cut Price Drug Stores had been paying Toby over $1,000 a week to promote his stores in the lovelorn column - as well as giving Toby advice on answering Rose's letters, a girl he wishes to make his mistress. Feisty Isabel Jewel makes a welcome appearance (playing almost the same type of role as she did in "Blessed Event") playing Rose, who bursts into Toby's apartment with an emotional punchy "thanks to your advice my life is in ruins" speech. Once she realises what is happening she hysterically (as only Isabel Jewel can) cries that Kramm, while being a cut price druggist uses only inferior ingredients and ends with the chilling "You killed your own mother".

This is Lee Tracy's movie all the way - "I've got an idea for a column that will make Walter Winchell look like the kid who writes on fences"!!!! Sally Blane didn't have much to do but look lovingly on. She was Loretta Young's sister who was almost her twin in the beauty department. Sterling Holloway played his goofy but loyal offsider.

Great comedy-drama owes nothing to Nathanael West.

[F Gwynplaine MacIntyre · 9/10 · 14 April 2010]

'Advice to the Lovelorn' is ostensibly based on the novel 'Miss Lonelyhearts' written by Nathaniel West, who changed his forename to the more pretentious Nathanael. (My own name may seem pretentious too, but at least I spell it properly.) While watching this splendid comedy, I got my first laugh during the opening credits when I saw that they'd (mis)spelt the author's name as Nathaniel. Even better, this movie takes almost nothing from West's over-rated novel except its initial premise of a male journalist required to write an agony-aunt column. (The same premise was used again a year later, in "Hi, Nellie!".)

Oddly, 'Advice to the Lovelorn' spends its first half as a very funny screwball comedy, then suddenly swerves into dead-earnest drama, abruptly switching back to comedy during the climax and fade-out. Commendably, it works.

Lee Tracy spent most of his career playing fast-talking newsmen in the style of Walter Winchell, whom he physically resembled. He's in excellent form here, ably handling both the comedy and dramatics. I'm often intrigued by the elaborate hand gestures used by 1930s Hollywood actors. Tracy has one particular hand gesture here that seems more contrived than usual, but it turns out to have a payoff.

The script of this 1933 movie wisely jettisons West's plot and replaces it with some topical humour. The opening sequence is inspired by the earthquake that hit Long Beach, California on 10 March 1933. Later, Tracy has some dialogue concerning the untrustworthiness of men named Adolf. (Has he a particular Adolf in mind?)

Sally Blane (not quite as pretty as her sister Loretta Young, but even sexier) is excellent here and wears some chic outfits, including an ensemble that seems to have only one glove. Jean Adair, as Tracy's mother, is a bit too twee even though at one point she actually complains about the 'damn' weather.

SLIGHT SPOILER. Columnist Tracy is in collusion with the owner of some 'druggee shoppees' (sic) who hawks cut-rate medicines. Tracy happily pockets his share of the graft until his mother dies after taking substandard medicine. From this point, Tracy's character seems inspired by Samuel Hopkins Adams, the journalist who agitated for the creation of the Pure Food and Drug Act.

In other IMDb reviews I've often criticised Sterling Holloway, an extremely annoying performer. Film historian William K Everson considered Holloway the most annoying male actor in Hollywood history. (I consider Chester Clute even worse, but just slightly.) In 'Advice to the Lovelorn', I was pleasantly surprised that Holloway gives an energetic and well-timed performance, without the deeply annoying mannerisms and vocal whinnyings that have consistently blighted his work elsewhere. He's even useful at the film's climax. Well done, Holloway! For once, Sterling is sterling.

As Tracy's boss, actor Paul Harvey is splendid: why didn't he become better-known? Jimmy Conlin and Charles Lane are excellent in their brief turns, Conlin even better than usual and Lane in a rare non-sourpuss role. Adalyn Doyle (who?) is charming and effective as the newspaper's switchboard operator.

Some of this film's exterior sequences were filmed at the front entrance of Villa Ramona, a posh residence in Baldwin Park, CA. The production budget includes several diagonal wipes and impressive montage sequences consisting solely of newspaper close-ups. Since so much money was splashed out elsewhere in this movie, I was annoyed that they didn't spend a bit more effort on the typesetting. We see a montage of Tracy's syndicated column published in what are meant to be newspapers from several different cities ... yet they all have exactly the same typography, and his column has the same heading in every newspaper. Not likely!

'Advice to the Lovelorn' is one of those they-don't-make-'em-like-this anymore Hollywood delights, with a brisk climax and plenty to recommend it. I'm pleased that, for once, Sterling Holloway doesn't seem to be auditioning for Holloway Prison (yes, I know). My rating: 9 out of 10.

The shakeup isn't just the earthquake.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 14 March 2017]

Longing for his own column, tough talking reporter Lee Tracy isn't thrilled by the one assigned to him: Miss Lonely hearts. His smart aleck responses to the initial letters he gets lands him in hot water with the editor (Paul Harvey). But his honesty backfires, tripling subscriptions, forcing him back to the heart shaped typewriter against his will. Now he must scheme his way out of this position so he can marry pretty Sally Blane and be "a real man".

Deliciously tacky and filled with precode offenses (and starting off with the 1933 Long Beach quake rattling Tracy's room), this comedy is fast, furious and hysterically funny. Not only does Tracy get to deliver some of the best dialog pre- production code era, but he's joined by future "Winnie the Pooh" lead voice Sterling Holloway as his milquetoast assistant with a few tricks of his own up his sleeve. A scathing rip on the pitfalls of journalism, thus has its serious side as well as Tracy finds himself involved in potentially serious stories, his dream job.

Timely references to things going on in history has Tracy knocking anybody named Adolph who is not only a reference to the rising in power Hitler, but Tracy's rival for Blane. As Tracy becomes involved in shady activities involving crooked C. Henry Gordon, his lovelorn advice comes back to haunt him and he faces a personal tragedy involving tainted medication. While the first half is light and comical, the second half becomes much more serious, dealing with an issue regarding illicit pharmaceutical companies that still has an impact on health-care today. The transition isn't as jarring as it seems it would be, and that makes this quite an important film from pre- code Hollywood.

More than a little satire in this very funny film with some crime, drama and romance

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 31 March 2022]

"Advice to the Forlorn," originally entitled to the "Lovelorn," is a very funny comedy that combines some drama, corruption, crime and romance in a walloping good satire of newspapers. Lee Tracy was the perfect actor to play the lead character in this type of film, and I think his Toby Prentiss is his best performance from the several of his films I have seen to date. Others have noted that the film borrows the idea for the setting from a Nathanael West novel, "Miss Lonelylhearts," but discards the mostly dark plot of that story.

The film has a good cast all around, with just four more characters having significant roles. Paul Harvey has a very good, entertaining and funny role as Toby's newspaper publisher boss, Gaskell. I agree with a couple other reviewers on the role by Sterling Holloway as Benny. I think it's one of his best and better liked roles. Sally Blane plays Toby's fiancé, Louise, and C. Henry Gordon plays Kane who owns the Kranz discount drugstore chain. Gordon gets a chuckle when one first sees him because he sports a mustache that was a characteristic attire of the classic villains of the silent film era.

While the satire in this film isn't heavy, it's very obvious. And it begins with the opening scene in a Los Angeles radio station. The radio announcer introduces Reuben J. Klutz, president of the Sunshine Society of Southern California. Then, on comes Tommy Conlin a familiar face in so many comedies and other films of the golden era. He, too, is perfect for this role - a klutz. As he extols the advantages of living in southern California, he points out the disadvantages of other areas.

"Now, in the Middle West," he says, "you have tornadoes, in the Northwest you have blizzards, in the South you have hurricanes, in the East you have rain, sleet, slush and snow, but in California - ahhh! Sunshine all the year round - sunshine and flowers." The set then rattles, rumbles and shakes, with the cast and the props, as an earthquake strikes. "This is very unusual," says Klutz. "Don't go away folks."

While the film hit theaters the first week of December 1933, southern Californians would have memories yet of the real earthquake that had struck the Los Angeles area earlier that year. The March 10 quake registered 6.4 and was centered just off the coast of Long Beach. It was the largest quake in the state since the granddaddy of them all, the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906 that destroyed 80 percent of that city. But, by 1933, much more was known about earthquakes. And, setting this story around the March quake of that year, movie audiences would quickly see the humor and satire about touting southern California over other areas of the country for its less exposure to natural disasters and threats. That area actually has about 10,000 earthquakes every year; but, obviously not major quakes.

Then, on the heels of the news coverage of the quake in the story, the press gets another scathing. The film shows headlines of the story from big city papers around the country - Detroit, Boston, Salt Lake City, etc., with their banner headlines that read, "Southern California in Ruins," and others about the quake that demolished L. A. Then comes the local paper report the very next day, a small article with a one-column head on the front page, "Slight Quake disturbs city."

The real comedy takes off after this when the five-year editor of the paper's "Advice to the Lovelorn" column has to quit because she has found love. Toby had goofed on the earthquake story with a hangover, so Gaskell makes him the new Lovelorn editor. After all the ribbing and arguing, Toby writes some humorous and pithy responses. But before he and Gaskell can part company for good, the bean counters come into the office and rave about the column and the huge jump in subscriptions.

There are job complications because Toby was supposed to leave the paper and take over the management of the upscale garage that Louise's father owns. And dishonesty and graft creeps in when Toby agrees to plug the discount Kranz drug stores of Kranz, who pays him $1,100 per week. The story turns to drama when Toby's mother gets sick and a Kranz prescription that was supposed to revive her until the doctor arrives, fails. Louise starts to fall for the guy her father hired in place of Toby to run the garage. So, Toby now has to woo her back away from Adolf. The scene when she tells him about Adolf is so funny and uncanny with the rising notoriety of a certain person by that name in Europe.

There's much more humor, mixed with some drama and a scary scene where Toby and Louise are in danger of getting bumped off by Kranz and his henchmen. But, Benny comes to the rescue - well, sort of, for a final funny ending. And, those who follow history and older audiences will note the uncanny foresight in this story about the future of newspaper advice columns to the love-struck. "Dear Abby" and "Dear Ann Landers" became syndicated columns with more than 200 million readers between them from the 1950s into the 21st century.

Even though this film is set in the early 1930s, its humor isn't dated. People who enjoy comedies should get some hearty laughs from this picture. Here are a couple of favorite lines from this film.

Toby Prentiss, to Louise, "Listen, you can't get mixed up with a guy by the name of Adolf. It's dangerous. There never was an Adolf in history that was anything but a mess."

Benny, "How many Z's in hesitate?"

Really a new screenplay, not an adaptation of the novel!

[JohnHowardReid · 9/10 · 10 February 2018]

Aside from its main idea, this movie bears little resemblance to Nathanael West's celebrated novel. That's actually most fortunate, because while the book is certainly most stylishly written, you can't translate literary finesse to the screen. You need more than an intriguing central character. You need a well-defined supporting cast, and above all, an attention-grabbing plot, set in motion by your lively, fascinating characters.

All this, the Praskins screenplay abundantly supplies. And when you add charismatic players to give color and life to your script and a skillful director to make it move on the run, plus a producer who is prepared to spend top money to ensure everything impacts as breathtakingly real, you're in seventh heaven.

Lee Tracy has one of his best roles, Sally Blane looks great, Isabel Jewell makes her mark, and even Sterling Holloway contributes an appealing characterization.

The DVD formerly available from VintageFilmBuff rates 9 stars, in my opinion. And it's also available as a double disc with Lee Tracy's 1934 venture, You Belong To Me.

Take my advice

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 4 September 2022]

Nathanael West had published a scathing satire about the newspaper business called 'Miss Lonelyhearts.' Effectively mixing humor with pathos, the story was adapted by Darryl Zanuck for his 20th Century Pictures banner as a screwball comedy-drama. Zanuck had just left his post in charge of production at Warner Brothers, so this independent effort resembles a WB precode.

Zanuck hired Lee Tracy for the main role of a fast-talking reporter who suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. It is the type of character that Mr. Tracy excelled at playing. This time the actor is much more manic than usual. The moment we first see him on screen he is drying out in a drunk tank when an earthquake hits. This spurs him into action. His convalescence now over, he's ready to resume work for a tyrannical editor (Paul Harvey).

Since Tracy missed an important deadline while on a bender, Harvey decides to punish him by putting him in charge of an advice column. The regular writer has suffered a personal crisis and quit the paper. Tracy is made to continue the column under the Miss Lonelyhearts byline...something he is loathe to do. But since he is under contract and would be blackballed in the industry if he walked, Tracy has no choice. He sits down at his typewriter and starting pounding out words of wisdom for the many lovelorn readers who follow this column each day.

Assisting Tracy in the endeavor is a secretary played by Sterling Holloway. I don't recall Mr. Holloway getting so much screen time as he does in this picture. He and Tracy have an oddball chemistry that works perfectly for this sort of offbeat material. Holloway's character is loyal to a fault. On one occasion, he even takes a sock in the eye that's intended for Tracy.

The column becomes more successful, and the paper's circulation increases exponentially. Of course, Tracy doesn't really respect his readers and often his advice is tongue-in-cheek. He occasionally slips in references to a discount seller of pharmaceuticals. For his efforts plugging the knockoff drugs, he earns an extra $1100 a week. It's money Tracy intends to use to buy a new home for his ma (Jean Adair). He is also going to marry his girlfriend (Sally Blane).

Miss Blane, who very much resembles sister Loretta Young, does a most credible job providing romantic sparks. She's a nice gal that brings out the best in Tracy and helps look after his ailing mother. However, the story takes a dramatic turn when the elderly woman suffers a heart attack and is given some of the inferior medicine that Tracy's been pushing in the column. A doctor is summoned, but she dies.

This causes Tracy to declare a word of words on the drug company each day in the paper, advising his readers to boycott the chain and its products. A tragedy has turned him into the type of crusading reporter he started out to be. What I found interesting about this dramatic segment of the film was how bootleggers had switched to drug rackets after prohibition ended. So in a way, we get additional commentary about social conditions during these years of the Depression.

West's book is much bleaker in tone than this film. It was adapted again in 1958 by Dore Schary. That time Montgomery Clift played the lead character, and the script was a bit more faithful to the novel. Either way both films are fairly well-made, and in this case, Lee Tracy gives a marvelous performance that keeps us engaged. Take my advice, you will enjoy watching this one.